edit- for even more suggestions and info, please check out my most recent Jeju post from 2017 by clicking here! Enjoy :)
Jeju, Jeju, Jeju. How I do love thee. One of my absolute favorite locations in Korea, you'd think one would get tired of it after some 8 or 9 visits but nah. Every time I get a bit tired at work or a little uninspired in Seoul and I'm looking for a quick getaway, my mind seems to always settle on the island to the south.
I've written about Jeju before but here's a look at some of the things I ate and did this time around.
Having landed early in the morning for this trip we drove over to Sangumburi Crater. Volcanic Jeju Island has quite a few volcanoes here and there that have exploded but Sangumburi crater is the result of a volcano that exploded violently but with little actual lava and leaving it to sort of collapse on itself. This sort of crater is said to be the only one of its kind in Korea and is also a designated national monument. The 100 meters deep crater has a length of 350 meters across with rare plants and animals that are said to live within it.
It had rained the night before and being quite early in the morning, there was no one else there which was quite nice.
Look at all the Jeju rocks stacked up all around :)
With the rain and dew, the morning air was as fresh as could be. Look at the glimmering moss and flowers!
Beautiful field.
All about the crater.
As you can see, there are paths all around that also leads to the crater.
What a peaceful place to rest- too macabre?
The crater itself is quite expansive. With the lush green trees and fog, it almost felt like I had arrived at a rain forest.
I always am reminded in Jeju of how much I miss good, fresh air.
Anyways, quite a lovely stroll and a great spot to stretch your legs.
Sangumburi Crater (산굼부리)
768, Bijarim-ro, Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do
제주특별자치도 제주시 조천읍 비자림로 768
02-64-783-9900
Summer Season (March-October) 09:00-18:40 * Last admission is at 18:00. Winter Season (November-February) 09:00-17:40 * Last admission is at 17:00.
Individual Adults 6,000 won / Youths, Children, Seniors 3,000 won
After the walk in the brisk weather, we were ready for our first meal in Jeju. Seeking something warm, we found a place not too far off from the crater called Oreumnageunae which specialized in bomal kalguksu. Bomal is the Jeju dialect name for a special kind of sea snail which you can see an image below.
The restaurant has a cozy interior and seems to be run by a husband and wife. In addition to the bomal kalguksu (8K), there's an abalone and sea squirt variety (10K), mushroom and wild sesame (7K), maemil bibimmyeon (7K), black bean kongguksu (7K), haemul pajeon (10K), and mamil muk muchim (10K).
Water, side dishes, etc are all self-service.
The sides are also simple with kimchi,seasoned danmuji, and pickled peppers (jangachi).
I admit, bomal guksu doesn't exactly get the crown for beauty queen. Those that are especially a little squeamish when it comes to sea-based dishes may find the visual a little hard to get past. But if you can, give them a try.
Look at all that seafoody goodness including urchin (uni), abalone, and more. It's hard to describe the taste in full but I can attest the taste isn't overwhelming at all. I'm not sure the exact process and makeup of this Jeju-exclusive dish but dare I say there's even a level of creaminess to it? Not that I'm implying there's any milk or milk-based ingredient in it at all but there's several dimensions to the soup for sure.
Plump noodles act as an excellent vehicle for the intriguing soup.
And plenty of seafood to boot.
I mean, plenty.
Known for its many caves, an interesting place is Daheeyeon where they have a cafe that's inside a natural cave. The grounds for Daheeyeon is actually quite immense with green tea fields, small museum, restaurant, and outdoor leisure activities.
But it was the cave cafe that was on our agenda and which we sought out. From the parking lot, you'll have to do some walking to get to the cave but there are plenty of signs around to guide you.
Entrance to the cave.
Immediately you can feel the temperatures a lot cooler as you descend underground. Walk through the pathway and you'll eventually come out to...
..the cave cafe! With ample seats.
Beverage prices are higher than your average cafe but that's a bit understandable because you're paying for the unique atmosphere as well. As the surrounding area is chock full of tea fields, their green tea beverages are their strong points
...though they carry standard coffee drinks as well.
Possessing a large tea field though, their green tea drinks are their specialty. So even though I'm a massive coffee lover, I decided to go with their green tea latte.
Everything was nice enough but really, it's all about the fact you're sipping drinks inside a cave!
The cool temperatures are also just the thing for the warmer days.
The surrounding green tea fields and such are also lovely to stroll.
Green tea leaves. Ready for the pickin'
Almost didn't spot this guy who blended in so well.
As I've mentioned, as Jeju is an island it has developed its own cuisine quite extensively. While definitely Korean in characteristic, some of the dishes are unusual and found nowhere else on the Korean peninsula.
One such dish in Jeju is galchiguk or hairtail fish soup. The hairtail fish of Jeju is already quite well known and is already a favorite of Koreans. It's often braised in a spicy sweet sauce or simply grilled. But having its own soup is unusual and nehgurisikdang is well known for this dish.
Standard sides and, like the marine-heavy cuisine of the island, a little on the fisher side
This soup uses young napa cabbage leaves, hairtail, and other ingredients. It's also rather unusual for a Korean dish considering that A: the dish isn't red and B: ingredients like squash goes in it. The dish has a deep flavor and a kick to it, probably from peppers.
Fleshy hairtail fish.
The owner explained to me that the soup differs between winter and summer because of the young radish leaves. They are more tender in the winter she says. I guess I'll have to try again in the winter season in the future to find out. :)
Another Jeju dish you can find in many shops and stores around is barley bread. As flour is difficult to grow on the rocky, volcanic soil of Jeju, they made do with the sturdier barley which they make into a bread and stuff with sweetened red bean paste, similar to hobbang.
Bought some of the barley bread and omegi ddeok to eat as a snack later.
