There is so much to do in Jeju, we mostly ate but wished we stayed longer so we could have done more.
If I could redo this Jeju trip, the only thing I would change is the AIRBNB we stayed at:
The owner watched us like a hawk through her security cameras which we were quite uncomfortable with. We were even told off for pulling one hallabong (tangerine) off her fruit tree even though, we weren't told it was strictly off limits.
Every time we left the house, the smell of animal manure was very hard to miss and it wasn't very pleasant.
Back to what this blogpost is supposed to be about, food in Jeju :)
Jeju Gwanghae Aewol Main Branch [제주광해 애월본점]
Address: 867 Aewolhaean-ro, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday (10:00am - 8:00pm)
You can’t come to Jeju and not have some of the famous seafood that they have on the island.
There was no better place to enjoy our seafood meal than at Jeju Gwanghae, it also had an amazing view of the sea.
The grilled galchi was super fresh and oh so delicious, cooked to perfection. The bowl of ganjang goodness was marinated perfectly, the abalone and scampi was excellent. The haemultang wasn’t too spicy and with the flower crabs and clams in the soup, it brings out the sweetness of it which makes it a perfect complement to our meal.
There was nothing that we could fault about this place. I would happily come back here again when we are in Jeju.
Jeju Jeongjik Korean Pork Hallim Hyeopjae Branch [정직한돈 협재직영점]
Address: South Korea, Jeju-si, KR특별자치도 제주시 제주시 한림읍 일주서로 5083
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday (11:00am - 11:00pm)
If there is one of the many things that you must try when you are in Jeju, it has to be black pork BBQ.
Jeju black pork is unique in its combination of colour, taste and texture, it is very different to the standard pork that we are all used to (unless you are vegetarian).
Jeju black pork is very meaty and rich in flavour (reminds me of steak) and it doesn’t have that gamey smell either.
You know what they say…once you go black, you never go back…I am talking about the Jeju black pork, of course.
Delicious. Meaty. Goodness.
녹색식당
Address: 917 Aewon-ro, Aewol-eup, 특별자치도 Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Opening hours: Monday - Saturday (11:00am - 1:30pm), Sunday (closed)
I stumbled across this restaurant on Google Maps whilst I was doing my research and honestly, it was definitely one of my best finds and most definitely a gem of a restaurant in Jeju.
This restaurant only opens from 11:00am - 1:30pm. I highly recommend coming at opening time, if not, be prepared to write your name down and wait a while as this place gets super packed.
Each table gets served the same amount of delicious food depending on how many people there are. And the best thing about this place, it only cost 10,000 won per person!
The owner of this place was super friendly, he even got excited that overseas tourists caught wind of his little restaurant and even gave us an extra piece of fried fish on the house.
I would happily come back here for another meal when I'm back in Jeju. And if you are fan of animals especially alpacas, head to Dochidol Ranch just down the road...you won't be disappointed.
Chae Hoon's Haejangguk [채훈이네해장국]
Address: South Korea, Jeju-si, 한림읍 한림 상로 29
Opening hours: Wednesday - Monday (6:00am - 4:00pm)
Chae Hoon’s Haejangguk opens at 6:00am so if you are an early riser or in need of a cure for your hangover, this is the place to be.
Haejangguk, also known as hangover soup.
We ordered three of the gosari yukgaejang (spicy beef soup with bracken) and one of the naejang gukbap (tripe soup with rice)...YUM!
The gosari yukgaejang is quite thick and gooey, it's not to everyone's liking...e.g me. It wasn't too spicy and it taste even better after adding some salt and pepper to it.
Gosari is known as bracken in English. It is a Korean belief that eating gosari reduces a man's "stamina so...a lot of Korean men refuse to eat it.
When we were planning this trip, it was a toss between Jeju and Busan and ultimately, Jeju won. I can't wait to head back to Korea to eat everything and most things in sight.
What were your favourite restaurants in Jeju?