Udo Island jjamppong restaurant with a 4-person set: Seomsonai

During a Jeju trip we took a boat over to Udo Island for the day. After landing, we started from Haumokdong Port and slowly made our way around the island. Passing by Hagosudong Beach around lunchtime, I spotted a restaurant with an unusually large crowd out front. Here's my story of eating a delicious lunch at Seomsonai, a famous Udo spot known for lines out the door even on weekdays.

Where is Seomsonai on Udo Island?

Seomsonai is a jjamppong and pizza restaurant right in front of Hagosudong Beach on Udo. Hagosudong Beach is one of the hottest spots travelers visit on Udo — the water color is stunning, and there are plenty of cafés and restaurants nearby, so it's a natural stop on any Udo trip.

A 30-40 minute wait even at 1pm on a weekday

We arrived at Seomsonai past 1pm on a weekday, and there were still plenty of people waiting to eat. I figured the lunch rush would be over by then, but this place lived up to its reputation as a Hagosudong Beach favorite. Seomsonai lets you register for a wait right in front of the restaurant using a table-management app. When we signed up, there were about 6 parties ahead of us, and it took roughly 30-40 minutes before we actually got seated.

Since Seomsonai sits right in front of Hagosudong Beach, the wait wasn't boring at all. We walked down to the beach, looked at the water, and took some photos, and the time passed faster than expected. Since you don't have to just stand around waiting in front of the restaurant, it's a good idea to register for the wait first and then go explore Hagosudong Beach.

Getting to Udo and where to park

You can go around Udo Island by bicycle, scooter, or mini electric car. For parking, you can use the Hagosudong Beach parking lot.

Ocean-view seats facing the Udo sea

After waiting about 30-40 minutes, we finally got in! One reason Seomsonai is so popular is that it's an ocean-view restaurant where you can eat while looking out at Hagosudong Beach.

Since we'd come all the way to Udo, eating with a sea view felt like the right way to do it. Even after the wait, seeing the blue Udo sea while we ate put us in a great mood.

What comes in the Soseom Set for four adults

Seomsonai is especially known for jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) and pizza — at first I thought, jjamppong and pizza on Udo? But the fact that you can enjoy both menus together turned out to be pretty unique. Since there were four of us adults, we ordered the Soseom Set so we could sample both the pizza and the jjamppong. The Soseom Set comes with one pizza and three jjamppong together, which made it a great order for a group.

The four dishes we picked were ddaengjjam + ujjam + baekjjam + Soseom pizza! Each of us ordered a different type of jjamppong, and we set the Soseom pizza in the middle to share.

Soseom pizza pairs surprisingly well with jjamppong

And the Soseom pizza we ordered alongside! Eating pizza at a jjamppong place felt a little unusual at first, but once we actually tried it together, it worked better than expected. Taking a bite of pizza after some spicy jjamppong meant the flavors kept alternating, so it never got tiring and we kept reaching for more. Being able to taste both pizza and jjamppong in one meal feels like Seomsonai's fun signature move. If you're visiting with 3-4 people, I'd recommend choosing a set with pizza included rather than ordering jjamppong individually, so you can taste a variety of dishes together.

Comparing the three jjamppong: ujjam, baekjjam, ddaengjjam

Ujjam, the spicy, punchy one

Ujjam is a great choice if you like spicy flavors. The broth is sharp and fiery, the kind of taste that makes you want more with every bite.

If you've been eating a lot of heavy food while traveling, a bowl of spicy jjamppong is a great way to reset your palate. It's spicy in a delicious way, so even people who can't handle heat well can enjoy it.

Baekjjam, the mild and creamy choice

If you can't handle spicy food well, baekjjam is a good pick. Unlike the spicy style of ddaengjjam, it's a cream jjamppong with a different, gentler charm that's easier to enjoy. It's loaded with seafood, so it's refreshing while still carrying that rich cream flavor.

Ddaengjjam, the clear-broth jjamppong

Ddaengjjam has a clear broth that highlights the seafood stock — refreshing and clean. It's a flavor that makes you want to keep eating.

When you visit as a group, people's spice tolerance can vary, so it was nice that there were different types of jjamppong to pick from based on each person's taste. Above all, being able to enjoy the unusual pairing of jjamppong and pizza while looking out at the Udo sea made this an excellent choice for a meal during a Udo trip.

Stops to pair with Seomsonai on an Udo day trip

We didn't plan ahead to visit Seomsonai — we just stumbled onto it while going around Udo Island and noticed the crowd. I was surprised there was still a wait even past 1pm on a weekday, but between checking out Hagosudong Beach and eating while looking out at the blue Udo sea, it turned out to be a great spot to pair with an Udo travel itinerary.