Aewol pork noodle shop: dongchimi bibim with no broth, Handam Guksu

Why we picked Handam Guksu in Aewol for our first meal in Jeju

The first place our family of four went for lunch right after arriving in Jeju was Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch (한담국수 곽지애월점), a pork noodle restaurant in Aewol. I'm in Jeju right now with the whole family, all of us so excited! The warm breeze and blue sea the moment we landed made it really feel like a trip, haha.

As the saying goes, even Mount Geumgang is better after a meal, so the first thing we did in Jeju was go find a good lunch. And you can't talk about Jeju without pork noodles, right? Our whole family loves noodles, so after a frenzy of searching right after landing, we headed straight to Handam Guksu, a spot Aewol locals love.

Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch: location, hours and parking

Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch is at 33 Aewol-ro, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju, South Korea (1st floor). On Mondays it's open 10:00-16:20 (last order 15:40); Tuesday to Sunday it's open 10:00-20:30 with a break from 15:30 to 17:30 and last order at 19:50.

• Parking: available in front of the restaurant
• If there's no space in front, use the Randy's Donuts parking lot about 10 m away
• Free parking for 1 hour when you dine at the restaurant

What is the ocean view like at Handam Guksu?

Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch is an ocean-view restaurant where big glass windows frame the Jeju sea. The biggest reason we chose it out of so many noodle shops was its reputation as a beloved local spot in Aewol. If tourists and Jeju locals both go often, the taste is practically guaranteed, right?

When we arrived, the building looked really clean. Then we stepped inside and wow, the view was amazing! Blue Jeju sea all through the glass windows, a perfect ocean view... 😍 Getting to look at the sea while eating good food was proper healing from the very start.

Is it OK with kids? High chairs and the self-serve side dish bar

The inside was pleasant and tidy, and there were plenty of high chairs ready for families. These little details matter so much when you come with kids, haha.

There was also a self-serve bar on one side where you can help yourself to side dishes. The kimchi and dried radish pickles (mumallaengi jangajji) were so good that I lost count of how many refills I got. Once again I felt that a local favorite in Aewol is different even down to the basic side dishes.

Handam Guksu menu and prices

At Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch we ordered bone broth pork noodles (₩10,000), dongchimi bibim noodles (₩10,000) and pork dumplings (₩7,000).

• Bone broth pork noodles ₩10,000
• Dongchimi bibim noodles (bibim noodles with radish water kimchi) ₩10,000
• Pork dumplings ₩7,000

While looking over the menu I couldn't decide, so we ordered a bit of everything: the signature noodles plus pork dumplings. Not long after ordering, the whole table was filled with food, and the look of it was already amazing, right?

How is the bone broth pork noodle at Handam Guksu?

Handam Guksu's bone broth pork noodles are medium-thick noodles and boiled pork slices in a milky bone broth, deep and clean-tasting with no gamey smell. Rich simmered bone broth, soft noodles, and boiled pork piled on top... I took a sip of the broth and there was absolutely zero gamey smell, just a really deep, mild, clean flavor.

And the boiled pork was so tender, it melted the second it hit my mouth 😭 The noodles were springy too, so I slurped them down like crazy.

Dongchimi bibim noodles: is it OK to mix them without the dongchimi broth?

Handam Guksu's dongchimi bibim noodles seem meant to be eaten with dongchimi broth poured in, but even mixed with just the sauce and no broth, the savory depth was great. The sauce looked so good on its own that I mixed mine without adding the dongchimi broth. And the umami of that sauce was seriously amazing...

Spicy-sweet, crunchy toppings and plenty of shredded meat, and when you mix it all up the savory flavor just bursts in your mouth. Even without the broth, just the sauce, it was so good that it totally hit my taste. Alternating with the pork noodles is an endless combo, haha!

Pork dumplings on the side

Handam Guksu's pork dumplings (₩7,000) have thin wrappers and a filling packed with meat, nutty and mild. Dipped in soy sauce and eaten alongside the noodles, they were a perfect match.

How was Handam Guksu as a first meal on our Aewol family trip?

It was the first meal for all four of us after arriving in Jeju, and we enjoyed it so much that we were very satisfied! Good food, a gorgeous sea view, and kind service too, so we had a really pleasant meal.

If you're traveling in Jeju now or looking for a tasty lunch around Aewol, definitely stop by Handam Guksu, the local favorite! I hope you enjoy your Jeju trip over some delicious pork noodles and bibim noodles. Highly, highly recommend 🤍