3 Days and 2 Nights of Food Adventures♥ Real Jeju Three Meals a Day

You there, you will pack your bags right now

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For an editor who lives day by day for delicious food, traveling is a way to discover new restaurants in unfamiliar places. With the sole purpose of enjoying eating, the editor set off for Jeju Island. During the 2 nights and 3 days spent on this unfamiliar island, the editor shared a real food journey of eating three meals a day on Day 1 in Jeju, then returned to the accommodation to rest.

In the past, the editor invested the whole day in eating as if a gluttonous ghost was attached to the body. It seemed a bit excessive, but the editor straightened their mind. From now on, they must not get tired. Only one day has passed, after all. Where did the footsteps on Days 2 and 3 in Jeju head to?

▶ Curious about Day 1 itinerary? Click here

*Since the itinerary was by car, it may be somewhat distant when using public transportation.

Day 2

Jeju Saewoori

You can’t waste a precious meal on hotel breakfast. On the morning of the second day, the first place the editor visited was Jeju Saewoori. The signature menu here is the Ttaksaeu Gimbap, which has a visual so beautiful it’s almost a shame to eat it, priced at 6,500 KRW per pack. Think it’s just gimbap? Think again. Considering the plump shrimp inside, the steep price is forgivable. The shrimp, coated in a thin batter, has a milky white flesh that melts softly in your mouth. However, the filling consists of only cabbage, shrimp, and pickles, which might be somewhat simple, so don’t expect too much.

Instead, the menu that won the editor’s heart was the Soy Sauce Shrimp Cup Rice. The editor was so focused on this dish that they barely paid attention to the gimbap. On top of rice mixed with a savory special sauce, there are shrimp soaked in salty soy sauce, flying fish roe, pickled radish, and fried tofu. The key to this cup rice is to enjoy it with plenty of various toppings. Above all, the shrimp is not fishy, so it can be eaten without discomfort, making it recommended for a light meal early in the morning when your stomach is empty.

If you hear a loud “Kreuuh” from somewhere, it’s probably someone eating the seafood ramen at Jeju Saewoori. The spicy broth emits a fragrant seafood aroma that soothes my weary stomach. If you want to taste a spicy broth, be sure to order it.

Blanc Roche

If you want to feel the clear and pure sea of Jeju, visit Blanc Roche, a cafe with an open outdoor space. This place, where you can gaze at the distant horizon and the gentle waves of the sea, is probably the best spot to truly feel that you have set foot on Jeju soil. To fully enjoy the nature bathed in sunlight, it is recommended to visit on a clear day.

Now, let’s all chant together. ‘Peanut Ice Cream’ ? when you visit this cafe, you must order the peanut ice cream. Unlike other places where vanilla ice cream is sprinkled with a little peanut powder, here the rich peanut-based ice cream is topped generously with whole peanuts. Although not visible in the photo, the peanuts keep coming as you dig deeper, so by the end, eating the ice cream and peanuts at a 1:1 ratio was not enough. Moreover, the ice cream piled high as if about to ascend to the sky seems to show the generous hospitality of the owner. Let’s memorize it once again. 'Blanc Roche Peanut Ice Cream' x 10

Pig That Saw the Sea

This is a black pork restaurant that can be called the highlight of Jeju’s food indulgence. It’s a truly romantic place where you can enjoy the vast view of the Seogwipo sea while grilling meat! Visit at sunset to enjoy delicious meat along with the sunset.

The unique point of this place is wrapping the grilled bracken fern with the meat. Wrapping the tender bracken around the plump meat and eating it with white kimchi adds a crunchy texture, making it easy to finish a bottle of soju. The meat has a perfect ratio of lean meat to fat, giving a chewy texture without greasiness, and for the sauce, dipping it in mel-jorim (braised sauce) rather than regular ssamjang enhances the umami, so keep that in mind.

Day 3

Halla Noodles

The feast in Jeju was decided to end with a warm broth. It’s Jeju’s famous pork noodles! The editor chose this restaurant thinking they should visit at least one place featured on TV. The broth is milky white to the point that you can barely see the contents inside, made by simmering only Jeju pork leg bones, and it has a clean and good taste. Just drinking the broth, I shouted ‘This place passes!’ The noodles are medium thickness, not thin, which brings out a soft texture. Also, the side dishes that determine the overall satisfaction of the restaurant were perfect, especially the well-fermented cubed radish kimchi that remains memorable. The mild broth without spicy ingredients makes it good to enjoy with children.

If noodles alone feel plain, try adding Jiseul dumplings. The dumplings have a moist sheen on the surface, and the chewy texture made from potato dough stands out. This place was serious about dumplings too.

Maeume On

Located next to Jeju Airport, this cafe is a great place to rest briefly while waiting for your flight. The interior is designed in a hanok style, and combined with the shop’s yellow lighting, it creates a warm atmosphere. Lighting, humidity, temperature ? everything is perfect... The props placed throughout the shop seem to have meaning, not just randomly placed. Spending time exploring the shop without noticing the time calms the mind. Because of the atmosphere inside the store alone, it’s a place you want to visit again.

Moreover, the restroom is so beautifully decorated that it almost feels embarrassing to use it. The editor was able to beautifully conclude the last moments in Jeju at ‘Maeume On,’ where even the restroom was pretty.

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Over 2 nights and 3 days, the editor successfully updated a list of 8 restaurants through a pork experience. If you plan to visit Jeju Island, follow the editor’s footsteps. We are confident you will have a satisfying trip.

*The most important thing when traveling is ‘safety,’ so please strictly follow COVID-19 prevention guidelines while traveling.

Photo by Choi Jihyun

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.