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I visited ‘Hong’s Spicy Squid,’ a Hongdae squid restaurant where waiting is a must
146 Eoulmadang-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
https://www.google.com/maps/place/146+Eoulmadang-ro,+Mapo-gu,+Seoul/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x357c98c2392d20ed:0xae9741a1a421d821!8m2!3d37.556212!4d126.926101!16s%2Fg%2F11bz2_d82b?hl=en&entry=ttu
We sat on the second floor, and from there, we could see the first and third floors. I thought the interior was small, but it turned out to be quite spacious inside, just as expected from a Hongdae restaurant.
By the way, the restroom is located on the second floor (and it’s clean too). We also enjoyed looking at the walls adorned with celebrity signatures. This place was featured on ‘Baek Jong-won’s Alley Restaurant.’ It’s said to be one of the top three squid restaurants in Seoul.”
There’s a self-service bar on the first floor where you can help yourself to additional side dishes if you need. Just grab what you need
In addition, there are side dishes that go well with squid and menu options for additional toppings. You can choose from two levels of spiciness for the squid: spicy and mild. Just pick your preference (for those who can’t handle spice, go for the mild option).”
A must-try at this Hongdae squid restaurant is the delicious Almani fried rice!
The basic side dishes include bean sprouts, sesame leaves, salad, and ssamjang (lettuce wraps). Additionally, they serve nurungji (scorched rice). Nurungji, especially when the squid is spicy, is calming when eaten occasionally. It’s quite savory and tasty on its own, so I found myself spooning it up even before the squid arrived. It’s like soothing your stomach in advance. (Aside from nurungji, there’s also steamed egg, which helps to alleviate the spiciness when eaten together).
Squid is here! (We ordered the less spicy option, but they offer both spicy and less spicy.)
The whole squid laid out in a row around the edge looks like a flower pattern, it’s quite pretty.
You’re familiar with the benefits of squid, right? Squid contains a lot of taurine, which is said to be especially good for recovering from fatigue. So, for those who are feeling really tired, wouldn’t spicy squid be particularly beneficial?
A staff member comes over to stir-fry it deliciously for us.
The squid is being stir-fried deliciously, and the spicy aroma is making my mouth water. Trying to resist while looking at this visual is really tough. All I can do is hope that the squid and shrimp cook quickly. The squid was richly filled with squid, shrimp, rice cakes, vegetables, and more, which made it enjoyable to pick and eat. The seasoning was just right, making it incredibly delicious. Even though it was less spicy, it still had a basic spiciness to it. However, it had this sweet and spicy flavor that kept me craving for more. It was spicy enough for those who can’t handle much spice, but for us, it was so spicy that we kept going ‘phew-phew’ throughout, yet the squid was so delicious that we couldn’t give up on it! The nurungji in the middle was a nice touch. We’d have a sip of beer, then go back to enjoying the squid repeatedly.
Eating the squid is delicious on its own, but it’s definitely 200% tastier when wrapped in lettuce. It pairs well with sesame leaves and ssamjang. As someone who can’t handle much spice, wrapping it with sesame leaves and ssamjang made it less spicy and enjoyable for me.
And of course, to wrap it up, there’s the must-have: Flying fish roe fried rice!
This is the famous Almani fried rice that you absolutely have to try at Hong’s Spicy Squid.They say you’re missing out if you don’t have this. And guess what? If you order the squid, the Almani fried rice comes as a complimentary service!
Wow… I can’t believe this is complimentary! Can you see it in the pictures too? It’s truly the Almani fried rice that lives up to its name. They call it half egg, half rice, and finding a place that serves such fried rice isn’t common, so I was surprised. The popping texture of the flying fish roe! This place is serious about their fried rice.
Some places barely put any rice in their fried rice, but here, they give you plenty of rice and load it up with flying fish roe, making it the best way to finish off the meal. Among all the fried rice I’ve tried, this one is hands down the best. Looking at the pictures makes me want to eat it again, it’s so agonizing! It’s like they say, the fear of knowing the taste. Once you remember how it tastes, you just crave it even more.
Even though I feel like I’m about to burst, my hand keeps reaching for that slightly compressed fried rice. There’s also the fun of scraping it with a spoon and eating it. I definitely need to go back to Hongdae soon to have it again!
Could there be anyone who doesn’t like squid? Squid is always delicious no matter when you eat it. When you’re craving spicy squid, try the delicious squid at Hong’s Spicy Squid and finish off with Almani fried rice. It’s mind-blowing.