The omegi ddeok from halmeoni ddeok jib comes in two varieties. One which the rice cake has been rolled in crushed red bean and the other in nuts. I'm not a big fan of rice cakes with other fillings/toppings/coverings/etc but these I'm definitely on board.
The barley bread is not that different from the white, hobbang you commonly see in Korea in winter. The wheat bread does add a more deep dimension to it. Worth checking out but definitely not
Oedolgae is another top tourist attraction in Jeju. The rock formation, blue waters, ocean breeze makes for a beautiful sight, hence the reason filming here has been common.
This must have been my fifth time here or so but it's worth a go if you're in the area and haven't been!
Oedolgae
791, Seohong-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 서홍동 791
Humble interior.
A few simple sides and most of what's brought out is for your wrap such as the lettuce, onion, garlic, fish sauce, ssamjang, and pickled radish slices.
The whole boiled pork comes still steaming on a wooden cutting board with a bit of Jeju sea salt on the side. There's nothing about it that looks special and in fact, my initial thought when I saw it was, "this is 38,000?"
Chatty ajumma slicing away while explaining how to best enjoy it.
Also served in copious amounts is a rich homemade, extra tart and fermented Jeju kimchi. That extra tart kimchi is also key to what makes this dish so good.
And let me tell you, this is really something. The pork is incredibly tender but the mixture of flavor and textures from the ingredients and how they come one after another as you chew is out of this world.
What's a regular, common wrap you can find anywhere in Korea is made extraordinary by the Jeju ingredients. The onion and garlic have a sweeter note to them and the tart kimchi, the piquant fish sauce and everything just forms an unforgettable eating experience.
I can't even describe it well but the bottom line is that there's definitely more than meets the eye with the dombae gogi here.
They also serve on the side the Jeju style mohmgook which I wrote about before on a previous visit. Nice and much more mellow than the ones I've had before.
As the history signage explains, before the bridge was built the island was only accessible during low tide.
The island itself is quite nice to walk around with a 1.2km trail path around the island and plenty of scenic views. Even at night it was pretty but I'm sure during the day it's quite as nice albeit with a different feel!
Workers making the mackerel kimbap
Nicely salted and grilled it's not all too different from eating a grilled mackerel with rice but it's fun to try it kimbap style. The sesame oil in the rice and seaweed makes for a nice touch and it's a great way to get your omega 3s in.
Gangjeon Hae Nyeo Eui Jib (강정해녀의집) is run by a hae nyeo and her husband with dishes made from fresh catches everyday.
They have quite a list of favorite seafood dishes in Jeju made with abalone, urchin, squid, fish, etc. Their mool hwoe is quite famous though which is what we got.
Bottom left is the sunggye (urchin) mool hwoe and above is the hanchi (cuttlefish) mool hwoe.
Mool hwoe is found in most coastal regions of Korea and I've found that the variety in Jeju tends to be less sweet. In fact, the broth is usually not as strong as other regions and I assume the reason is that the seafood really takes center stage in Jeju.
The urchin (sunggye) variety has quite a lot of urchin in it. There's that slight bitter initial taste to it that's then enveloped by its creaminess. If you're a fan of urchin in general this is the dish for you. Those who are less keen on seafood will probably prefer the hanchi (cuttlefish).
With ample bits of chewy cuttlefish strips, it's almost like a Korean take on ceviche.
So fresh!
Curious mini stone people.
While now pictured as a beautiful paradise of sorts, Jeju Island has quite a tragic and woeful past as the victims of a number of violent and deadly incidents at the hands of both foreign (Japanese for example) and local (the central Korean government) powers.
During the colonial era, including WWII, Jeju was under heavy Japanese military control and many of the locals were put to labor work constructing roads, clearing fields, building bases, etc.
Following Germany's surrender and end to the war on the European front, the war continued on the Pacific front. As Japanese territories in the Asia Pacific began falling to the Allies and the war's scope began limiting to Japan, the Japanese grew concerned about a long and devastating war on their home soil and thus they decided to heavily fortify nearby areas like Jeju Island to prepare for a "final stand" of sorts.
Preparing for an assault, the hill behind the Peace Museum, Gama Oreum, is where they built a deep tunnel system to make an underground fortress of sorts. Naturally, to build these tunnels, the local men were put to use to dig out these massive tunnels with little to no safety equipment. An anticipated invasion never happened on Jeju Island and following the end of the war and Korea's liberation the tunnels were largely forgotten or ignored until Young-geum Lee, the son of one of the original diggers decided to create the Jeju Museum of War History & Peace.
The museum is led through on a guided tour. First with an informative documentary video, then a guided tour through the exhibits featuring a look at Jeju life under the occupation, the war, and many artifacts and items from this era.
After going through the museum, you exit through the back to climb the hill to the underground fortress' entrance.
There are apparently a few entrances but due to safety reasons and whatnot not all are open. The tunnel themselves go deep underground and visitors are only allowed to go in up to a certain point.
Within, it's nothing extraordinary on the surface as it's simply a deep and cool tunnel deep underground. But following the tour through the museum and thinking about the context, it makes for a somber experience. I was recalling the images of all the young, able-bodied men and boys, who were roughly around my age or younger, who had spent years everyday with no light, no safety equipment, no pay, and little food and rest digging these tunnels for the protection and well-being of the occupying soldiers.
It was a stark contrast when considering that here I was underground in the tunnels as part of my holiday while similar aged peers of the past were digging them for their lives. A deeper appreciation for life currently.
Scars of war still evident on such a peaceful island..
This includes one of my favorite beaches Geumneung Beach for its clear waters and the funny looking Biyangdo (Biyang Island) off the coast... which is said to resemble the boa and elephant (or hat) from the Little Prince.
