San-nakji (live octopus) in Oldboy
What happens
Oh Dae-su, fresh from fifteen years of imprisonment, seizes a live octopus at a sushi bar and eats it whole — no cuts, no effects. Choi Min-sik, a Buddhist, reportedly said a prayer before each of the four takes. The scene helped win Cannes' Grand Prix and made san-nakji the most notorious dish in Korean cinema — and the most misunderstood.
The food: San-nakji (live octopus) (산낙지)
Real san-nakji (산낙지) is nothing like the film: a small octopus is dispatched and chopped into small pieces, dressed with sesame oil and seeds, the pieces still twitching from nerve activity. It is a chewy, briny delicacy — not a live-animal stunt.
Where to try it
Seafood markets (Noryangjin in Seoul, Jagalchi in Busan) serve it properly cut. Chew thoroughly — the suction cups are a genuine choking hazard, which is the one thing the film got right about respecting the octopus.