Seogwipo restaurant for spicy braised cutlassfish sauce over rice

A braised cutlassfish dinner in Seongsan

When you travel around Jeju, you start wanting braised cutlassfish at least once, right? We were looking for a delicious dinner around Seongsan and visited Seongsan Bada Punggyeong Jeju Seongsan Ilchulbong Branch. This time we ordered the Bada Punggyeong Braise for 2, and after eating it, I understood why so many people come here. The braising sauce was delicious, and whole grilled cutlassfish came with it too, making this a truly satisfying meal.

Visit information and parking

Seongsan Bada Punggyeong Jeju Seongsan Ilchulbong Branch is on the first floor at 17 Ilchul-ro 288beon-gil, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea. Hours are 10:00–21:00, and it is regularly closed every Wednesday.

There is parking space in front of the restaurant, so it is fairly convenient to visit by car.

We visited in the evening, but the entrance and interior were brightly lit even after dark, so it was easy to find. Rather than a flashy new restaurant, the exterior had the comfortable, welcoming feel distinctive to an older Jeju restaurant.

There is a Seongsan Bada Punggyeong sign by the entrance, and a large notice on the window says that whole grilled cutlassfish is provided when you order a braise. Let’s head inside now :)

A spacious, comfortable dining room

Once we went in, the space was quite a bit larger than it looked from outside. Wooden tables and chairs were neatly arranged under bright lighting, and diners were eating at several tables, giving it a lively atmosphere. It felt like an unpretentious Korean restaurant where you could comfortably have a meal during a Jeju trip.

The tables were not cramped together, and fans and air conditioners were installed throughout the restaurant. There was also a self-service bar and various notices inside. As you can see in the photos, high chairs are available too, so it seemed like a good option for families visiting with children. Considering that the staff debone the grilled cutlassfish, it also looked convenient in many ways for a meal with children, when feeding them fish can be a hassle.

All the banchan (Korean side dishes) were delicious too, so we really enjoyed them. I like stir-fried fish cake and king oyster mushrooms, and I was so happy that they came as side dishes :)

The warm miyeok-guk (seaweed soup) was unlimited too, which was really nice. The soup had a slight spicy kick, so Dodam found it difficult to eat, but it was really delicious for the adults!

A generous table of Bada Punggyeong Braise for 2

The dish we looked forward to most at this Seongsan braised cutlassfish spot was, of course, the Bada Punggyeong Braise. We ordered two servings, and the braise came generously filled with cutlassfish and mackerel, plus radish and potatoes. With whole grilled cutlassfish, side dishes, and seaweed soup added, the table became wonderfully full.

When the braise arrived, the first things that caught my eye were the large pieces of fish and the sauce. Cutlassfish, mackerel, radish, and potatoes filled a wide pot, while chopped scallions and sesame seeds sat on top of the red sauce, making it look appetizing just to see. The warm braise gave off a spicy aroma, and I immediately wanted to dig into my rice.

After one bite, I really liked the sauce. It was neither too salty nor aggressively spicy; it was deliciously spicy with just the right seasoning. The heat did not linger on its own—there was savoriness along with it—so it was the kind of sauce that kept drawing my spoon back. It suited our taste perfectly.

Mixing the braising sauce into rice

The reason I wanted to call this a great Seongsan braised cutlassfish restaurant became even clearer when we mixed the sauce into rice. Put some flaked fish over rice, spoon on plenty of sauce, and mix it all together—it is such a rice thief. As in the photo, the glossy red sauce seeps between every grain of rice, and tender fish comes through with each bite, so after one spoonful, I kept taking another. The sauce was so good that plain rice almost felt like a waste.

Whole grilled cutlassfish included with the braise

While searching for a Seongsan braised cutlassfish restaurant, what caught my attention most was that whole grilled cutlassfish is included when you order a braise. The Bada Punggyeong Braise for 2 that we ordered really did come with a long whole grilled cutlassfish. The braise was generous enough on its own, but having grilled fish too made it feel as though we were properly enjoying cutlassfish in Jeju.

As you can see in the photo, one whole cutlassfish sits on a long black plate. Its exterior was grilled to a golden brown, with its silvery skin still on, and it looked delicious from the start. I also loved the nutty aroma distinctive to freshly grilled cutlassfish.

Best of all, the staff deboned the grilled cutlassfish for us, which was so convenient. Whole cutlassfish is large, so picking out the bones can be a bother, but with their help, we could simply pick up and eat the flesh. I think this service would be a huge advantage when dining with children too.

The grilled cutlassfish had a charm distinct from the braise. Its golden exterior was nutty, while the flesh inside separated softly along its flakes. Since it was grilled without sauce, it was nice for tasting the clean, mild flavor of the cutlassfish itself. Taking a bite of the mild grilled fish after the spicy braise felt like resetting my palate, so the two dishes went beautifully together.

Overall thoughts after the meal

Seongsan Bada Punggyeong Jeju Seongsan Ilchulbong Branch remains a genuinely great restaurant for us. The Bada Punggyeong Braise was well seasoned and deliciously spicy, and we loved being able to enjoy cutlassfish, mackerel, radish, and potatoes all together. Mixing the sauce into rice was the happiest part. On top of that, whole grilled cutlassfish was included and the staff even deboned it for us, so the meal was comfortable and satisfying from beginning to end.

The combination of mild whole grilled cutlassfish, spicy braise, and warm seaweed soup was simply the best. If you want a generous cutlassfish meal on a Jeju trip, this is somewhere I would like to visit again. Even if we return to Seongsan next time, I think we will remember this braising sauce.