Hamdeok black pork restaurant, first meal off the plane: Jeju Samchun

From Jeju Airport straight to Hamdeok Beach for the first meal

Day 1 of my Jeju trip 💛 The very first place I ran to after landing was Hamdeok Beach. So I figured I needed a proper meal to kick off the first day, and that's how I ended up at Jeju Samchun, the black pork BBQ place right by Hamdeok Beach!!

The interior is spacious and clean, so it's a great spot to bring your parents, and there's a baby chair too, so it works well for families.

Let's go~ Jeju~ You can eat while looking at scenery that just screams Jeju outside, which makes it even better 🫶

Is the Jocha Set 500g at 60,000 won enough for two?

We got a seat and ordered the meat!! Whoa! The Jocha Set..! It seemed just right for two people. Jocha Set, ₩60,000 (500g).

Jeju Samchun menu and set prices

• 1. Jocha Set 500g ₩60,000 — pork neck, pork belly / "black pork aged 300 hours at low temperature, then grapevine-smoked"
• 2. Samchun Set 800g ₩96,000 — pork neck, pork belly, bone-in ribeye / "black pork aged 300 hours at low temperature, then grapevine-smoked for a tender, full-flavored result"
• 3. Hareubang Set 1100g ₩132,000 — pork neck, pork belly, bone-in ribeye, gabrisal, hangjeongsal

Grapevine-smoked black pork: how it smells and tastes

When you order the meat, it comes out already smoked!!! The smell is insane~ It's got that smoky aroma baked right in, and this can't-lose-flavor thing ❤️

It gets grilled golden brown right on the pan, and the aroma coming off it is no joke. The staff grill it for you, so all you have to do is sit back and eat haha.

The thick-cut pork was packed with juices, so even just dipped lightly in salt, it was so clean-tasting and savory.

Which dipping sauce goes with which cut at Jeju Samchun

What I especially liked was the whole lineup of sauces that came with the meat — I dipped it in everything, here and there, and every single one was good.

There were so many sauces that it was genuinely fun switching between them, and the sauces kept bringing out the meat's flavor in a new way, so I never got tired of it — next piece, please.

The kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) that stole the meal

And the dish I genuinely raved about here was the kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) ‼️

Honestly, I ordered it not expecting much, just as a side, but one bite in and my eyes shot wide open 💞

Spicy and deep-flavored broth, loaded generously with pork and kimchi — completely my style ❤️

The spice cut right through the richness of the meat, so I polished off a whole bowl of rice in no time ㅠㅠ Diet starts tomorrow~~ Even right now, writing this post, I keep thinking about that broth and my mouth is watering — I want to eat it again lol.

Getting to Jeju Samchun: in front of Hamdeok Beach, near Sonobel Jeju

The location is really great too — it's near Sonobel Jeju, a well-known place to stay, so it's super easy to find, and it sits right in front of Hamdeok Beach, so it's a perfect stop after strolling along the sea. It's a place where you can taste genuinely high-quality Jeju black pork, so if anyone asks me for a Jeju restaurant recommendation, this is the one I'd point them to without hesitation!

It's also really convenient to stop by before heading to nearby Jocheon restaurants or over to eastern Jeju. It doesn't feel like a big, crowded restaurant — more like a hidden gem only people in the know are aware of, which made it feel that much more special. For anyone like me who plans their trip mostly around the east side, this is exactly the right eastern Jeju restaurant 💛

It's also good to stop by while looking for restaurants near Bijarim Forest or Saryeoni Forest Path, and it works well on the way to Echoland, a spot families often visit. If you want a hearty, satisfying meal among the restaurants around Hamdeok Beach, I'd recommend giving it a try at least once 👍

After eating juicy meat and kimchi jjigae that hit exactly my taste, I felt like I'd properly kicked off my Jeju trip. If any of you are headed toward Hamdeok, stop by ~ You can gaze at the emerald sea for a while and just heal, eat black pork, and the location works great too, so I recommend it.