Geumneung Beach
Geumneung-gil, Hallim-eub, Jeju City
제주특별자치도 제주시 한림읍 금능길
Another standard for any visit to Jeju is the Jeju pork. The place I visited was called "Shweeneun Pang Heuk Dweji" (쉬는팡 흑돼지) and was visited on a whim after seeing a recommendation among places nearby.
I was quite surprised when I arrived to find such a big, modern structure that looks more like a pension than a Jeju pork restaurant.
Because of its size, its unlikely you'll have to wait as they have many tables.
You can choose to get the black pork belly (ogyeopsal) only for 18K per person (200g) or a half and half of black pork belly and neck for the same price and size. . They also have nice chilly dongchimi guksu as a meal finisher for 5K and spicy stir fried black pork for lunch at 15K per person (200g).
Soju and beers are 4K a bottle while Cheongha goes for 5K. They also emphasize their rice is from Korea and their kimchi and pork are from Jeju.
The Jeju style of eating pork is slightly dipped in a pungent fermented seafood jeotgal served on the side which can be an acquired taste but for those who know, it's an excellent combination between the pork and sauce.
Spread with local ingredients.
Thick ol' ogyeopsal and moksal cuts with just a sprinkle of sea salt.
Get everythin grilllllllllllllllin
It wasn't the best Jeju pork I've had but it was still solid. I mean, you can't really go wrong with Jeju pork I've found.
We also got a side of their kimchi jjigae with Jeju pork and the dongchimi guksu. Nothing memorable but solid still.
I suppose I should make a mention about where I stayed during this trip. Beop-hwan village (법환 마을) is about 6-8 km west of Seogwipo along the coast and apparently is the southernmost coastal village in Korea. Besides the beautiful setting, it's particularly known for the famed haenyeo (woman divers) and Beophwan apparently has the largest number of them! I've read there's even a professional diving school run by them which is open to the public so that's something to consider trying if it appeals to you.
It's a quiet coastal village that's a good mixture between local and developed.
Look at that view in the morning! Just off the coast is Beomseom (tiger island).
View from the hotel rooftop of Seogwipo city in the distance. You can see the Seogwipo World Cup Stadium with its unique shell-like appearance. :)
The village is charming just to walk about as it sits right on the footsteps of Sanbangsan (Mt. Sanbang).
They have a menu that's pretty extensive and, the best part is, it's a nice mix of seafood and meat dishes.
Their fish are caught directly by the restaurant so is subject to availability but they have mackerel, hairtail, etc which you can get in a kimchi jjim (stew) or as a jorim (braised). The prices run between 20-30K and are priced for 2 people (rice not included).
They also have sea bream fish which is pan fried then topped with a sweet and tart sauce (13K for two fishes) and a special shrimp called "ddak" shrimp which is made into a gejang (brined in a soy sauce-based sauce 10K for 12 shrimp).
They also have a bomal jeongshik (보말정식) for 10K. Bomal, if you recall, is the special sea snail common around Jeju which is used for the bomal kalguksu which I ate on the first day. In the bomal jeongshik here it comes with bomal seaweek soup, grilled fish, side dishes, and rice.
For meat lovers, they have have spicy stir-fried pork (두루치기 or duruchigi) for 7K (though minimum order is 2 and comes with side dishes, vegetable for wraps, and rice)
For regular grilled pork, there's a regular gogi jeongshik in which black pork, grilled fish, side dishes, and rice is included for 6.5K per person. The larger geun gogi set (geun is the word for a special weight for meat) comes with 200g of Jeju pork, grilled fish, kimchi jjigae, side dishes, rice, and lettuce for wraps and is 10K per person.
The regular gogi jeongshik is the most popular option but note that it doesn't include things like kimchi jjigae or wraps.
Alcoholic drinks (soju, beer, makgeolli) are 3K a bottle, soft drinks are 2K and extra rice is 1K. All their ingredients are sourced from Korea.
They also note that they close on every 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month!
After placing orders for the gogi jeonshik and a side of okdom gui we waited. I could tell there was a good mix of local Jeju-ites and tourists which is always a good sign. The kitchen was quite busy and I even observed a man bringing in some fresh fish.
With the gogi jeongshik it's meant to be a meal set, not an outright barbecue meal. Here's the Jeju pork on the grill.
A nice crispy kimchi jeon on the side.
Sides
At its price, this barbecue set is fine on its own but then they also toss in a pan fried fish!
There's a nice crisp skin on it that holds back the moist white flesh inside which would be already perfectly fine on its own but then ladle a sweet and sour runny sauce on the fish hot off the pan and add some fresh chopped vegetables.
It's an interesting method of cooking, almost akin to a Chinese dish but man, is it good. The sauce is tasty enough without overpowering the fish. And the vegetables add such a nice dimension both in texture and fragrance.
What a great deal for a meal!
It's the same technique used for the okdom (sea bream) which we ordered on the side. No regrets. So good!
For our caffeine fix, we decided to hit up a spot called Lazybox Coffee which was said to have some fantastic views.
It was only after arriving that I realized I had been here previously as the cafe is located just beneath Sanbangsa, the Buddhist temple, which I had been to before. But back then, I had no idea this cafe existed.
And they serve coffee libre's roasts!
The inside of the cafe is cute and charming on its own.
But what's particularly nice is their outside seating facing the sea.
Lazybox Coffee (레이지박스 커피)
208, Sanbang-ro, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 안덕면 산방로 208
www.lazybox.co.kr/
064-792-1254
Right next to Lazybox is the entrance to Sanbangsa, a nice little temple to roam around. Not only are the views quite nice (as the temple overlooks the ocean) but it makes for some good picture taking.
After walking around the temple a bit and then coming back down there were a bunch of treats being sold by the small stores. The one that caught my eye was the hallabong ice cream. At 4K a serving it isn't exactly the cheapest but it's definitely not something I'll come across easily on the mainland so...
