Blog after blog, i was constantly bombarded by fantastic reviews of abalone porridge on Jeju Island and this came fiercely on the heels of Kon's recommendation! Hence, it was a no brainer that i had to try it on my recent trip!
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The issue was more on the question "where?". From some of the blogs, i gathered that a significant of them had picked the above Korean restaurant right next to Cheonjiyeon Falls and i guess that would be the best bet for us!
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As you can see, it was simply decorated with the stacked up pumpkins at the back being the most attractive decoration in the eatery. It might seem empty at this moment but at about 6pm, the place was half-filled with locals!
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Opted for the section without chairs as we wanted to experience the traditional Korean way of dining! Furthermore, we needed to stretch our legs after all the walking for the past two days.
Abalone Porridge
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I have always lamented that over the real abalone (from a can that we often see in Singapore), i would prefer mock abalone for its more addictive flavour. Wait till your tongue gets the taste of fresh abalones!
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It was most refreshing and although the texture was more along the line of abalone mushroom, the taste had that obvious ocean essence helped with a dash of sesame oil. However, if i have to choose between abalone porridge and the pricey lobster porridge, i am afraid i would still gladly pay for the latter.
Grilled Mackerel
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Fish seldom impresses me but this grilled mackerel was so delicious; we almost wanted to order a second one! It was grilled to a crisp yet the meat remained juicy and damn flavourful.
Abalone Seafood Bowl
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The one dish that stopped us from having a second mackerel! We selected the smallest and still found it hard to clean up every single morsel from the pot!
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Besides real abalones with their shells still attached, we counted clams, prawns and even a crab hidden in the boiling red broth! That's quite generous for ₩30,000!
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I have never been much of an abalone lover but these were so good, i think i can never look at abalones the same way as i did before. In addition, are you aware that abalones are also known as “ginseng” of the sea?! Nutritional okay!
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Don't miss the spicy soup too! The richness of the sea was a guaranteed inhalation in every sip; not surprising with so much ingredients! Absolutely yummy!
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Want to guess how many abalones there were in the pot? A total of nine pieces and for only about S$35! Given the price of abalones in Singapore, i am sure we are getting a better deal in Jeju!
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The operators were really nice despite the communication barrier! Upon knowing we were tourists, they immediately passed us a brochure and a guidebook (in English) that were way more informative than what we had so far!
Location
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678 Seohong-dong, Seogwipo-si,
Jeju-do, South Korea
[next to Cheonjiyeon Falls]
Contact Number to Key in GPS
733-1966
Pricing
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Abalone Porridge - ₩12,000
Grilled Mackerel - ₩15,000
Abalone Seafood Bowl - ₩30,000
Menu
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As above
For the summary of my inaugural South Korea trip,
(Jeju and Seoul), please click HERE.