# Gyeongju abalone seafood stew with 4 abalones: Wando Cham Jeonbokjip - By Yeobaek (https://superchart.com/en/@first-sip/) - Written Sep 20, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@first-sip/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@first-sip/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/index.md) ## In short Wando Cham Jeonbokjip is an abalone seafood stew and abalone porridge restaurant in Seonggeon-dong, Gyeongju, near Gyeongju Girls' High School. The small abalone seafood stew at 31,000 won arrived with four plump abalones plus big webfoot octopus, shrimp, fish roe and sea squirt, and the abalone porridge costs 12,000 won. Wando Cham Jeonbokjip serves lunch only, 11:00 to 15:00, so a weekday visit is the way to skip the peak-hour wait. ## Good to know - **Location**: 48 Alcheonnam-ro, Seonggeon-dong, Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk (near Gyeongju Girls' High School) - **Hours**: Daily 11:00–15:00 - **Closed**: Every Sunday - **Parking**: Roadside parking in front of the restaurant, plus the public lot by the stream opposite - **Abalone seafood stew (small)**: 31,000 won - **Abalone porridge**: 12,000 won - **Seating**: Roomy gaps between tables, private room available - **Price reference**: ₩31,000 ≈ $22.5 · ₩12,000 ≈ $8.7 (2026-09-21) *as written by the visitor on Sep 20, 2026* If you're planning a Gyeongju trip or you're just craving a good seafood stew, let me introduce a real local favorite in Seonggeon-dong, Gyeongju: Wando Cham Jeonbokjip (완도참전복집). It's been steadily loved by Gyeongju locals, and it's a genuine hidden gem that piles on fresh abalone and seafood without holding back. If you're after a hearty, soul-warming seafood stew, definitely add this to your list. ## Location, hours, and parking at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip Wando Cham Jeonbokjip is located at 48 Alcheonnam-ro, Seonggeon-dong, Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk. It's open daily from 11:00 to 15:00 and closed every Sunday. For parking, you can use the street in front of the restaurant or the public lot by the stream nearby. ![Exterior and sign of Wando Cham Jeonbokjip in Seonggeon-dong, Gyeongju](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-01-1nrw6-900.webp) Wando Cham Jeonbokjip, in Seonggeon-dong, Gyeongju, has such a clean, tidy exterior that it stands out even from a distance. It's right near Gyeongju Girls' High School, so it's really easy to find! Walking through the alley near the school, the neat sign and spotless storefront catch your eye right away — even first-timers won't have trouble spotting it. As a true waiting-line local favorite in Gyeongju, it only serves lunch, which makes it a bit tricky to catch, but that's exactly how popular it is — during peak hours, there's an actual line. ![Alley entrance to Wando Cham Jeonbokjip near Gyeongju Girls' High School](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-02-vo127-900.webp) ![Parking space in front of Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-03-1khpo-900.webp) Parking is convenient — there's some space in front of the restaurant and in the alley, plus a public lot by the stream right in front of the shop. ## Inside the restaurant and the abalone tank The interior of Wando Cham Jeonbokjip is spacious and comfortable, with a separate private room that would work well for company dinners or family gatherings. The tables were spaced generously apart, so we could eat comfortably. Each table also had clean hygiene plastic sheeting laid out neatly, which was really reassuring. Overall, the place felt tidy and well-managed, which kept me in a good mood throughout the meal. ![Spacious table seating inside Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-04-je86x-900.webp) There's a big abalone tank set up in a corner of the restaurant, and the abalones inside were genuinely wriggling around, alive and fresh! You could tell at a glance how fresh the ingredients were, and it really showed how serious this place is about its ingredients. Knowing they'd cook up the abalone fresh the moment I ordered got me so excited before the food even arrived 😍 ## Menu and prices ![Menu board showing abalone seafood stew and abalone porridge at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-05-ef71b-900.webp) ![Menu and price list at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-06-1qbbh-900.webp) I ordered the abalone seafood stew (small, ₩31,000) and abalone porridge (₩12,000). Since this is a spot for Gyeongju locals, the prices are pretty affordable across the board and good value. I've had abalone porridge in Haeundae before and it was really expensive, but here it's cheap enough that a lot of people around me were just grabbing a simple abalone porridge for lunch. ![Side dish spread at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-07-185yw-900.webp) ![Plate of side dishes at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-08-1dzcy-900.webp) ![Neatly arranged side dish bowl at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-09-12elw-900.webp) ![Basic side dish assortment at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-10-nds2e-900.webp) ![Close-up of side dishes