Yummeroo. Look at those specks of hallabong :)
For some nature with shade, we hit up Andeok Valley for a bit of walking.
Natural caves used as homes in the past.
A river runs through it. And boy, does it.
Andeok Valley (안덕계곡)
1524, Iljuseo-ro, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 안덕면 일주서로 1524
064-794-9001
Lastly, on our way back up to Jeju City, as we passed by Hallasan, we stopped by the Seogwipo Natural Recreation Forest. I was surprised at how huge this place was complete with even pension buildings available to rent.
I was also surprised at how peaceful and beautiful this place was. There were hardly any folks around and it was just a nice last bit of Jeju healing before returning to daily life.
Seogwipo Natural Recreation Forest (서귀포 자연 휴양림)
San 1-1, Daepo-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 대포동 산1-1
http://huyang.seogwipo.go.kr/
064-738-4544
Back up in Jeju City, we had time to catch dinner before our night flight back to Seoul. Not wanting to do anything too heavy before a flight, we decided to get the Jeju specialty of gogi guksu. Literally meaning "meat noodles", this is a simple soup noodle dish that's based off the famed local pork.
There's actually quite a few famed gogi guksu places in Jeju City and many, including the one we ended up eating at, are clustered around together in the same area. Initially we were wanting to go somewhere else but the lines were absolutely insane.
Just a few blocks down was Manse Guksu, where we ate, which was still crazy popular but at least we could get seats.
Their standard gogi guksu is 5K, but you can also get it in soup and rice form for 5.5K or an anchovy based noodle soup for 4.5K.
Their soondae (blood sausage) was also ordered up by a lot of folks around us (6K) and they also have mandu (6K).
Simple sides.
And here is the gogi guksu. The milky white broth comes from hours of extracting the flavors from the bones. The meat is also surprisingly tender. Scattered atop are green onion slices, a bit of chopped carrots, spicy seasoning and more.
Deep and flavorful broth, good chewy noodles. This is good simplicity at its Jeju best.
Jeju, Jeju, Jeju. How I do love thee. One of my absolute favorite locations in Korea, you'd think one would get tired of it after some 8 or 9 visits but nah. Every time I get a bit tired at work or a little uninspired in Seoul and I'm looking for a quick getaway, my mind seems to always settle on the island to the south.
I've written about Jeju before but here's a look at some of the things I ate and did this time around.
Having landed early in the morning for this trip we drove over to Sangumburi Crater. Volcanic Jeju Island has quite a few volcanoes here and there that have exploded but Sangumburi crater is the result of a volcano that exploded violently but with little actual lava and leaving it to sort of collapse on itself. This sort of crater is said to be the only one of its kind in Korea and is also a designated national monument. The 100 meters deep crater has a length of 350 meters across with rare plants and animals that are said to live within it.
It had rained the night before and being quite early in the morning, there was no one else there which was quite nice.
Look at all the Jeju rocks stacked up all around :)
With the rain and dew, the morning air was as fresh as could be. Look at the glimmering moss and flowers!
Beautiful field.
All about the crater.
As you can see, there are paths all around that also leads to the crater.
What a peaceful place to rest- too macabre?
The crater itself is quite expansive. With the lush green trees and fog, it almost felt like I had arrived at a rain forest.
I always am reminded in Jeju of how much I miss good, fresh air.
While walking around, we came across a field with horses. Some may not know Jeju Island is known for their horses which were brought over by the Mongolians during past invasions and occupations in Korea.
These horses were quite friendly, gathering together in front of us. Must have been expecting a few treats.
Anyways, quite a lovely stroll and a great spot to stretch your legs.
Sangumburi Crater (산굼부리)
768, Bijarim-ro, Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do
제주특별자치도 제주시 조천읍 비자림로 768
02-64-783-9900
Summer Season (March-October) 09:00-18:40 * Last admission is at 18:00. Winter Season (November-February) 09:00-17:40 * Last admission is at 17:00.
Individual Adults 6,000 won / Youths, Children, Seniors 3,000 won
After the walk in the brisk weather, we were ready for our first meal in Jeju. Seeking something warm, we found a place not too far off from the crater called Oreumnageunae which specialized in bomal kalguksu. Bomal is the Jeju dialect name for a special kind of sea snail which you can see an image below.
The restaurant has a cozy interior and seems to be run by a husband and wife. In addition to the bomal kalguksu (8K), there's an abalone and sea squirt variety (10K), mushroom and wild sesame (7K), maemil bibimmyeon (7K), black bean kongguksu (7K), haemul pajeon (10K), and mamil muk muchim (10K).
Water, side dishes, etc are all self-service.
The sides are also simple with kimchi,seasoned danmuji, and pickled peppers (jangachi).
I admit, bomal guksu doesn't exactly get the crown for beauty queen. Those that are especially a little squeamish when it comes to sea-based dishes may find the visual a little hard to get past. But if you can, give them a try.
Look at all that seafoody goodness including urchin (uni), abalone, and more. It's hard to describe the taste in full but I can attest the taste isn't overwhelming at all. I'm not sure the exact process and makeup of this Jeju-exclusive dish but dare I say there's even a level of creaminess to it? Not that I'm implying there's any milk or milk-based ingredient in it at all but there's several dimensions to the soup for sure.
Plump noodles act as an excellent vehicle for the intriguing soup.
And plenty of seafood to boot.
I mean, plenty.
Oreumnageunae (오름나그네)
제주특별자치도 제주시 조천읍 선교로 525
525, Seongyo-ro, Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, Korea
064-784-2277
Known for its many caves, an interesting place is Daheeyeon where they have a cafe that's inside a natural cave. The grounds for Daheeyeon is actually quite immense with green tea fields, small museum, restaurant, and outdoor leisure activities.
