Myeongdong Webfoot Octopus Skewers: ₩10,000 — Read This Before You Order
The webfoot octopus BBQ skewer sold on Myeongdong's street food row costs ₩10,000 per skewer, and that is the only item on the menu. One skewer holds seven webfoot octopuses, brushed with BBQ sauce and grilled on a flat iron griddle. The part that matters most is payment: this stall does not take cards. Cash and bank transfer only. I open a cafe in Myeongdong every day, and this is the exact spot where I see foreign customers hesitate more than anywhere else on the street.
How much does a Myeongdong webfoot octopus skewer cost?
Look for the red banners overhead printed with a large 串 (the character for skewer), and the strip along the front of the cart that reads 烤小章魚 / Grilled Webfoot octopus. A cartoon sign saying I ♥ BABY SQUID stands next to it. If you can see that combination from down the street, you have the right stall.
The price is written on the item price board propped up in front of the cart. It is a white sign issued by Jung-gu District, split into MENU on the left and PRICE on the right. Here is exactly what the board says.
| MENU | PRICE | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Baby Octopa B.B.Q (webfoot octopus BBQ skewer) | 10,000₩ | 7 webfoot octopuses / 1 skewer |
A one-line menu also means there is nothing to decide. It is a single-item stall. No size tiers, no per-piece pricing, so the math never gets complicated. Ordering and paying are simple: one item, one ₩10,000 note. Look closer at that same board, though, and there is one more mark you need to check before you reach for your wallet.
Can you pay by card at the Myeongdong webfoot octopus stall?
No. The "card accepted" mark in the top right corner of the price board has a red X drawn through it. This stall takes two forms of payment.
| Payment method | Accepted |
|---|---|
| Cash (₩) | Yes |
| Bank transfer | Yes |
| Credit / debit cards (Korean and foreign) | No |
Bank transfer here means getting the vendor's account number and sending the money directly from your own bank account. That does not apply to travelers without a Korean bank account, so in practice bringing ₩10,000 in cash is the only way to buy one.
One more thing about the name before we move on, because the price board and the actual ingredient do not match.
Is it baby octopus or webfoot octopus?
The board says Baby Octopa in handwriting. The sign beside it says I ♥ BABY SQUID. The printed strip on the front of the cart says Grilled Webfoot octopus. Three different labels on one stall.
The correct one is webfoot octopus, called jjukkumi in Korean. It is not a young common octopus and it is not squid — it is a separate species that stays small even fully grown. Some people read the handwritten menu, assume it means baby octopus, and walk on. What is on the grill is jjukkumi.
How are the skewers grilled, and how spicy are they?
The cooking happens in full view at the front of the cart. The octopus is threaded onto wooden skewers, lined up on foil trays, and pressed down onto the flat iron griddle right beside them. The skewers waiting on the trays are already coated in red BBQ sauce.
BBQ in the name plus red sauce makes people brace for heat, but the sweet and salty flavors come through well before any spice. The sauce works by pushing the octopus flavor forward rather than burying it.
I bought one myself while I was taking these photos. The octopus has a texture that pops in your mouth, and it paired well with the sweetness of the sauce — it was genuinely good. That sauce is also the reason you need to think about where you eat it.
Where should you eat the skewer after you buy it?
Stand right where you paid and eat it there. The sauce is laid on generously, so it can drip or end up on your clothes. Myeongdong's street food row is a crowded walkway, and carrying a sauce-covered skewer through it is awkward.
That goes double if you are carrying shopping bags. If both your hands are full like the customer in the photo, finish the skewer at the cart and sort your hands out before you move on.
So what do you do with the used skewer? This is the part foreign customers in Myeongdong find hardest to figure out.
Where do you throw away the used skewer?
Along the bottom of the price board there is a notice, printed in four languages, saying you can hand your trash to the stall. The Korean reads "쓰레기 버려드립니다", the English "You can leave your garbage with us", the Japanese "ゴミをお預かりします", and the Chinese "我們幫您扔垃圾". It sits on the board alongside the Jung-gu District mark.
Public trash bins are not common on Myeongdong's streets. Instead of walking around holding a used skewer, hand it back to the stall where you ate. It is printed on the official price board, so there is nothing awkward about it.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a webfoot octopus skewer in Myeongdong?
₩10,000 for one skewer. The Jung-gu District price board lists it as Baby Octopa B.B.Q 10,000₩, and each skewer holds seven webfoot octopuses. This stall sells only that one item, so there are no other price options.
Can I use a card at this stall?
No. The "card accepted" mark on the price board is crossed out, and the stall takes cash and bank transfer only. Bank transfer means sending money directly to the vendor's account number, so without a Korean bank account, bring ₩10,000 in cash.
Is the BBQ webfoot octopus skewer spicy?
Sweet and salty land first, ahead of any heat. The sauce looks fiery because it is red, but it works by lifting the octopus flavor rather than adding spice. People who struggle with spicy food are unlikely to find the taste itself difficult.
Can I eat it while walking around?
Not recommended. The BBQ sauce is applied generously and can drip or stain your clothes. Eat it standing at the cart right after you pay, then hand the used skewer back to the stall — that order keeps things cleanest.
Does "Baby Octopus" on the menu mean young octopus?
No. The handwriting says Baby Octopa and the sign says I ♥ BABY SQUID, but the actual ingredient is jjukkumi, or webfoot octopus. The printed strip on the front of the cart, Grilled Webfoot octopus, is the accurate label.
Where should you look next on Myeongdong's street food row?
On Myeongdong's street food row, the gap between stalls that post a price board and stalls that do not is bigger than you would expect. When a Jung-gu price board is standing out front like it is at this octopus stall, at least you are never buying without knowing the price.
This is not the only cash-only stall on the street either. If you want to know how much cash to bring and where to get it before spending a day in Myeongdong, read the next post too. I will keep writing these from the perspective of someone who unlocks a cafe door in Myeongdong every morning.
