Myeongjin Jeonbok in Jeju
[Pork-free] Grilled abalone was on the top of our must-eat list when planning for our Jeju trip.
In fact, 명진전복 Myeongjin Jeonbok Abalone Restaurant was the first restaurant that we book-marked for the trip.
It was also the first port of call after landing on the island. It took about an hour (40km) for us to get to the restaurant after picking up our rental car near the airport.
Myeongjin Jeonbok 명진전복 in Jeju
Jeju Island is known as the Hawaii of South Korea, and is a popular holiday destination for the locals. This island is located at the south of the Korean peninsula, and is also known for its fresh and delicious local seafood.
Abalone are one of the popular harvests here on Jeju, and there are many restaurants that offer the shellfish as a delicacy.
In our research, Myeongjin Jeonbok 명진전복 comes out on top on most list.
Located at the North-east side of the island, this restaurant specialises in abalone dishes.
Just take the leisurely coastal drive from Jeju city (trust us – it will be leisurely drive as there are strict speed limits with plenty of speed cameras) and you’ll arrive at Myeongjin Jeonbok 명진전복 in no time. This restaurant has an amazing view of the sea – but it’s the food that we were here for.
Abalone in all forms here
We arrived for an early lunch at 11.30am, and quickly got down to business.
Myeongjin Jeonbok 명진전복 offers only four main dishes on the menu – Butter-Grilled Abalone (KRW30,000 for 500g), Abalone Porridge (KRW13,000), Abalone Stone Pot Rice (KRW16,000) and Abalone Sashimi (KRW30,000 for 400g).
As it was just the two of us, we ordered everything except the sashimi.
Grilled Abalone is amazing
The Butter-Grilled Abalone (KRW30,000 or USD20 for 500g) was the reason we came here and it did not disappoint.
The abalones were probably the freshest and fattest we’ve eaten in our lives.
Cooked fresh from the sea and onto the sizzling hot plate, the morsels needed very little seasoning so we could taste the natural sweetness of the abalone. There are some dips served alongside, of course – if you need them.
The 500g portion yielded 10 fresh abalones on our plate.
Abalone Stone Pot Rice
We also enjoyed the Abalone Stone Pot Rice (KRW13,000) as the rice was wonderfully flavoured with slices of abalone, and veggies as well.
After scooping all the rice from the stone pot, the restaurant recommended pouring hot water into the bowl and covering it with a lid. They recommended that we enjoy the crispy rice crust (nurungji) left in the stone pot at the end of the meal. But we thought this was just OK.
Abalone porridge
The Abalone Porridge was the most disappointing dish here. It was really bland despite the colour and bits of abalone in the porridge.
Summary
So, was it worth it? If you are planning a trip to Jeju – you definitely have to try the fresh seafood (including abalone) here.
This restaurant comes out on top on most lists – but we reckon you could get decent grilled abalone elsewhere as well.
That said, we still enjoyed the two out of three dishes here. And the complementary grilled mackerel was very good.
Myeongjin Jeonbok 명진전복
Address: 1282 Haemajihaean-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Hours: 9.30am-9pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
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