But it was the cave cafe that was on our agenda and which we sought out. From the parking lot, you'll have to do some walking to get to the cave but there are plenty of signs around to guide you.
Entrance to the cave.
Immediately you can feel the temperatures a lot cooler as you descend underground. Walk through the pathway and you'll eventually come out to...
..the cave cafe! With ample seats.
...though they carry standard coffee drinks as well.
Possessing a large tea field though, their green tea drinks are their specialty. So even though I'm a massive coffee lover, I decided to go with their green tea latte.
Everything was nice enough but really, it's all about the fact you're sipping drinks inside a cave!
The cool temperatures are also just the thing for the warmer days.
The surrounding green tea fields and such are also lovely to stroll.
Green tea leaves. Ready for the pickin'
Almost didn't spot this guy who blended in so well.
Daheeyeon and Cave Cafe
064-782-0005
제주특별자치도 제주시 조천읍 선교로 117
117, Seongyo-ro, Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, Korea
One such dish in Jeju is galchiguk or hairtail fish soup. The hairtail fish of Jeju is already quite well known and is already a favorite of Koreans. It's often braised in a spicy sweet sauce or simply grilled. But having its own soup is unusual and nehgurisikdang is well known for this dish.
Standard sides and, like the marine-heavy cuisine of the island, a little on the fisher side
This soup uses young napa cabbage leaves, hairtail, and other ingredients. It's also rather unusual for a Korean dish considering that A: the dish isn't red and B: ingredients like squash goes in it. The dish has a deep flavor and a kick to it, probably from peppers.
Fleshy hairtail fish.
The owner explained to me that the soup differs between winter and summer because of the young radish leaves. They are more tender in the winter she says. I guess I'll have to try again in the winter season in the future to find out. :)
Neguhri Shikdang (네거리식당)
064-762-5513
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 서문로29번길 20 메로전문
20, Seomun-ro 29beon-gil, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
The Seosokkak Estuary is where the Hyodoncheon Stream meets the ocean and famed for its emerald-blue hues and lava cliffs. Quite picturesque and popular for boat rides along the river. I've been quite a few times but here are a few obligatory pictures and address below.
Seosokkak Estuary (쇠소깍)
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 쇠소깍로 128 (하효동)
128, Soesokkak-ro, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do
The Jungang Market (Central Market) of Seogwipo city is a must-visit if you're in or near Seogwipo. You can find everyday Korean favorite snacks, dishes, and goods but also plenty that are exclusive to the island!
Within the market is a popular and famous shop called "Halmeoni Ddeok Jib" (할머니 떡집) or "Grandma Rice Cake House" that sells the Jeju style of rice cake known as omegi ddeok. The ddeok is made using millet dough, sometimes with mugwort, and rolled in bean powder, mashed red bean, etc.
Another Jeju dish you can find in many shops and stores around is barley bread. As flour is difficult to grow on the rocky, volcanic soil of Jeju, they made do with the sturdier barley which they make into a bread and stuff with sweetened red bean paste, similar to hobbang.
Jungang Market (중앙시장)
064-762-1949
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 중앙로62번길 18
18, Jungang-ro 62beon-gil, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
sgp.market.jeju.kr/
Bought some of the barley bread and omegi ddeok to eat as a snack later.
The omegi ddeok from halmeoni ddeok jib comes in two varieties. One which the rice cake has been rolled in crushed red bean and the other in nuts. I'm not a big fan of rice cakes with other fillings/toppings/coverings/etc but these I'm definitely on board.
Oedolgae is another top tourist attraction in Jeju. The rock formation, blue waters, ocean breeze makes for a beautiful sight, hence the reason filming here has been common.
This must have been my fifth time here or so but it's worth a go if you're in the area and haven't been!
791, Seohong-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 서홍동 791
If I had to pick a favorite meal I had in this trip, it would be a quite surprising and unexpected pick of the dombae gogi from Cheonjitgol.
I actually came here on a recommendation and was surprised to find it's actually quite well known even among locals, having been in business for a while now.
What is dombae gogi? "Dombae" is the Jeju dialect word for "doma" (도마) or cutting board. Basically Jeju pork belly is boiled with other ingredients and then brought on a cutting board to your table where it's sliced right before serving and eaten with Jeju ingredients in a wrap.
Sounds simple enough and entirely the same as bossam on the mainland, right? But that's where I was proven wrong.
There's only two options at Cheon Jit Gol and that's the black pork for 48,000 and the regular Jeju pork for 35,000. Each order is for about 2-3 and the restaurant personally recommends the regular pork.
They note on their menu that their pork is 100% from Jeju and that because the pork is boiled to order, to order ahead if you're going to get another.
You can even order how you like the meat (softer, chewier, more fatty cut, less fatty cut) and they're happy to accommodate.
A few simple sides and most of what's brought out is for your wrap such as the lettuce, onion, garlic, fish sauce, ssamjang, and pickled radish slices.
The whole boiled pork comes still steaming on a wooden cutting board with a bit of Jeju sea salt on the side. There's nothing about it that looks special and in fact, my initial thought when I saw it was, "this is 38,000?"
Chatty ajumma slicing away while explaining how to best enjoy it.
Now to enjoy the meat fully on its own, they recommend dipped in the Jeju sea salt. To really upgrade it though they recommend dipping it in the Jeju fish sauce and then adding the sides- onion, garlic, radish slice, and kimchi, all of which are from Jeju.
And let me tell you, this is really something. The pork is incredibly tender but the mixture of flavor and textures from the ingredients and how they come one after another as you chew is out of this world.
