Jeju Island is the ultimate getaway heaven for Koreans. A short flight away from the mainland is a paradise on Earth, or known as the ‘Hawaii of Asia’. I had high hopes for the island seeing shows that document the daily catch by haenyeon, the breathtaking sunset scenes, the pretty stacked stone walls, tangerine farms and an endless list of beautiful nature.
A spoiler alert: I ended up didn’t enjoy Jeju Island as much as I thought I would but the food definitely lives up to my high expectations. As you may already know, food is the easiest way to my heart (or most people).
Most of the food listed below are also very wallet-friendly and if you’re looking for something beyond that overrated gigantic (and overpriced) pot of seafood stew. The list is also divided into 3 areas:
What to eat in Jeju Island?
– Jeju City –
1. Spicy Seafood Noodles (Haemul Jjamppong 해물짬뽕)
When you order haemul jjamppong in this restaurant, you get an overflowing bowl of fresh seafood in a bright red soup base containing not just the noodles but also crab, baby octopus, mussels and prawns. The generous portion aside, a good jjamppong for me needs to have that charred taste from the first sip and this restaurant nailed it.
In every Korean Chinese restaurant, you can’t miss out the localised version of sweet and sour pork known as tangsuyuk, that just goes well with the mains. Tangy sauce poured over crispy battered pork slices – best devoured hot.
Price: 10,000 won for spicy seafood noodles, 12,000 won for a small portion of sweet and sour pork.
I recommend the one and only Cheon Keum Ban Jeom 천금반점 located at the heart of Jeju city centre.
Address
7 Bukseong-ro, Samdoi-dong, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Google Maps | Naver Map
2. Deep-fried Anchovies (Myeochi Twigim 멸치튀김)
We visited this restaurant twice, both times too late to catch the last order timing. We returned the third time for lunch and it was packed with locals with not an English word in sight. As intimidating as it may seem, the ambience is one that we truly enjoy.
The usual anchovies are as tiny as a few centimetres but the anchovies served here are as big as an index finger – so huge that we thought they were sardines instead. The batter was crispy and thin, we could eat 10 each without getting sick of the taste.
You probably would also add on a comforting clear cabbage soup served in an earthenware bowl to balance out the sinful anchovies you will be having. We randomly ordered myeochi guk (anchovies soup) but the owner actually recommends the jangdae guk (장대국) which translate to bartail flathead in English.
Price: 20,000 won for deep-fried anchovies, 8,000 won for soup.
We recommend Jeong Seong Deum Bbuk Jeju Guk 정성듬뿍제주국, a busy restaurant located in a quiet alley, speaks no English – truly local experience.
Address
16 Mugeunseong 7-gil, Samdoi-dong, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Google Maps | Naver Map
3. BBQ Jeju Black Pork (Heuk Dwaeji 흑돼지)
First bite into BBQ Jeju black pork, we knew that it is not an overstatement to say this is the ultimate representation of all Jeju food. Jeju domestic black pork is highly praised by many food critics and known to be in a league on its own.
The appearance of the meat is similar to a regular slab of pork except that it is redder in colour and has a more balance of fats. Usually, the meat is cooked over charcoal to get smokey and juicy meat. How Koreans eat the meat also further complements the taste – you’ll be served with a plate of garlic chive kimchi and a fermented anchovy dipping sauce. An unforgettable taste for sure.
Price: 27,000 won for 300g of meat (good for one pax)
We recommend Don Sa Chon 돈사촌 who has a few different outlets scattered across the island.
Address
835 Samdo 2(i)-dong, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Google Maps | Naver Map
4. Red Bean and Mugwort Rice Cake (Omegi Tteok 오메기떡)
Rice cake is a staple for Koreans meanwhile omegi tteok is one of the variations native to Jeju Island. The green rice cake is mixed with mugwort and shaped round. It is covered with red beans on the outside and filled with red bean paste on the inside.
The most important thing is to eat it fresh so it is recommended to find a store that makes the rice cakes on the spot.
Tip! If you don’t like beans or rice cake, you should skip this. We weren’t impressed with this although it is highly-rated by locals that they even buy in large quantity to ship back to their cities.
Price: 6 pieces at 8,000 won (minimum quantity)
We recommend Jina Tteok Jib 진아떡집 located inside Dongmum Traditional Market where they are constantly rushing to meet every order.
Address
7-1 Dongmun-ro 4-gil, Ildoil-dong, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Google Maps | Naver Map
5. Gulfweed Soup (Momguk 몸국)
Historically, momguk is a ceremonial dish that is served during important functions such as celebrations or funerals due to the poor economic situation. The dish is a thick seaweed and pork broth soup native to Jeju Island. It remains as the locals’ comfort food as well as a hangover cure today.
Thanks to the nutrients-packed seaweed, it is also popular and must-try among travellers.
