VISIT JEJU

The government of Jeju is increasing our awareness of the struggles that Muslims face in traveling around Jeju. Working hard to make it easier for our Muslim guests to enjoy our island, we sincerely hope that our Muslim friends can experience the beauty of Jeju without any inconvenience.

The government of Jeju always strives to make the traveling experience easier for our Muslim visitors. Here is a guide that will help you as you journey through our beautiful island.

Plentiful Seafood

Jeju offers an immense variety of seafood dishes anywhere on the island. The word “haemul” (해물), signifies a seafood dish.

Here are some delicious haemul dishes to try in Jeju:

Haemultang (해물탕): A spicy seafood soup with a variety of different seafood, served with rice.

Haemul Kalguksu (해물칼국수): Thick wheat noodles served in a white seafood broth.

Haemul Jjim (해물찜): Spicy, braised seafood served on a bed of braised bean sprouts.

Haemul Sun Dubu Jjigae(해물순두부 찌개) : Seafood tofu stew, served with rice. Traditionally spicy, but some restaurants can prepare a non-spicy version upon request.

Haemul Doenjang Jjigae (해물된장찌개): Soybean paste stew made with seafood, vegetables and mushrooms.

Some other mouth-watering seafood dishes to try:

Godeungeo-jorim (고등어 조림): Braised mackerel fish in a spicy and slightly sweet sauce.

Jeonbok-juk (전복죽): Abalone rice porridge, a local specialty that was once frequently gifted to the king.

Nakji Bokkeum (낙지볶음): Stir-fried octopus and vegetables in a slightly sweet and very spicy red pepper paste sauce.

Ojingeo Bokkeum (오징어볶음): Similar to Nakji Bokkeum, but served with squid instead of octopus.

Saengseon Hoe (생선회): Raw fish served with various sauces and raw vegetables. It can readily be found at raw fish restaurants, called “hoetjip”.

Looking for a vegetable dish? Here are our recommended vegetable dishes:

Bibimbap (비빔밥): Literally meaning “mixed rice”, bibimbap is served with warm rice and vegetables that you mix together with a red pepper sauce. It is sometimes served with beef, which you can request to omit. Ordering a “sanchae bibimbap” (산채 means ‘wild herbs and vegetables’) will ensure you get only vegetables served with your rice.

Kong Guksu (콩국수): A seasonal dish served in summer, it is a non-spicy noodle dish served with a cold soy milk broth. Add salt to suit your taste.

Dubu Jorim (두부조림): A vegetarian dish of spicy braised tofu, braised in a spicy sauce and pan-fried with various vegetables.

If you’re looking for meat dishes that do not include pork, here are some perfect meals to try:

Galbitang (갈비탕): Korean beef short ribs soup that is savory and hearty. Served with rice.

Gomtang (곰탕): Beef broth soup with a savory broth and thick slices of beef. Seasoned with soy sauce and served with rice.

Dak Galbi (닭갈비): Spicy stir-fried chicken in a red pepper based sauce, served with potatoes, cabbage and other vegetables.

Jjim Dak (찜닭): Braised chicken with vegetables and starch noodles in a soy sauce-based sauce. Degree of spiciness varies by restaurant.

Bulgogi (불고기): Thinly sliced beef, marinated in a sweet soy sauce mixture and grilled or roasted to perfection. (Note: Doeji Bulgogi is made with pork, and Bulgogi is made with beef.)

Samgyetang (삼계탕): Also known as Ginseng Chicken Soup, it is made with a whole young chicken and garlic, ginseng and jujubes. Popular in Korea, this soup is believed to promote health.

Korean words for pig/pork:

The Korean word for pig is “dwaeji” (돼지), and Jeju is well-known for a special breed of pig called “heukdwaeji” (흑돼지), or black pork. Another word that is used to signify pork is “don” (돈). Fried pork cutlets are called “donkatsu” (돈까스), so if fried cutlet is something you want to try, make sure to order the “saengsun katsu” (생선까스), which are fried fish cutlets.

Finding a prayer room:

When inquiring about prayer rooms, you can ask for the “gido-sil” (기도실), which literally translates to “prayer room”.

With friendly service and delicious foods, our Muslim travelers have a number of choices at several of our halal-friendly restaurants.

Raj Mahal (라지마할)

Raj Mahal was founded by a Nepalese man and an Indian chef in 2009. The restaurant is located at 43 Shingwang-ro, Yeon-dong, Jeju City. The entire menu is halal, with main dishes ranging from 10,000 won to 18,000 won in price. Lunch sets are available on weekdays only (excluding holidays and weekends) and until 3 p.m. Lunch sets are reasonably priced at 13,000-15,000 won per person. The daily hours of operation are 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., and parking is available on the premises. For further information, dial 064-749-4924.

Bagdad (바그다드)

Bagdad Halal Indian Cuisine features Halal North Indian food. They are known as a dedicated Indian restaurant among the locals. If you want Indian food that tastes close to authentic Indian cuisine, this place is a great choice. Their oven-baked Naan is famous, and their curry dishes are all excellent. They are already popular among Muslim tourists as they offer special halal menus. Located at 1F, 34 Gwandeok-ro 8-gil, Jeju-si. The hours of operation are 11 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. Closed on Mondays. Pricing starts reasonably at 9,000 won. For further information, dial 064-757-8182.

Jeju Wardah Restaurant (와르다 레스토랑)

“Wardah” means “flower” in Arabic. Jeju Wardah Restaurant is an Arabian restaurant that opened most recently. It is the first Yemeni restaurant opened in Jeju. They serve food that provides comfort to those who miss home-cooked Arabic meals, creating a bridge between them and Korea. They offer kebab, falafel, agdah chicken, hummus and many other Halal dishes. They have a prayer room on the second floor. They are located at 24 Gwandeong-ro 8(pal)-gil, Samdo 2(i)-dong, Jeju-si, and they are open Monday to Saturday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Their lunch break is from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more details, please call 064-751-1470.

For more information about Muslim-friendly restaurants.

There are a number of prayer rooms around the island that various businesses have opened for use by their customers and clients.

The Jeju Islamic Center

The Jeju Islamic Center, located at Nohyeong-dong 939, Junghan Officetel #1208, Jeju City, offers a prayer room for Muslim travelers with all the amenities needed for daily prayers. It was founded and is currently managed by Shaikh Haji Bashir Kim, a Korean-Muslim who is fluent in Korean, English and Arabic. Having converted to Islam during his youth, he spent 12 years in Qatar and majored in Sharia Law at Qatar University. Dedicated to the study and practice of Islam, he is a high-profile figure in the Asian Muslim community. Shaikh Haji Bashir Kim is open to offering help to Muslim travelers and residents who are in need of assistance. If you are traveling in large numbers and need a prayer facility, be sure to email islamjeju@daum.net for further information. Please be aware that reservations must be made at least one week prior to your visit.

Other Places

The Shilla Hotel Jeju : This hotel provides prayer items; however, a designated prayer room is not available.

Asalam Resstaurant : This restaurant provides a prayer room.

Jeju International Airport : A prayer room for Muslims is available near the international departure lounge.

Teddy Bear Museum : The museum provides a prayer room near the parking lot.

Jeju Best Hill : This place provides a private prayer room. 

For more information