Jeju Korean set meal near Seongsan: Jongdal Sudatteul

It was the tenth day of my Jeju trip. After eating all kinds of things throughout the day, I had also been eating flour-based food nonstop and had not managed my diet properly at all. I wanted something a little more comforting for dinner, so I looked for a Korean set-meal restaurant around Seongsan. That is how I ended up at Jongdal Sudatteul (종달수다뜰) in Jongdal-ri, Gujwa-eup, for a Jeju set meal.

A Jeju Korean set meal near Seongsan: Jongdal Sudatteul

Jongdal Sudatteul focuses on local Jeju dishes, laying out grilled fish, braised dishes, dombe pork, soy-marinated abalone, and more all on one table. Its Jeju set meal is a 13-dish spread, making it a good fit for trying several Jeju foods in one meal during a trip.

The exterior and spacious parking lot

The first things that caught my eye when I arrived at Jongdal Sudatteul were the restaurant building and its surroundings. A white building sits on a broad lawn, fitting beautifully with Jeju's characteristically unhurried scenery. From a distance, it felt less like a restaurant and more like a little countryside home or holiday house in Jeju.

Most of all, the parking lot was large, which made it easy to visit by car. Many people use rental cars on a Jeju trip, so ample parking is quite important, and I liked that part.

A relaxed interior and useful amenities

When I went inside, the staff welcomed me with a smile. It may seem like a small thing, but first impressions like that feel quite important when you are traveling. Being greeted warmly put me in a good mood before the meal even began. The interior was much roomier than I had expected. In particular, there was plenty of space between the tables, so it did not feel as though we were right up against the next group. It was laid out comfortably for families or larger groups, and I also saw quite a few people dining alone.

Aprons and high chairs were also available for anyone who needed them. There were autographs from celebrities displayed here and there, which gave me the sense that this is a place many people have visited for a long time. Rather than being elaborately decorated, it was a comfortable, clean Korean restaurant.

The Jeju set-meal menu and our order

There were many menu options, including the Jeju set meal. The signature was the 13-dish Jeju spread with grilled cutlassfish, dombe pork, braised mackerel, soy-marinated abalone, soy-marinated crab, and more. The menu also had several combinations suited to solo diners, such as grilled cutlassfish and dombe pork, as well as sea urchin miyeokguk (seaweed soup) and abalone stone-pot rice.

Jeju set meal for two

After some deliberation, we ordered the Jeju set meal for two (₩50,000), which let us try a little of everything.

After a short wait, dishes began arriving one by one, and soon the table was completely full. There were truly so many side dishes. After eating out continuously for ten days, food had started to feel a little heavy at some point, but this spread was different.

Basic side dishes

Instead of flashy, intensely seasoned food, the dishes had the feel of home-style banchan (Korean side dishes), which I loved. It was nice to pick at a variety of small side dishes while eating rice. When you start getting tired of restaurant food on a Jeju trip, a set meal like this is actually very welcome.

Of the many side dishes, the one I especially liked was the soy-marinated abalone. The abalone had a wonderfully springy texture, and its distinctive flavor came through more with every bite. The soy sauce was not simply salty; it had a lovely savory depth that kept drawing me back. I did not want to throw away the remaining sauce after finishing the abalone. I dipped the grilled cutlassfish in it and mixed a little into rice, too. A small amount of the sauce with rice and side dishes was quite delicious as well.

Grilled cutlassfish with crisp skin

The grilled cutlassfish, an essential part of a Jeju set meal, was satisfying too. The flesh was tender and moist, and it was easy to separate with chopsticks.

The skin had been seasoned, so the crisp grilled skin was salty and nutty. The contrast between the crispy skin and soft cutlassfish flesh was very satisfying. It was good with rice, and it also paired nicely with a light dip in the abalone soy sauce I mentioned earlier.

Dombe pork

When it comes to Jeju food, dombe pork could not be left out either.

The dombe pork was good quality, with a moist yet pleasantly chewy texture.

It was neither dry nor overly fatty, so it was delicious wrapped in ssam vegetables. Since it could be eaten alongside all the other dishes, I thought including dombe pork in this full set meal worked especially well.

Braised mackerel with kimchi

I enjoyed the braised mackerel too.

The seasoning had soaked nicely into the mackerel. It was fine with plain rice, but I found it even tastier with kimchi.

The kimchi was not the very soft, deeply fermented kind; it still had a crisp bite. The tender mackerel and crunchy kimchi together kept me reaching for more rice.

Mixing rice into the braising sauce and topping it with a piece of mackerel and a piece of kimchi was absolutely heavenly.

Mild seafood doenjang-jjigae

Restaurant doenjang-jjigae (soybean-paste stew) is often quite strongly seasoned, but this one was not. To my palate, it felt closer to doenjangguk, a soybean-paste soup, than a stew.

It was generously filled with seafood and vegetables. Because the broth was not salty, it was easy to take a spoonful here and there while eating rice and side dishes.

It was mild but still had the clean, refreshing quality of seafood broth, so I kept spooning it up throughout the meal. The cool, savory flavor from the seafood made my stomach feel relieved after all the food I had eaten that day.

Honestly, I came to Jongdal Sudatteul that day not only because I wanted delicious Jeju food, but because I wanted a comforting meal. By the tenth day of the Jeju trip, I was eating out several times a day, and on this particular day I had eaten flour-based food all day.

A carrot juice review event

After enjoying the meal, I also took part in the Naver review event. At the time, they were giving out carrot juice to people who wrote a Naver review. The Gujwa area of Jeju is also known for carrots, so the carrot juice was a fun touch. And this juice really tasted like carrots themselves. One sip tasted less like sweet fruit juice and more like real carrots blended straight up, with a deep carrot flavor. It was said to be 100% carrot juice, so carrot lovers may want to try a glass after their meal.

So by dinner, I was thinking, “I want something like a home-cooked meal.” The Jeju set meal was exactly what I had wanted. Picking at the grilled cutlassfish, braised mackerel, dombe pork, soy-marinated abalone, and all the different side dishes made it feel as though I were eating at home. Nothing was overly seasoned, so it was easy to enjoy a little of each dish. When you are worn out from constantly buying meals while traveling, a set meal like this can be more comforting than you might expect.

Jongdal Sudatteul is a good restaurant to consider when you want a distinctly Jeju-style Korean meal after sightseeing around Seongsan. Braised mackerel, grilled cutlassfish, and dombe pork are all foods you end up having to try in Jeju, and getting all three for ₩25,000 per person made this a good-value meal. It also works well as a dinner stop after visiting Seongsan Ilchulbong, Seopjikoji, or Aqua Planet Jeju.