Cycle 13 – Item 226
19 (Fri) August 2022
Sea Urchin Bibimbap
2.0
at Saemanbujeong
-Seogwipo, Jeju, Republic of Korea-
solo
Dive Trip to Jeju, Day 1
-
- Day 1 (13.226 Sea Urchin Bibimbap)
- Day 2 (13.227 SPAM Sticks)
- Day 3 (13.228 Naeng Myeon)
Solo dive trip. First time diving in almost exactly 2.5 years – previously 16 February 2020 in the Philippines, a month before the pandemic lock-down of Manila on 16 March 2020. First time diving in Korea – ever. First time visiting Jeju in over 15 years – previously 18 May 2007 for a faculty workshop when I was a professor at AUSOM, pre-GMTD. The plan is to recon the local diving scene, with an eye towards bringing the family next time.
FLIGHT
Jeju is Korea’s largest island, located about 80 km from the southwestern tip of the peninsula.
Accessible by a 45-minute plane ride from Seoul.
DID YOU KNOW: According to sources cited in Wikipedia, Seoul-Jeju is the busiest air route in the world, by far, with over 17 million passengers in 2021 (see List of busiest passenger air routes). By comparison, the second busiest route is Tokyo-Sapporo, with over 8 million in 2021. Interestingly, Korea has 3 routes in the top 20.
Also accessible by car, requiring a drive to one of several southern ports, then ferry across the strait.
I’d looked into the car option, hoping to take my dog with me, but it would’ve cost around $600, including fuel + tolls + ferry, as well as 15 hours or more of travel time.
HOTEL
Staying at EINS Hotel, chosen on the basis of price (just 55,000 won per night!) and proximity to the dive shop (just 300 meters!).
Generally (at least as far as outsiders are concerned), Jeju is divided into 2 parts. The northern half of the island is centered around Jeju-si (Jeju City), where the airport is located. The southern half is centered around Seogwipo-si (Seogwipo City), where most of the popular tourist attractions are located. The 2 halves are divided by Halla-san (Mt Halla), a volcano that boasts South Korea’s highest point.
The best diving is off the coast of Seogwipo Harbor.
DINNER
Saemanbujeong (새만부정) is a Korean restaurant. Specializes in seafood, Jeju in style, modernized in presentation.
Having conducted no restaurant research, I walked around the harbor until I happened upon the place, grateful to find an establishment with single portion dishes on the menu, as opposed to large sharing platters.
Seongge Bibimbap is a Korean dish. In contrast to standard bibimbap, which typically involves rice + cooked and seasoned vegetables (namul) + ground meat + fried egg + gochujang, this version is much lighter in character, typically rice + sea urchin roe (seongge) + seasoned laver + raw vegetables (e.g., strips of cucumber, shredded lettuce) + sesame oil. Specialty of Jeju.
Meh. For starters, the sea urchin was mushy and bitter. The toppings were pathetically skimpy, just bits of seaweed and sliced onions. A total rip-off at 20,000 won. (Should’ve gotten a large sharing platter elsewhere for 30,000 won.)
SNACK
Odongga is Korean restaurant. Specializes in grilled pork – the renowned black pig of Jeju.
Left thoroughly unsatisfied by dinner, I couldn’t resist grabbing a snack on the way back to the hotel, even if it involved meat.
In addition to seafood, Jeju is renowned for premium pork. Specifically, the indigenous black pig. More on that in a future post, maybe.
At this restaurant, black pig cost 20,000 won per portion, 12,000 won per portion of regular pork.
Before tonight, I can’t recall ever experiencing black pig.
Quite nice. Very clean in flavor – apparently, the black pig was bred not to taste like pork, just the way Koreans like it. But the punchy anchovy paste provided plenty of flavor. Great way to end my first day in town.
Welcome to Jeju.
(See also HANSIK)
(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)
(See also BOOZE)