Jeju Feature Part 3: The Food Tour

Open for business! Sliced abalone served next to Jeongbang Waterfall, thanks to a local haenyeo (woman diver).

Over the past few weeks, we saw Jeju’s fire festival and climbed South Korea’s highest peak. But now, it’s time to eat!

As a huge volcanic island, it makes sense that there’s a dearth of arable land on Jeju.  But being an island also means that seafood has always been a staple of Jejanese cuisine.  So to start our culinary exploration, let’s start at the beach… but one warning, food on Jeju doesn’t come cheap!

2,000-year-old graffiti. Legend says that an emissary of a Chin Dynasty emperor came here in search of an elixir for eternal life. He didn’t find it, but carved his name before returning to China.

Among Jeju’s most famous residents are its haenyeo (해녀), or women sea divers.  Although sea diving is an ancient custom on Jeju, it wasn’t until 1629 that women dove en masse. Some say the change was to avoid paying taxes, or maybe just a clever ploy to get women to do the hard work.  Either way, centuries later, Jejanese women still dive up to 20 meters to harvest seaweed and shellfish, amazingly without the aid of breathing devices.  

Delicious, no frills cuisine, Jeju-style.

Sadly, the practice is in decline.  Today just a few thousand of Jeju’s mermaid grannies still reap the sea’s bounty. But lucky for me and my friend Uikwon, we ran into three of them just feet from the surf near Jeongbang Waterfall (정방폭포).  Their simple operation centered around three orange tubs filled with sea cucumbers, snails and abalone.  For a pricey 10,000 won ($6.60), a medium-sized abalone was sliced into eight slices and served to us no frills alongside small dishes of hot pepper paste and a garlic slices. 

We enjoyed delicious tilefish at the Songjeongmehyang Restaurant, located near the Jeongbang Waterfall in Seogwipo.

An hour later it was almost lunchtime.  So while purchasing a bag of Jeju’s famous tangerines (a bargain at just 3,000 won for 8), we asked for recommendations for a tasty neighborhood spot.  A short walk later we saw a row of beachside restaurants.  It was both early in the season and early in the day, which must have been why we were the only customers at Ms. Lee’s Songjeongmehyang (송정미향) Restaurant, especially since their roasted tilefish (옥돔구이) was delicious.  Caught only in Jeju and in the waters off Japan, the rich, baked white fish separated easily from the bone and mixed nicely with several vegetable side dishes.

The Sigol Restaurant in Pyoseon serves up excellent ogyeopsal, a five-layered barbeque pork.

Appetite satiated, we were back on the road.  After several hours of exploring Jeju’s southern coast, we arrived in Pyoseon (표선), a hamlet that hugs a tiny bay on Jeju’s southeast shoreline. Not coincidentally, Uikwon’s family has a favorite local barbeque place there, so we stopped into the Countryside Restaurant (시골식당) for dinner. The establishment serves an excellent ogyeopsal, or five-layered pork. Made from Jeju’s famous black pig, 200 grams was 11,000 won ($7.27).  Relaxing on the floor we watched the thick bacon-like meat sizzle in front of us before devouring it!

The seaside Byeolbangchon Restaurant serves fresh and delicious raw fish, called hwae.

The next morning we had time for one more meal before leaving Jeju.  Since our culinary tour started with the haenyeo it seemed right that we end there, too.  The northeastern town of Sewha hosts the Jeju Haenyeo Museum (제주해녀박물관), so we asked the ticket seller there where we could find some good raw fish, or hwae (회).  He pointed us up the road, where Byeolbangchon (별방촌) sits alone beside the black rocky beach.

Our last meal in Jeju was a large platter of sliced, raw flounder.

For 50,000 won (about $33), we ordered a whole raw flounder (광어).  While Ms. Song prepared the fish, we sampled side dishes of raw sea cucumber, clams, snails, and a crispy vegetable pancake.  Minutes later, a large platter covered in thin slices of raw fish arrived.  The silver-white flesh shimmered in the light and melted in our mouths.  It was a delicious end to our Jeju food tour.

Getting There:

→ From Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport, dozens of flights depart for Jeju City daily. 

The 1-hour flight costs between 167,000-244,000 won ($113-$165) on major Korean carriers, and around 108,000 won ($73) on budget carriers, like Jeju Air. 

Once on Jeju, reach the Jeongbang Waterfall by taking road 1131 towards Seogwipo. Turn left on 1132. From the waterfall, you can retrace our food tour route by following road 1132 to Pyoseon and Sewha. The scenic route hugs the coastline.

Byeolbangchon (별방촌): (064) 783-1907
Jeju Haenyeo Museum (제주해녀박물관): (064) 741-0374~5
Songjeongmehyang Restaurant (송정미향): (064) 763-5775~6

Learn More:
→ Jeju Special Self-Governing Province (official site)

(A version of this text aired on KBS World Radio on March 7, 2009.)