Hamdeok black pork BBQ in a lit stone-wall garden: Jeju Samchun

Why I picked black pork in Hamdeok for dinner on my Jeju trip

Jeju Samchun (제주삼춘) near Hamdeok Beach serves aged Jeju black pork grilled over charcoal. When you travel to Jeju, you kind of have to eat black pork at least once, right? For dinner on this trip... I went with Jeju black pork ♡

I was looking for a place to eat near Hamdeok Beach and ended up at Jeju Samchun. They serve aged Jeju black pork, and I liked that the set lets you try both neck and pork belly. Best of all, the staff grill the meat for you, so you can just relax and eat.

What's the atmosphere at Jeju Samchun like?

The Hamdeok branch of Jeju Samchun is spacious and clean, with an individual ventilation system at every wood-toned table. Walking in, I found it bigger and tidier than I expected. The wood tables and chairs are neatly arranged, and with plenty of space between tables it never felt cramped.

A stone-wall outdoor garden with lights

One side of the restaurant opens onto an outdoor garden, and since I visited in the evening, the lights were on and the mood was pretty nice. With Jeju's signature stone walls and trees, it felt a little different from a typical BBQ place. There was also a spot outside where you can sit and rest.

What does the 500g Jocha Set look like?

The Jocha Set (조카세트) 500g comes with neck and pork belly together. That's what I ordered this time, and it was nice to taste two cuts evenly.

When the meat first arrived, the thickness caught my eye right away. The neck in particular was much thicker than what I'm used to at most BBQ places, and the pork belly had clearly separated layers of lean meat and fat.

A mushroom carved with the Jeju Samchun name, and wet aging

Alongside the meat came a king oyster mushroom carved with the Jeju Samchun name, and I felt they'd cared about even a small detail like that. The restaurant wet-ages its Jeju black pork, which I'm told brings out the meat's flavor and a tender texture, so I was even more excited to taste it.

Thick Jeju black pork grilled over charcoal by the staff

Jeju Samchun is a charcoal-grill restaurant, and the staff grill the meat for you. Once the charcoal came to the table and the thick neck and pork belly went on the grill, dinner properly began. It was convenient not to have to keep watching the doneness. The thick neck turned golden from the outside in, and the pork belly's fat layer turned an appetizing color as it cooked. They cut it into bite-size pieces as they grilled, and every piece still felt juicy.

Neck or pork belly: which was better?

From the Jocha Set, my personal favorite was the neck. Despite being so thick, it wasn't dry at all, just tender, and the more I chewed, the nuttier it tasted. The pork belly had its own charm. The outside was golden and savory, and with fat and lean chewed together, it had a pleasantly chewy texture too. Jeju black pork really is best grilled thick, haha.

Black pork wrapped in seaweed with pollock roe and wasabi

The slightly different combo I tried at Jeju Samchun was black pork with seaweed. I put a well-grilled piece of meat on a sheet of seaweed and added a little pollock roe (myeongran) and wasabi. The nutty meat plus the seaweed's flavor and the roe's saltiness went together surprisingly well. When I eat black pork I usually have it with lettuce wraps or meljeot (salted fermented anchovy sauce), so wrapping it in seaweed felt fresh ♡ The same meat tastes different depending on what you eat it with, so mixing and matching was fun.

So how was Jeju Samchun for black pork near Hamdeok Beach?

What I liked most at Jeju Samchun was the texture of the thick meat and the comfortable dining atmosphere. The neck was tender and moist, and the pork belly stayed savory and chewy. Since the staff grill for you, there's no need to busily flip or cut the meat while it cooks, so I could focus on eating, which was great. The place is spacious and clean, so it seems fine for visiting with family or friends too. If you're planning to eat Jeju black pork near Hamdeok Beach, I recommend it 👍

Besides the Jocha Set we ate, Jeju Samchun has other sets that let you enjoy several cuts together, so you can order to fit your group size and taste. This time we had neck and pork belly, and both were satisfying ♡ Of all the black pork I ate on my Jeju trip, this was a dinner I'll remember for the thick meat and the variety of accompaniments 👍