What's a regular, common wrap you can find anywhere in Korea is made extraordinary by the Jeju ingredients. The onion and garlic have a sweeter note to them and the tart kimchi, the piquant fish sauce and everything just forms an unforgettable eating experience.
I can't even describe it well but the bottom line is that there's definitely more than meets the eye with the dombae gogi here.
They also serve on the side the Jeju style mohmgook which I wrote about before on a previous visit. Nice and much more mellow than the ones I've had before.
If you're near Seogwipo, make sure you visit!!
Cheonjitgol (천짓골)
064-763-0399
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 중앙로1번길 4
294-10, Seogwi-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
Just below Seogwipo city is a small little island called Saeseom or "bird island". To make the island more accessible, a cable bridge was built and opened in 2009. The bridge's design is modeled after the Jeju traditional log boat called 'tewu' and lights up at night.
Wind and sail-themed tower with LD lights.
The island itself is quite nice to walk around with a 1.2km trail path around the island and plenty of scenic views. Even at night it was pretty but I'm sure during the day it's quite as nice albeit with a different feel!
Saeseom (새섬)
Seohong-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 서홍동
On another morning at the Olle Market in Seogwipo I tried out the mackerel kimbap. In it, a whole grilled mackerel is rolled up in a plain, seasoned rice and seaweed kimbap. A specialty of this hwoe (sashimi) center in the market, the mackerel kimbap is sold only during the day. Perhaps because of the popularity, the workers are a little gruff and not the friendliest but the roll is still worth trying!
Workers making the mackerel kimbap
Nicely salted and grilled it's not all too different from eating a grilled mackerel with rice but it's fun to try it kimbap style. The sesame oil in the rice and seaweed makes for a nice touch and it's a great way to get your omega 3s in.
Woojeong Hwe Center (우정회센타)
064-732-0303
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 중앙로54번길 32
32, Jungang-ro 54beon-gil, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
Gangjeon Hae Nyeo Eui Jib (강정해녀의집) is run by a hae nyeo and her husband with dishes made from fresh catches everyday.
They have quite a list of favorite seafood dishes in Jeju made with abalone, urchin, squid, fish, etc. Their mool hwoe is quite famous though which is what we got.
Simple sides.
Bottom left is the sunggye (urchin) mool hwoe and above is the hanchi (cuttlefish) mool hwoe.
Mool hwoe is found in most coastal regions of Korea and I've found that the variety in Jeju tends to be less sweet. In fact, the broth is usually not as strong as other regions and I assume the reason is that the seafood really takes center stage in Jeju.
The urchin (sunggye) variety has quite a lot of urchin in it. There's that slight bitter initial taste to it that's then enveloped by its creaminess. If you're a fan of urchin in general this is the dish for you. Those who are less keen on seafood will probably prefer the hanchi (cuttlefish).
With ample bits of chewy cuttlefish strips, it's almost like a Korean take on ceviche.
Trying to find some different experiences from the usual mountains and oceans, I was surprised to learn that Jeju has a modern art museum. Though the Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art is certainly not the easiest to access without a car but its somewhat remote location in a peaceful setting makes for a nice quiet break.
Curious mini stone people.
The museum proved surprisingly pleasant. On my visit they were featuring a range of artists from all over Asia. Seeing such a diverse range of pieces with varying subjects and mediums made for an enjoyable experience. The virtual emptiness also was a nice serene break.
The outside rounds is huge too with art work scattered around.
Another entirely fascinating museum that I visited was the Jeju Peace Museum. During the Japanese colonial days Jeju Island was also occupied by a significant military presence and their mark is still found throughout the island with abandoned bunkers, fortresses, and sites of numerous atrocities.
While now pictured as a beautiful paradise of sorts, Jeju Island has quite a tragic and woeful past as the victims of a number of violent and deadly incidents at the hands of both foreign (Japanese for example) and local (the central Korean government) powers.
During the colonial era, including WWII, Jeju was under heavy Japanese military control and many of the locals were put to labor work constructing roads, clearing fields, building bases, etc.
Following Germany's surrender and end to the war on the European front, the war continued on the Pacific front. As Japanese territories in the Asia Pacific began falling to the Allies and the war's scope began limiting to Japan, the Japanese grew concerned about a long and devastating war on their home soil and thus they decided to heavily fortify nearby areas like Jeju Island to prepare for a "final stand" of sorts.
Preparing for an assault, the hill behind the Peace Museum, Gama Oreum, is where they built a deep tunnel system to make an underground fortress of sorts. Naturally, to build these tunnels, the local men were put to use to dig out these massive tunnels with little to no safety equipment. An anticipated invasion never happened on Jeju Island and following the end of the war and Korea's liberation the tunnels were largely forgotten or ignored until Young-geum Lee, the son of one of the original diggers decided to create the Jeju Museum of War History & Peace.
The museum is led through on a guided tour. First with an informative documentary video, then a guided tour through the exhibits featuring a look at Jeju life under the occupation, the war, and many artifacts and items from this era.
After going through the museum, you exit through the back to climb the hill to the underground fortress' entrance.
There are apparently a few entrances but due to safety reasons and whatnot not all are open. The tunnel themselves go deep underground and visitors are only allowed to go in up to a certain point.
Within, it's nothing extraordinary on the surface as it's simply a deep and cool tunnel deep underground. But following the tour through the museum and thinking about the context, it makes for a somber experience. I was recalling the images of all the young, able-bodied men and boys, who were roughly around my age or younger, who had spent years everyday with no light, no safety equipment, no pay, and little food and rest digging these tunnels for the protection and well-being of the occupying soldiers.
It was a stark contrast when considering that here I was underground in the tunnels as part of my holiday while similar aged peers of the past were digging them for their lives. A deeper appreciation for life currently.
Toiling away deep underground, rarely seeing the outside light.
Scars of war still evident on such a peaceful island..