Price: 10,000 won per bowl
We recommend 702 Kitchen 702키친, with a charming interior and good reviews. They also serve good spicy beef soup if seaweed isn’t your thing.
Address
South Korea, Jeju-do, Jeju-si, Idoi-dong, 1136-11
Google Maps | Naver Map
– Seogwipo –
6. Stir Fry Pork and Vegetable (Duruchigi 두루치기)
Duruchigi is just one of the many dishes that combine different ingredients for that desired crunchiness, commonly found in Korean cuisine. I am not sure if there is a direct translation of duruchigi but this somewhat adorable dish name refers to adding uncooked vegetables to cooked marinated meat.
It is usually a mix of radish kimchi, scallion kimchi and beansprout. The mix of vegetables gives off a very healthy vibe – like a salad. Except that it’s hot and cooking on a steel plate while you eat. This is not too spicy and in fact, a little sweet.
If you are not new to Korean food, you would have noticed that duruchigi need to be wrapped in a piece of lettuce, known as ssam (say: some) to get that good mix of flavours in one mouthful.
Lastly, do it the Korean way and finish your meal by adding fried rice to the remaining ingredients on the steel plate.
Price: 7,000 per person, must order 1 rice each. Additional rice or fried rice is free-of-charge.
We recommend Dong Seong Sik Dang 동성식당 that serves a simple yet delicious version of this dish.
Address
1290 Topyeong-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Google Maps | Naver Map
7. Jeju Rice Rolls (Kimbap 깁밥)
There are many kimbap stores that are way more popular than the one I am recommending below. However, this is the one that offers an assortment of kimbap developed using ingredients native to Jeju and the nearby islands. We ordered Jeju pork cutlet kimbap which comes with a tangy sauce for an extra kick. Special flavours include burdock, Jeju tangerine salad, deep-fried prawn and many others.
We also ordered the short ribs dumplings alongside our kimbap but if you are a fan of tteokbokki (spicy rice cake), they serve it with a topping of the famous Udo Island peanuts here.
Price: 3,000 to 4,500 won for kimbap and 4,000 for short ribs dumplings.
We recommend Uncle Tong 엉클통깁밥, a kimbap chain store that has a few outlets across the island.
Address
250-19 Seogwi-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Google Maps | Naver Map
8. Sea Urchin Rice Bowl (Seongge Deopbap 성게덮밥)
Sea urchin is expensive food because when it’s good, it’s incredible. In Jeju, they don’t always do it fancifully. Sometimes, it’s just putting a generous portion conveniently in a bowl of rice and lots of fresh vegetables – all you have to do is to mix it up and it will look like a luxurious bowl of bibimbap.
As usual, it will be served with many side dishes and a bowl of seaweed soup to make sure your meal is extremely satisfying.
Price: 12,000 for a bowl
We recommend Gangjeong of Divers Home 강정해녀의집 for a homely restaurant experience and they also serve sea urchin with noodles or abalone porridge if you want something different.
Address
4964 Daecheon-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Google Maps | Naver Map
– Near Udo –
9. Spicy Braised Hairtail Fish (Kalchi Jorim 갈치조림)
Not surprising to see another bright red stew on this list. You may have seen the exact same dish in Seoul where they have a dedicated alley in Namdaemun Market. Nevertheless, travellers from other cities still flock to hairtail fish restaurants in Jeju Island where the catch is considered to be fresher and plumper. The sweetness of the firm meat coated with red chilli flakes gravy – such a beauty.
This fish is known to give a powerful first impression since many restaurants serve it on an extra-long pot that extends over two stoves. With a couple of live abalones thrown in together, this dish easily cost 100,000 won and above.
Of course, that is way above the price we are willing to pay.
At just 15,000 won per pax, you can also enjoy the same dish (though minus the abalones). Satisfaction still guaranteed.
Tip! The bright gravy is a little spicy for those who are not used to it but mix it with white rice to tame the spiciness. Also, this particular fish contains a lot of fine bones but it is undoubtedly worth eating.
Price: 15,000 won per pax
We recommend Da Si Beo Si 다시버시 who serves a generous portion of fish and amazing gravy.
Address
1500-3 Sehwa-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Google Maps | Naver Map
10. Vegetable & Boiled Pork Set Meal (Ssambap Jungsik 쌈밥정식)
A healthy spread of locally grown produce including all sorts of seasonal greens and mushrooms. A whole grilled mackerel and a plate of boiled black pork served on cutting board also included with the set meal. In here, you should wrap the pork, rice, some greens and chilli sauce in a lettuce leaf and eat it in one mouthful. That’s what this restaurant is known for.
Price: 14,000 per person, rice and mint tea are free-of-charge. Add-on boiled pork at 10,000 won per portion.
We recommend Seon Heul Got 선흘곶, which was once considered a gem among locals before it was shown on a popular local travel show.
Address
102 Dongbaek-ro, Jochon-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Google Maps | Naver Map
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