Jinmi Sikdang is an informal eatery at the foot

Meal for Two Persons

Hwangdom 1 kg (Dinner Set for Two)	100000 Won
TOTAL	100000 Won (CAD$115)

As far as I know this is the first ever English-language review of Yongchul Hoetjib, hopefully bringing more attention to this undiscovered gem. Earlier that day we visited another relatively unknown seafood eatery, also with no other review in English at the time of writing.

Restaurant Review: SEONGSAN JINMI SIKDANG (성산진미식당) (Jeju) (see map)

Not to be confused with a Michelin-featured crab restaurant of the same name in Seoul, this unheralded Jinmi Sikdang is an informal eatery at the foot of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Seongsan Ilchulbong, specializing in the Jeju peasant favorite of haemul-ttukbaegi, or seafood-in-earthen-pot.

There was no English menu of course, which was good news considering that we’re within walking distance from a major tourist draw. Things got even better when the house selection of banchan featured two of my favorites: ojingeo-jeot (marinated squid) and myeolchi-bokkeum (fried anchovies), the latter being my number one fave since childhood.

My wife’s fave is a little more refined in comparison.

In the rest of East Asia — Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong or Taipei — the abalone is universally prized as a delicacy of utmost extravagance, appearing only in the most lavish meals where just one mollusc, if not one slice of the mollusc, is typically served per guest. Here on Jeju Island, a blue-collar price of 15000 Won (CAD$17) afforded three large live abalones served as Jeonbok Ttukbaegi — and that’s accompanied by a scallop, half a blue crab, a langoustine, plus clams and mussels served in a soybean broth.

A slightly upscale variant was the Obunjagi Ttukbaegi, featuring five abalones of a smaller species native to Jeju and topped with a luxurious dab of sea urchin roes. The orchestra of shellfishes made for an exceptionally umami broth, and the sea urchin — which we immediately scooped out of the soup and enjoyed separately in its raw state — was as sweet as we could have asked for.

My wife found the larger — and somehow cheaper — abalones much more enjoyable with their softer, perfectly al dente level of chewiness. In retrospect we could have shared a haemultang, not exactly a Jeju specialty but enviably impressive as the mountain of crabs and abalones arrived at the next table, for just 5000 Won more. For fellow independent travelers looking for an authentic lunch spot close to Seongsan Ilchulbong, this is quie a decent choice.

Meal for Two Persons

Jeonbok Haemul Ttukbaegi	15000 Won
Obunjagi Ttukbaegi	20000 Won
TOTAL	35000 Won (CAD$40)

Spending three full days at the abalone capital of Asia — and with a self-proclaimed abalone lover — we went for a third meal of abalone, this time at a restaurant where the king of Korean shellfish is featured in every single menu item.

Restaurant Review: MYEONGJIN JEONBOK (명진전복) (Jeju) (see map)

This place absolutely needs no introduction. As industrial and out-of-the-way as the shop may appear on this remote stretch of the north coast, it may be the most famous restaurant on Jeju Island. To Korean visitors, Myeongjin Jeonbok is so synonymous with Jeju abalone that their signature dishes can be delivered nationwide, even if you live as far away as Sokcho.

To beat the infamous hour-long queues, we purposely arrived at 10:30 and barely took the last table in a packed dining hall. Unlike the other two restaurants reviewed above, Myeongjin did provide an English menu of its four dish repertoire: abalones in porridge, on rice, grilled on an iron plate, or sliced raw for the purist.

But first, the banchan. The spicy ojingeo-jeot was my favorite here, a perfect companion to the sungnyung towards the end of the meal. More about that later.

Not wanting to overstuff ourselves for brunch, we ordered the default jeonbok dolsotbab and jeonbokjuk which also happened to be the two cheapest items on the menu. To our surprise the meal came with a free dish of grilled mackerel, soy-marinated and slightly on the dry side.

You can just tell that this jeonbokjuk was legit just from its greenish colour, derived from the female abalone’s liver widely appreciated from Seoul to Tokyo. Honestly the flavour of the porridge was somewhat underwhelming — I had expected a more pronounced umami taste.

Topped with chewy slices of steamed abalone, our dolsotbab also started out slightly underwhelming … but that was before we started pouring in the water for our highly anticipated sungnyung.

There has to be something magical about the abalone liver pâté and its chemical reaction when roasted in the stone bowl with the crusty rice. The depth of flavour was entirely different from having the rice on its own, quickly turning this dish into the best of the meal!

If we ever get to visit again, I would skip the porridge and go for the dolsotbab, and try the grilled abalone that was sizzling aromatically at the neighbouring table this whole time.

Meal for Two Persons

Jeonbokjuk	12000 Won
Jeonbok Dolsotbab	15000 Won
TOTAL	27000 Won (CAD$31)

We actually had a fourth seafood meal, an excellent beltfish stew at a small informal eatery. But this is getting long and I’ll leave that for the next post. As any visitor can attest, Jeju really is the seafood lover’s paradise.