at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-11-o5yka-900.webp) ![Full spread of side dishes at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-12-1cr1h-900.webp) ![Collection of side dish plates at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-13-1bmkt-900.webp) ![Carefully made side dishes at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-14-8r1r4-900.webp) ### The side dish spread Seeing the side dishes on the table genuinely moved me. Every single one felt handmade and full of care. These days a lot of places focus all their effort on the main dish and just use store-bought side dishes, but here you could feel the care in each one, and my chopsticks never stopped moving. I nearly finished a whole bowl of rice on side dishes alone before the main dish even arrived 👍 ![Full table setting with abalone seafood stew and abalone porridge](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-15-1atoq-900.webp) ![Table setting for the ordered abalone seafood stew](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-16-1d26u-900.webp) And ta-da, my order arrived! It looked delicious just from the visuals. ![Small-size abalone seafood stew topped with four abalones](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-17-1dpke-1200.webp) ## Four abalones even in the small-size stew The abalone seafood stew at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip comes with a solid four abalones even in the small size (₩31,000), plus big chunks of octopus and all kinds of seafood — and this is the small size!? Amazing value for money, haha. The abalone porridge here is also insanely good value..! It's practically packed with a whole abalone's worth, and the porridge itself is thick and rich, like a real broth of deep flavor. ![Abalone porridge loaded with abalone at Wando Cham Jeonbokjip](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-18-ylvns-900.webp) ![Close-up of a bowl of rich abalone porridge](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-19-la7hz-900.webp) ### How did the abalone porridge taste? I tried the abalone porridge first, and the thick, rich flavor that filled my mouth was truly a work of art. Since they simmer it with plenty of the abalone innards, the depth of savoriness was on another level. Plus, they generously loaded it with abalone pulled straight from the tank, so every spoonful had this amazing chewy texture, haha. Eating it made me feel full and properly nourished the whole time. They cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces before serving — when I first saw it, I honestly thought it was octopus (the big kind), it was that huge. ![Large octopus cut into bite-sized pieces](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-20-13kmt-900.webp) And there it is, cut into nice bite-sized pieces! The amount of seafood in the small size is amazing..! There's a reason locals flock here. ![Seafood stew with shrimp, roe, and sea squirt](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-21-1tp6h-900.webp) ![Seafood and bean sprouts tossed in sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-22-a58sc-900.webp) Abalone, shrimp, roe, octopus, and sea squirt — the seafood was piled on generously and every piece was fresh. The abalone straight from the tank had an exceptional chewiness, and picking through the plump shrimp, springy octopus, and soft roe was genuinely fun. The crunchy sea squirt aroma paired perfectly with the sauce! Especially since the sauce soaked all the way through, eating the crunchy bean sprouts together with the seafood set off an explosion of savory flavor. Thanks to the spicy-sweet sauce, I kept eating without stopping — it really felt like a proper seafood stew experience. ![Empty plate after finishing the abalone seafood stew](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-23-r1q9f-900.webp) I ate every last bit — this might be the most satisfying seafood stew I've had recently. I feel like I have to come back every time I visit Gyeongju from now on, haha. Weekends get too crowded, so I'll have to aim for a quieter weekday visit. ![Coffee enjoyed after the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only-24-szp6d-900.webp) Finishing off with a coffee for dessert made it a totally satisfying meal, haha. ## Final thoughts The freshness that hit me from the abalone tank carried through all the way to the side dishes and the main dish. From the side dishes made with such care, to the rich, deep abalone porridge, to the spicy abalone seafood stew loaded with seafood — nothing left me wanting more. Thanks to the fresh ingredients, the texture was amazing too, and I felt properly nourished the whole time I was eating. This is the first place that'll come to mind whenever I crave a real abalone dish or seafood stew. Highly recommend it as a Gyeongju local favorite..! ## Where it is - Wando Cham Jeonbokjip (완도참전복집) - 48 Alcheonnam-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea - 경상북도 경주시 알천남로 48 - 35.8566973, 129.2082907 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%99%84%EB%8F%84%EC%B0%B8%EC%A0%84%EB%B3%B5%EC%A7%91/@35.8566973,129.2082907,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@first-sip/gyeongju-abalone-seafood-steam-lunch-only/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt