This week: the first of a four-part series on KY’s recent visit to Jeju Island in South Korea for some family time, sightseeing, and food adventures.
The family’s first meal proper – not counting the McDonald’s right after they landed – was at Myeongjin Jeonbok Abalone, located in the northeast area of Jeju Island, about an hour’s drive from the airport.
Given that the restaurant is located by the sea, expect lots of wind and freezing temperatures should you visit during the winter. Luckily, parking is relatively easy to find, so you wouldn’t have to be out in the elements for long.
The menu is simple with just four abalone dishes – five if you include the grilled saba (mackerel). If you order everything, they might even throw in the fish for free!
The first item, abalone sashimi, is priced at 30,000 krw (RM102) for 400g. With six decent-sized abalones sliced up and served raw, this dish is packed with seafood sweetness.
The main portion has a texture that’s a little hard and crunchy, not unlike chicken-breast cartilage, but it’s tasty enough with some gochujang sauce.
Then there’s the grilled abalone (30,000 krw for 500g), which – with 11 freshly grilled abalones – offers the best bang for your buck.
Fresh abalone tastes very different from the canned stuff you get in Malaysia… possibly like comparing tinned lychee to the fresh version. This is a must-order.
The abalone sizzling stoned rice (15,000 krw) is a delight as well, with a generous portion of the sliced seafood. If you wish to stuff your stomach, this is the go-to.
And if you’re feeling too cold thanks to the weather, the abalone porridge (12,000 krw) should warm you up in a most flavourful and luxurious way.
The free mackerel (5,000 krw otherwise) is a great addition to your meal, perfectly grilled with the meat very lightly cooked while retaining moisture and freshness.
As with any Korean dinner, side dishes or banchan come with every meal, with unlimited free refills. The kimchi is nice (of course it is, look where you are!), and there are servings of seaweed, sesame oil vegetables, and some marinated cilipadi this writer didn’t try.
Myeongjin Jeonbok Abalone
1282 Haemajihaean-ro,
Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si,
Jeju-do, South Korea
Read the original article here. Trying to influence your cravings since 2005, Kar Yeong was Guest Judge on Versus 1001 Rasa Baba’s 2018, R.AGE Food Fight Judge 2015 and NTV7 Foodie Blogger 2014. To read more about Kar Yeong’s food journeys, visit his blog at KYspeaks.com.