VISIT JEJU

The night market offers a variety of menus to people who need a proper meal to feel full and satisfied. If snack foods don’t fill your stomach, go for a real meal. There are food stands such as Jeonbok Gimbap (Abalone Gimbap), which offers abalone, a favorite ingredient of Jeju, wrapped with an egg; Jeju Banban Gimbap (Jeju Half and Half Gimbap), which sells unique combinations such as shrimp citron gimbap and chicken citron gimbap; and Donbogi (Pork and Abalone), which has abalone fried rice with butter and spicy grilled pork shoulder. Rice is also provided along with these dishes, so you can have a hearty meal in this restaurant. Moreover, Haneurine Ansim Steak (Haneul’s Tenderloin Steak) sells quality steak for a reasonable price. The sweet and tender meat tastes fantastic dipped in the sauce together with slightly fried mung bean sprouts. At Black Pepper Steak, you can eat wonderful aged beef.

If you think black pigs are only used for pork belly, then you are wrong. Every sort of black pork dish is offered in the night market in Dongmun Market. The market’s secret is these various black pork dishes with different flavors and recipes. Heukba (Black Pork Bar) sells croquettes made with black pork and handmade bars that contain grilled black pork and cheese. Dongmun Heukdwaeji Kkochigui (Dongmun’s Grilled Black Pork Skewers) serves skewers that include fresh vegetables and savory grilled black pork. While Black Fork makes black pork rolls in which vegetables are rolled up with black pork, Bitteya serves grilled black pork patties, and Jeju Samchon Heukdwaeji Tteokgalbi (Jeju Uncle’s Grilled Black Pork Patties) sells handmade grilled black pork patties. In addition, Maria Pork Cutlet serves tasty pork cutlets, which include Jeju abalone topped with cheese, and Idae Tteokgalbi (Second-generation Grilled Rib Patties) sells grilled rib patties following a recipe inherited from the store’s former expert on the dish.

If you like Japanese okonomiyaki, how about trying chibitcoyaki, a smaller version of okonomiyaki? Chibitco Yaki and Hana Yaki, two adjacent restaurants, serve chibitcoyaki whose paste is topped with some basic ingredients (slices of cabbage and an egg), and the main ingredient (prawns, bacon, octopus, or something else depending on the menu). The katsuobushi and mayonnaise on the Japanese pancake add a savory taste to the food. ‘21 Mu Ping’ sells Thai-style grilled skewers. Mu ping is a popular street food in Thailand where pork on a skewer is marinated in a coconut oil and soy sauce mixture and then grilled.

It is worthwhile to visit snack restaurants such as Abang Dakgangjeong (Father’s Glazed Deep-fried Chicken Bites), which will make your mouth water with its sweet and spicy sauce; Dolkorom Jeju-N (Sweet Jeju-N), where you can eat various types of deep-fried seafood; Kkochie Kkochinnal (The Day Skewered on a Skewer) with its funny name; and Odengeonni Hatbaga Muneomassim (Fish Cake Bar with Octopus). You can also try the delicious black pork fish cake bars at Daddy Park’s, lemon garlic butter shrimp and chili shrimp at Ttung’s Shrimp, octopus, sweet potatoes, and cheese fondue at Cheese Pongdang (Dip in Cheese), and deep-fried shrimp bites glazed with sweet and sour sauce at Shrimp Wok.

Once you've finished your meal, finish up with some dessert. You can go to Taiwan Peanut Ice Cream for some ice cream wrapped with a buckwheat crepe with peanut powder sprinkled on it, which has a chewy texture and a mildly sweet taste, as the buckwheat crepe lessens the sweetness. Or you can find other desserts in places including Ojyu, which has omegi rice cakes and juice; Wapang, which serves a hearty plate of waffles with ice cream; Jechyunam, which serves sweet churros; Pastry Hareubangppang (Hareubang-shape Pastry), which sells cute pastry shaped like hareubang (stone grandpa); and Jeju Danggeun Hotdog (Jeju Carrot Hotdog), which uses dough made with Jeju carrots.