Jeju Museum of War History & Peace
064-772-2500
제주특별자치도 제주시 한경면 청수서5길 63
63, Cheongsuseo 5-gil, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, Korea
www.peacemuseum.co.kr/
Still, isn't one of the greatest draw about Jeju its beautiful, laid back scenery and vibe? Even when I'm hitting up the same spots, everything is just so damn relaxed and visually stunning I can't help but fall in love again and again.
This includes one of my favorite beaches Geumneung Beach for its clear waters and the funny looking Biyangdo (Biyang Island) off the coast... which is said to resemble the boa and elephant (or hat) from the Little Prince.
Geumneung Beach
Geumneung-gil, Hallim-eub, Jeju City
제주특별자치도 제주시 한림읍 금능길
Another standard for any visit to Jeju is the Jeju pork. The place I visited was called "Shweeneun Pang Heuk Dweji" (쉬는팡 흑돼지) and was visited on a whim after seeing a recommendation among places nearby.
I was quite surprised when I arrived to find such a big, modern structure that looks more like a pension than a Jeju pork restaurant.
Because of its size, its unlikely you'll have to wait as they have many tables.
You can choose to get the black pork belly (ogyeopsal) only for 18K per person (200g) or a half and half of black pork belly and neck for the same price and size. . They also have nice chilly dongchimi guksu as a meal finisher for 5K and spicy stir fried black pork for lunch at 15K per person (200g).
Soju and beers are 4K a bottle while Cheongha goes for 5K. They also emphasize their rice is from Korea and their kimchi and pork are from Jeju.
The method of barbecuing here is done the traditional way- off a blazing hot traditional cauldron lid. These cauldrons, called gama soht (가마솥) are what was used to traditionally make rice, stews, etc, and cooking off their lid, which retains heat long after the fire is out, has been proven to be the best method of cooking pork belly on Korean tv shows in the past.
The Jeju style of eating pork is slightly dipped in a pungent fermented seafood jeotgal served on the side which can be an acquired taste but for those who know, it's an excellent combination between the pork and sauce.
Spread with local ingredients.
Thick ol' ogyeopsal and moksal cuts with just a sprinkle of sea salt.
Get everythin grilllllllllllllllin
It wasn't the best Jeju pork I've had but it was still solid. I mean, you can't really go wrong with Jeju pork I've found.
We also got a side of their kimchi jjigae with Jeju pork and the dongchimi guksu. Nothing memorable but solid still.
I suppose I should make a mention about where I stayed during this trip. Beop-hwan village (법환 마을) is about 6-8 km west of Seogwipo along the coast and apparently is the southernmost coastal village in Korea. Besides the beautiful setting, it's particularly known for the famed haenyeo (woman divers) and Beophwan apparently has the largest number of them! I've read there's even a professional diving school run by them which is open to the public so that's something to consider trying if it appeals to you.
It's a quiet coastal village that's a good mixture between local and developed.
The hotel I stayed was Hotel Oreum. A relatively new hotel just off the main village center and just on the coast. It's very clean and popular with families.
Nice little pool just by the coast.
My regular mirrorless camera doesn't cut it but the stars are always so beautiful out in the quieter parts of Jeju.
Especially while sipping on Jeju makgeolli- though they aren't produced here I found, just the ingredients, like Udo peanuts, sourced from Jeju.
Hotel Sumorum (호텔섬오름)
1513, Beophwan-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 막숙포로 114
064-800-7200
On the last full day, we really had no plans other than to stop at the Sanbangsan (Mt. Sanbang) hot springs known for its carbonated hot waters. I've been to it before and I think I read a claim that it's the only carbonated hot springs in Korea? Either way it's an interesting experience feeling like you're in a hot bath of Sprite. The bubbles kind of tickles.
The baths are gender-separated and obviously I have no pictures but if that's something you're into it's nothing ultra luxurious but it's clean and nice for some relaxing.
Jeju Sanbangsan Hot Springs (산방산 탄산온천)
192, Sagyebuk-ro 41beon-gil, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 안덕면 사계북로41번길 192
http://www.tansanhot.com/
064-792-8300
Before stopping at the hot springs though, we needed to get fueled for our last day. Searching for spots near Sanbangsan I heard about Choonmihyang Shikdang from a lot of blogs which recommended its awesome price valued gogi jeongshik or meat set.
The restaurant itself is in a sleepy little village and with the name, you might even confuse it for a Chinese restaurant.
The village is charming just to walk about as it sits right on the footsteps of Sanbangsan (Mt. Sanbang).
They have a menu that's pretty extensive and, the best part is, it's a nice mix of seafood and meat dishes.
Their fish are caught directly by the restaurant so is subject to availability but they have mackerel, hairtail, etc which you can get in a kimchi jjim (stew) or as a jorim (braised). The prices run between 20-30K and are priced for 2 people (rice not included).
They also have sea bream fish which is pan fried then topped with a sweet and tart sauce (13K for two fishes) and a special shrimp called "ddak" shrimp which is made into a gejang (brined in a soy sauce-based sauce 10K for 12 shrimp).
They also have a bomal jeongshik (보말정식) for 10K. Bomal, if you recall, is the special sea snail common around Jeju which is used for the bomal kalguksu which I ate on the first day. In the bomal jeongshik here it comes with bomal seaweek soup, grilled fish, side dishes, and rice.
For meat lovers, they have have spicy stir-fried pork (두루치기 or duruchigi) for 7K (though minimum order is 2 and comes with side dishes, vegetable for wraps, and rice)
For regular grilled pork, there's a regular gogi jeongshik in which black pork, grilled fish, side dishes, and rice is included for 6.5K per person. The larger geun gogi set (geun is the word for a special weight for meat) comes with 200g of Jeju pork, grilled fish, kimchi jjigae, side dishes, rice, and lettuce for wraps and is 10K per person.
The regular gogi jeongshik is the most popular option but note that it doesn't include things like kimchi jjigae or wraps.
Alcoholic drinks (soju, beer, makgeolli) are 3K a bottle, soft drinks are 2K and extra rice is 1K. All their ingredients are sourced from Korea.
They also note that they close on every 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month!
After placing orders for the gogi jeonshik and a side of okdom gui we waited. I could tell there was a good mix of local Jeju-ites and tourists which is always a good sign. The kitchen was quite busy and I even observed a man bringing in some fresh fish.
With the gogi jeongshik it's meant to be a meal set, not an outright barbecue meal. Here's the Jeju pork on the grill.
A nice crispy kimchi jeon on the side.
Sides
At its price, this barbecue set is fine on its own but then they also toss in a pan fried fish!
There's a nice crisp skin on it that holds back the moist white flesh inside which would be already perfectly fine on its own but then ladle a sweet and sour runny sauce on the fish hot off the pan and add some fresh chopped vegetables.
It's an interesting method of cooking, almost akin to a Chinese dish but man, is it good. The sauce is tasty enough without overpowering the fish. And the vegetables add such a nice dimension both in texture and fragrance.
What a great deal for a meal!
It's the same technique used for the okdom (sea bream) which we ordered on the side. No regrets. So good!
Chunmihyang Shikdang (춘미향미식당)
382, Sanbang-ro, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 안덕면 산방로 382
064-794-5558
NOTE: Chunmihyang Shikdang is closed on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month!
NOTE: Chunmihyang Shikdang is closed on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month!
For our caffeine fix, we decided to hit up a spot called Lazybox Coffee which was said to have some fantastic views.
It was only after arriving that I realized I had been here previously as the cafe is located just beneath Sanbangsa, the Buddhist temple, which I had been to before. But back then, I had no idea this cafe existed.
And they serve coffee libre's roasts!
The inside of the cafe is cute and charming on its own.
But what's particularly nice is their outside seating facing the sea.
You can see the ridge on the left that's supposed to be shaped like the back of a dragon.
The coffees were great and since they use beans from Coffee Libre. The slice of carrot cake was just ok. Lacking the spices and ample cream cheese frosting to be up to par to a standard carrot cake but a decent cake slice on its own.
But you can't really beat that view...
208, Sanbang-ro, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 안덕면 산방로 208
www.lazybox.co.kr/
064-792-1254
Right next to Lazybox is the entrance to Sanbangsa, a nice little temple to roam around. Not only are the views quite nice (as the temple overlooks the ocean) but it makes for some good picture taking.
Awkward.
Sanbangsa(산방사)
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 안덕면 산방로 218-11
218-11, Sanbang-ro, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
064-792-1223
After walking around the temple a bit and then coming back down there were a bunch of treats being sold by the small stores. The one that caught my eye was the hallabong ice cream. At 4K a serving it isn't exactly the cheapest but it's definitely not something I'll come across easily on the mainland so...
Yummeroo. Look at those specks of hallabong :)
For some nature with shade, we hit up Andeok Valley for a bit of walking.
Natural caves used as homes in the past.
A river runs through it. And boy, does it.
Andeok Valley (안덕계곡)
1524, Iljuseo-ro, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 안덕면 일주서로 1524
064-794-9001
Lastly, on our way back up to Jeju City, as we passed by Hallasan, we stopped by the Seogwipo Natural Recreation Forest. I was surprised at how huge this place was complete with even pension buildings available to rent.
I was also surprised at how peaceful and beautiful this place was. There were hardly any folks around and it was just a nice last bit of Jeju healing before returning to daily life.
San 1-1, Daepo-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, Korea
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 대포동 산1-1
http://huyang.seogwipo.go.kr/
064-738-4544
Back up in Jeju City, we had time to catch dinner before our night flight back to Seoul. Not wanting to do anything too heavy before a flight, we decided to get the Jeju specialty of gogi guksu. Literally meaning "meat noodles", this is a simple soup noodle dish that's based off the famed local pork.
There's actually quite a few famed gogi guksu places in Jeju City and many, including the one we ended up eating at, are clustered around together in the same area. Initially we were wanting to go somewhere else but the lines were absolutely insane.
Just a few blocks down was Manse Guksu, where we ate, which was still crazy popular but at least we could get seats.
Their standard gogi guksu is 5K, but you can also get it in soup and rice form for 5.5K or an anchovy based noodle soup for 4.5K.
Their soondae (blood sausage) was also ordered up by a lot of folks around us (6K) and they also have mandu (6K).
Simple sides.
And here is the gogi guksu. The milky white broth comes from hours of extracting the flavors from the bones. The meat is also surprisingly tender. Scattered atop are green onion slices, a bit of chopped carrots, spicy seasoning and more.
Deep and flavorful broth, good chewy noodles. This is good simplicity at its Jeju best.
Manse Guksu (만세국수)
156, Ora-ro, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, Korea
제주특별자치도 제주시 오라로 156
064-724-7056
And that wrapped another visit down to Jeju! For a past post on places I ate at on a previous visit, click here!
Oh my J, I know that Jeju is wonderful and I think, me too, would never get tired of it, however, your pictures are all so tempting both the scenery and food. Like it. And yes, I also like the sight of the Jeju's typical rocks that stacked up all around the island.
ReplyDeleteYes! So glad I found your blog. Gonna have to use it as a reference to make the most out of Seoul and Jeju next year! :D Cheers for all the mouthwatering pics of food and breathtaking snaps of scenery. So stoked!
ReplyDeleteWow you're very good looking.
ReplyDeleteWow this was an awesome guide. Thank you.
ReplyDelete