Anniversary black pork BBQ in Hamdeok, grapevine-smoked: Jeju Samchun

A last anniversary dinner after a Hamdeok Beach walk: Jeju Samchun

Jeju Samchun (제주삼춘) is a BBQ restaurant near Hamdeok Beach where staff grill Jeju black pork belly for you. My husband and I were on a trip for our 3rd wedding anniversary, and we didn't want to just let the last day slip by. So before heading back to Seoul, we walked along Hamdeok Beach and then stopped at Jeju Samchun for a good dinner.

I heard it's an officially certified, genuine Jeju black pork restaurant, certified by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province! The black pork belly is aged at low temperature for 300 hours and then given a grapevine smoke aroma, and the juiciness and flavor were honestly incredible. The atmosphere is clean and the location is great, so it was perfect for ending a trip on a high note. Let me tell you about this Hamdeok Beach restaurant!

Can you walk to Jeju Samchun from Hamdeok Beach?

Yes, Jeju Samchun is within easy walking distance of Hamdeok Beach, so it fits perfectly as a meal after looking around the emerald-green sea. It's near Sono Belle Jeju, so access is really great!

Where do you park for Jeju Samchun?

The alleys around Jeju Samchun can get a bit crowded, so I recommend the free parking lot with the green fence behind Olive Young Hamdeok, across the street from the restaurant.

After parking, head to the building behind, between Seoul Sikdang (the restaurant across the street) and Badagol, and you'll see Jeju Samchun right away.

How is the black pork aged at Jeju Samchun?

Jeju Samchun uses only quality pork certified in Jeju. They also use a distinctive method: the meat goes through 300 hours of low-temperature wet aging and is then smoked with grapevine wood chips.

We arrived around 4 PM, and by 5 PM the place was packed...

Jeju Samchun menu and side dishes

The menu runs from set menus to single items and sides, so picking is half the fun. Two thumbs up.

The banchan (side dishes) and accompaniments were neat and tidy too.

How was the Jocha Set (₩60,000)?

The Jocha Set (조카세트, ₩60,000) we ordered looked like a work of art the moment it arrived! When the lid came off, smoke spread softly around the meat, a little show that was fun to watch.

Staff grill all the meat

How the meat is grilled makes or breaks it, right? At Jeju Samchun, the kind staff grill everything for you, carefully, at the best moment of doneness, so my husband and I could chat comfortably and just focus on eating.

Pork belly and neck with grapevine smoke

I tried a piece each of the golden-brown black pork belly and neck, and there was absolutely no gamey smell, just a deep grapevine smoke aroma. I couldn't help exclaiming.

Neat side dishes that pair wonderfully with the black pork belly are set out, so there's plenty of joy in mixing and matching. You get the belly and several other cuts in one go, so I'd definitely recommend the Jocha Set to first-timers and anyone who wants a variety of flavors.

Should you order the Samchun kimchi stew (₩8,000) too?

The Samchun kimchi stew (삼춘 김치찌개, ₩8,000) I ordered as a side while eating the meat is a must, not an option! Well-fermented kimchi and rich broth are simmered for a long time, so the soup was really spicy and deep.

Even the meat in the stew was super tender and generous, and mixed into a bowl of rice it was a total rice thief (the kind of dish that makes you finish the rice). It was the best match to cut the richness of the pork belly.

Why I recommend Jeju Samchun to end an east Jeju trip

I was really happy to finish the last dinner of our 3rd anniversary Jeju trip with Jeju Samchun's high-quality, delicious black pork belly! I hear it's a hidden gem that locals and Jeju residents also approve of, so if you want truly great meat on an east Jeju route (Bijarim Forest, Saryeoni Forest Path, Eco Land and so on) or near Sono Belle Jeju, I highly recommend Jeju Samchun, a Hamdeok black pork spot and a Jocheon favorite.