📍 야주포차 사당본점 (Yajupocha Sadang Main Branch) · Google Maps
📅 Visited: April 1, 2026
💰 Budget: ₩50,000 per person (~$36)
⭐ Worth visiting? Yes — genuinely one of the better seafood 포차 spots I’ve hit in Seoul
There are restaurants where you eat, pay, and forget by the time you’re back on the subway. And then there’s the kind of place you’re already texting your friends about before the bill arrives.
Yajupocha in Sadang was firmly the second type.
I went specifically for the 알쭈꾸미 (al jjukkumi — roe-filled webfoot octopus), grilled over charcoal. I’d been half-planning the trip for a few weeks and finally just went.
Tuesday evening, exit 10 at Sadang Station, two-minute walk. As shown in my photo of the entrance, it doesn’t look like much from outside — easy to walk right past if you’re not looking.
But the moment you get close, the charcoal smoke reaches you before the sign does — warm, faintly sweet, and thick enough that you slow down without meaning to. You already know you made the right call.
This is a 포차 (pocha — a casual Korean outdoor-style pub-eatery), which means no frills, low tables, and food that pairs dangerously well with a cold beer. The vibe is neighborhood local, not tourist trap.
That’s the setup. Here’s what actually went down.
What I ordered
The 알쭈꾸미구이 (al jjukkumi gui — charcoal-grilled webfoot octopus loaded with roe) at ₩50,000. That’s the main event.
I didn’t overthink it.
The staff brought out the octopus fresh — piled up, visibly alive-fresh — and got it started on the charcoal grill. As shown in my photo of the octopus grilling over charcoal, the legs curl tight against the heat almost immediately. The smell that comes off the grill at that moment — charcoal smoke mixing with the ocean scent of fresh seafood — is the kind of thing that makes you put your phone down.
What I wasn’t fully ready for was the 알 (al — roe) inside the octopus heads. This is a narrow-window thing: in early spring, webfoot octopus carry roe in their heads, and when that hits heat it changes completely.
Creamy. Almost custard-like.
Think of it like the octopus version of sea urchin — rich and soft and gone before you realize it. The legs stay chewy, with a slight resistance when you bite through. You get both textures in a single bite, and the contrast is genuinely something.
I leaned hard into the 소금장 (sogumjang — salt dipping sauce) on the side rather than the heavier options. With seafood this fresh, salt is the right move.
It keeps things clean and lets you actually taste what you’re eating.
They also brought out 조개탕 (joggaetang — clam broth soup) as a service item — meaning free, not on the menu. Clear broth, properly briny, honest.
I had two bowls. Didn’t plan to, just did.
Other items worth knowing about:
- 야주 조개구이 (Yaju Joggae Gui — grilled mixed clam platter): ₩49,000
- 대왕조개전골 (Daewang Joggae Jeongol — giant clam hot pot): ₩49,000
- 가리비치즈구이 (Garibi Cheese Gui — grilled scallop with melted cheese): ₩49,000
- 쭈꾸미샤브전골 (Jjukkumi Shabu Jeongol — webfoot octopus shabu-style hot pot): ₩70,000
- 삼색 깻잎막회 (Samsaek Kkennip Makhoe — raw fish in three-color perilla wraps): ₩39,000
- 마약 닭도리탕 (Mayak Dakdoritang — so-called “addictive” spicy chicken stew): ₩32,000
The table next to me had the clam platter going and it looked serious. That’s on the list for next time.
The vibe
It’s a 포차. Meaning: casual tables, warm lighting, and the kind of easy atmosphere where nobody’s rushing you.
On a weeknight it fills up with a solid mix of after-work groups and couples who clearly know the place. Not a single Instagram setup shot happening — everyone was just eating.
The outdoor-adjacent layout gives it that classic tent-bar feeling that’s hard to fake. You could hear the sizzle from every grill at once — a low, constant sound that fills the whole space. Cold drinks, people actually talking to each other. That’s the 포차 experience at its best, and this place delivers it without trying too hard.
Staff were on it. When the charcoal grill needed attention, someone came over without being asked.
That level of quiet attention matters when you’re working with something as delicate as roe octopus — one minute too long on the heat and the roe goes dry. Didn’t happen here.
The good
Roe inside the head
The 알 (al — roe) is the whole reason to come. I’ve had webfoot octopus many times in Seoul, but the roe version is a very different experience.
As shown in my close-up photo of the roe inside the head, it sits dense and orange before heat turns it soft. That creamy, almost buttery quality from the roe — warm and smooth against your tongue — combined with the smokiness from the charcoal is a mix that hits in a way that’s hard to copy.
Charcoal was the right choice. Not gas, not electric.
The slightly charred edges on the legs carry a flavor that changes the whole experience. Chewy and smoky at the same time, and that contrast against the soft roe is what makes this place work.
The free joggaetang (clam broth soup) was a standout. A lot of spots give you side dishes that feel like afterthoughts.
This one tasted like someone actually made it — the broth had a clean, salty depth that was good on its own, even between bites of octopus.
Getting here is easy from central Seoul. Sadang Station (Lines 2 and 4), Exit 10.
Both lines go through major areas — Gangnam, Hongdae, City Hall. From most places tourists stay, you’re looking at 30 minutes or less.
The not-so-good
No English menu. You’ll need to prepare a little before going — screenshot this post, use Papago, or just point at 알쭈꾸미구이 and go with it.
That last method has a high success rate.
Closed on Sundays. Check that before you make the trip — Mon through Thu runs until midnight, Friday and Saturday until 1 AM.
Worth knowing in advance if you’re building this into a bigger evening out.
It’s not a cheap spot either. ₩50,000 for the octopus is fair given the quality and the seasonal nature of it, but two people with drinks will land around ₩100,000–130,000.
Plan for that.
Smoke. Charcoal grill means smoke, and you will carry some of it home with you.
Your jacket will smell like a campfire by the time you leave. Feature, not bug — but worth knowing if you’re coming from somewhere or going somewhere after.
Things to know before you go
- Getting there: Sadang Station (사당역), Lines 2 & 4 — Exit 10. 2–3 minute walk.
- Hours: Mon–Thu 4 PM – 12 AM · Fri–Sat 4 PM – 1 AM · Closed Sundays
- Price anchor: 알쭈꾸미구이 (roe octopus, charcoal grilled) ₩50,000 · 쭈꾸미샤브전골 (octopus hot pot) ₩70,000
- If you don’t read Korean: Show staff this — 알쭈꾸미구이 — and you’re set
- Seasonal window: The roe-filled version is only available March–April. Outside that window, regular webfoot octopus is still available — just without the roe
- Sauce: Start with the 소금장 (salt sauce). It’s the cleanest way to taste how fresh the seafood actually is
- Free soup: Don’t turn down the 조개탕 (joggaetang — clam broth soup). It comes out as a free item and it’s worth every sip
- Wait times: The place fills up fast on weeknights. Come before 6 PM or expect to wait 15–20 minutes for a table, especially on Fridays. There is no reservation system — it’s walk-in only, so timing matters more than usual
Would I come back?
Already planning it. The roe octopus alone makes the trip worth it — it’s the kind of ingredient that’s hard to find handled well, and this place handles it well.
Add the charcoal grill, the free clam broth, and the easy 포차 atmosphere, and it adds up to a night that’s hard to fault.
Sadang isn’t the area most visitors end up in, which is part of why this spot still feels like something local rather than something made for tourists. If you’re the type to track down seasonal food in a city rather than just hit the same well-known lists — this is exactly the kind of place to go for.