Jeju Nohyeong-dong galbi for four and 10 extra tortillas: Jeju Udae

Jeju Nohyeong-dong restaurant, udae galbi, Jeju Udae

On this summer vacation trip I got to eat at Jeju Udae, and it was so good I had to bring you a review. From the meat to the sides, everything was delicious — it's a place I want to go back to.

Booking and parking at Jeju Udae in Nohyeong-dong

I'd recommend visiting Jeju Udae with a reservation. I booked ahead and visited on a Friday afternoon — the reviews are great and it's popular, so I'd suggest reserving in advance or calling before you go.

• Open daily 12:00–23:00 / last order 22:00
• Group dining available, reservations available
• Separate men's/women's restrooms, high chairs
• Parking available – in front of the restaurant; if full, use the paid Nohyeong lot in front of the Four Seasons Hotel, 1 minute on foot (free parking if you mention being a Jeju Udae customer)

It's close to the airport so it's easy to get to, and the atmosphere was good too, making it a great stop during a Jeju trip. It also seemed like it would work well for family meals or work dinners.

The restaurant was clean and had a nice atmosphere. Even though I visited early, there were quite a few customers already.

There are tables for 6, so even large groups can dine comfortably. Groups of 6 up to a maximum of 20 are possible. That evening, most tables were already reserved.

Wine is available and corkage is allowed too, so it's a good place to visit and drink on a special occasion.

What makes straw-smoked udae galbi different?

The owner reportedly spent years researching barbecue to develop this real Jeju udae galbi restaurant. Since they use prime-grade udae galbi, the quality stands out from the start.

Straw-fire smoking. Instead of regular charcoal grilling, the meat goes through a straw-smoking process first, so the flavor hit you from the very first bite.

Since I had a reservation, the table was already set up when I arrived.

A variety of sauces and side dishes come out, and there were handy tips written on the table for enjoying them together, which made it easy to try different combinations. The staff also grilled the meat for us and explained things along the way.

Besides the signature straw-smoked udae galbi, there's also tomahawk steak, seasoned udae galbi, and black pork samgyeopsal, so you can enjoy a variety depending on your taste. Ordering was done through a kiosk, which was convenient.

The banchan side dishes and sauces at Jeju Udae

The basic side dishes were onion pickles, radish salad, mayo sauce, coleslaw, green onion kimchi, and cucumber pickles — all good pairings for meat.

There were also various sauces prepared: ssamjang, garlic sauce, Maldon salt, cheongyang chili pesto, and perilla leaf sauce, each with its own charm, so it was fun to try different combinations.

Tortillas to wrap the meat in. This was personally my favorite combination — so much to my taste that I ended up adding 10 more tortillas after finishing the first batch.

Beef radish soup. This comes as a default side, and the broth was rich and refreshing — it felt like it completely cured the hangover from the night before.

Korean beef bone doenjang stew (soybean paste stew)

I also ordered the doenjang stew (soybean paste stew). They said it's made with beef bone broth simmered in-house.

It was packed with tofu and other ingredients, with a savory and rich doenjang flavor that I really enjoyed.

Raw straw-smoked udae galbi for four, grilled by the staff

Raw straw-smoked udae galbi, 4 servings. I thought about ordering the seasoned version too, but ended up ordering 4 servings of raw galbi.

The staff grilled everything from start to finish. All I had to do was eat, which was nice and easy.

Since it's already smoked over straw and pre-grilled once before being brought out, it cooked faster than I expected.

Their grilling skills were like a pro's, cooking the meat just right so the quality really came through.

Once it was grilled, they handed out pieces one at a time while explaining tips on how to enjoy it best.

At first I just dipped it in Maldon salt, and the meaty flavor and aroma of the udae galbi itself really came through — savory and delicious.

Above all, it melted in my mouth — the texture alone was amazing.

How to eat the galbi with tortillas and sauces

Next, I dipped it in mayo sauce and wrapped it in a tortilla with coleslaw and radish salad. The udae galbi's flavor stayed intact while the richness was cleanly balanced out, and the crunchy cabbage added a savory, refreshing touch — it went together much better than I expected.

Next up was the refreshing cucumber pickle and ssamjang combo, which was also clean and delicious.

I thought it was just onion at first, but it was lemon onion. The spiciness was completely gone and it was incredibly refreshing — eating it with the cheongyang chili pesto cut through the richness perfectly.

Of course, it was also delicious plain. Mixing up the combinations kept it interesting all the way through without getting tired of it.

Finishing with kkakdugi fried rice

Kkakdugi (radish kimchi) fried rice. When you order the fried rice, they add the meat scraped off the udae galbi bones on top. If you don't order fried rice, they said they just cut it up and grill it separately.

The fried rice had just the right kick without being too salty, and with the meat on top, I kept going back for more.

It's great as is, but I found a little tip of my own.

Adding a bit of mayo sauce brings out an even more savory, smooth flavor and makes it perfect.

Snowflake rice cold noodles

For the finish, I ordered naengmyeon (cold noodles)! The look is different from regular naengmyeon — it's packed with fine ice, making it super refreshing.

You pour the accompanying broth in and mix it together.

On top there's a generous amount of special seasoning sauce and radish salad, and it was so good I'd rank it as the best naengmyeon I've had at a BBQ restaurant.

It was so cool, refreshing, and full of flavor — the perfect way to wrap up a meal of grilled meat.

On the way out, I noticed the counter had mouthwash, dental floss, hair ties, and more available.

Is Jeju Udae in Nohyeong-dong worth a visit?

This is a Jeju udae galbi restaurant I'd recommend adding to your Jeju itinerary. The atmosphere is great and the food comes out well, so it's good for taking your parents, for work dinners, dates, or special occasions. Highly recommended if you're looking for a good restaurant in Nohyeong-dong!