Aewol black pork BBQ on a couple's first night in Jeju: Nopo Dwaeji

What is Nopo Dwaeji Aewol?

Nopo Dwaeji Aewol (노포돼지 애월) is a black pork specialist in Gwakji, Aewol, Jeju, where staff grill pork aged for 168 hours right at your table. I visited through a blog experience program, but it was genuinely delicious, so I'm recommending it! I looked for a place that grills for you, and it was so easy and so tasty that my husband and I were both completely satisfied!

The other black pork places in Aewol that I looked at all seemed full of smoke and chaos, but Nopo Dwaeji Aewol was cool inside, had restrooms, and the staff grilled everything, so it was easy. There are high chairs, so it's good with a baby, and pets are allowed too, so keep that in mind. :>

• Hours 11:00–23:00
• Last order 22:00
• Group seating, reservations, indoor men's and women's restrooms, high chairs, waiting area, parking, pets allowed

On our first day in Jeju, we wanted good black pork, so we went to Nopo Dwaeji Aewol, a black pork place near our accommodation.

Is parking easy at Nopo Dwaeji Aewol?

You can park right in front of the restaurant. The lot is very large, so even novice drivers should find it easy to park.

How does the Catchtable waitlist work?

You register for the wait through Catchtable. We went for a late dinner and were starving, but luckily it was a weekday and very late, so there was no wait! If you go at peak mealtimes there may be one, so install the app! haha

Nopo Dwaeji Aewol interior and seating

The interior is spacious with wood tones, so the mood is nice, and the tables are spaced widely apart, which is great for groups. There are also round tables where you can sit all around, for a cozy kind of meal haha. The sofa seats at the back are roomy too, so you could even bring a stroller in.

The showcase is transparent, so you can see the meat that has aged for 168 hours in real time.

There's a receipt review event where you can get a stew or cold noodles for free, so don't miss it if you visit! They also had aprons, so I went in light-colored clothes, and nothing splashed me at all that day haha.

Self-serve side dish bar

And Nopo Dwaeji Aewol has a self-bar! Asking for more side dishes or lettuce wraps can feel awkward, but with a self-bar you can take as much of whatever side dish you like.

Nopo Dwaeji Aewol menu and lunch special

The menu runs from large cuts to specialty cuts, with single items and set menus, so we picked a combination to our taste hahaha. It's a black pork restaurant, but they have a lunch special too..?

We visited in the evening so sadly couldn't use it, but if you go at lunch, the special is great value, so definitely try it! I vowed to come for lunch next time and eat even more economically haha.

How does the 168-hour aged black pork neck and belly taste?

What we ordered at Nopo Dwaeji Aewol was the black pork neck and belly combo, and what can I say.. a can't-fail combination! It was sliced thick, so it looked delicious. The marbling was amazing, so I could tell it would be melt-in-your-mouth soft!

The staff do the first sear themselves, so you can focus on eating, and above all it's really easy haha. I said I was glad I'd looked for a place that grills for you, and wolfed it down. And they even grill over real charcoal! The aroma is great too.

It had been a while since my husband and I got away on vacation, and I loved being able to eat meat comfortably and spend time together.

Side dishes served with the black pork

Nopo Dwaeji Aewol also brought side dishes that pair perfectly with black pork: salt, wasabi, seasoned radish salad (musaengchae), ssamjang (wrap sauce) and more! The radish salad seasoning was so good. The meat can get a bit heavy, but it cleans it right up!

The cool white kimchi is a treat too. If you're like me and don't like red kimchi with meat, use the white kimchi to refresh your mouth haha.

And the geotjeori (fresh, unfermented kimchi salad) is seriously amazing! It brings out the flavor of the pork, so you could even eat the geotjeori on its own without other side dishes hahahaha.

Black pork dipped in meljeot and wasabi

They put meljeot (salted fermented anchovy sauce) on the grill alongside the pre-seared meat, and its rich aroma really got my appetite going!!

I dunked each piece of meat they placed for us deep into the meljeot, and it was pure heaven.. you taste the fat from the thick belly together with the savory depth of the meljeot, a flavor you can't get at home. I also loved the distinctive aroma you get eating black pork BBQ in Aewol, Jeju.

Topping it with sharp wasabi adds that wasabi aroma and flavor to the fatty pork, and the combination was so good. Really delicious!!

I also diligently made lots of wraps and ate them. hahahaha

Personally I love meljeot, and dunking black pork into bubbling hot meljeot is really good. No greasiness, just flavor left behind. The kind of taste that makes beer go down easy ^___^

Is Nopo Dwaeji Aewol worth a return visit?

There are lots of black pork places in Aewol, Jeju... but among BBQ restaurants, not many do the first sear for you like Nopo Dwaeji Aewol, with good side dishes and charcoal grilling! It was grilled juicy and really tasty. We enjoyed it so much that next time I want to bring my parents.