Weekday lunch reservation for Nanchuk Matdon black pork, Pork80 Jeju

One of the dishes I really wanted to try on this Jeju trip was Nanchuk Matdon. Jeju has plenty of famous black pork restaurants, but only a few actually serve Nanchuk Matdon. So I went looking for a place near Jeju Airport that had it, and that's how I ended up at Pork80 Jeju Airport Branch.

Pork80, the Nanchuk Matdon spot — how close is it to Jeju Airport?

Pork80 is close enough to Jeju Airport that it's a convenient stop whether you're starting or ending your trip.

Pork80's exterior and parking

Parking is available at the lot at 25 Wonnohyeong 3-gil, Jeju City. We got parking support after the meal, which made things easy even on a rental car trip. The lot is just 30 seconds from the restaurant.

Inside Pork80 and making a reservation

The interior was bigger than I expected. The overall vibe had a nostalgic, retro '70s-'80s feel. The tables were spaced generously, so it never felt cramped, and it looked like a good spot for group visits too. There was a baby chair ready as well, so it seemed fine for families.

We booked a weekday noon reservation. Even without a reservation, it was lunchtime and we could have eaten right away with no wait. Evenings apparently get busier, so booking ahead seems like the way to go then.

The table already had plenty of side plates, cups, wet wipes, a bottle opener, and shot glasses set out in generous numbers. Small thing, but being able to just grab what we needed was genuinely convenient.

What is Nanchuk Matdon black pork, exactly?

The name Nanchuk Matdon might sound unfamiliar — it basically means 'delicious pork made by the Nanji Livestock Research Institute.' Apparently it's a premium black pork breed developed by combining the superior meat quality of Jeju's native black pig with the productivity of the Landrace breed. It has more intramuscular fat, or marbling, than regular pork, which is said to make the meat richer and juicier.

Seeing it in person, the meat was noticeably redder than regular pork, and the fat was evenly distributed throughout. After tasting it, I understood why people specifically seek out Nanchuk Matdon.

Pork80's menu and prices

Nanchuk Matdon

• One plate 600g — ₩72,000
• Extra 400g — ₩48,000
• Bone-in loin 300g — ₩39,000
• Bone-in loin set 900g — ₩109,000

Jeju black pork

• Raw ribs, one plate 600g — ₩56,000
• Raw ribs, extra 300g — ₩28,000
• Raw pork belly 300g — ₩23,000
• Raw pork neck 300g — ₩23,000
• Seasoned ribs 300g — ₩19,000
• Black pork skirt meat 160g — ₩22,000
• Black pork jowl meat 160g — ₩22,000

Pork80's side dishes and stone-bowl meljeot

The side dishes included pickled onions, spicy radish salad, corn salad, pickled perilla leaves, scallion salad, cabbage kimchi, and seasoned crab. Staff came by quietly and set each dish down one at a time.

To go with the meat, they also brought out wasabi, matcha salt, ssamjang (dipping sauce), and meljeot (fermented anchovy sauce).

The meljeot wasn't served in a tiny dish — it came in a generous stone bowl. I'm usually not a fan of the fishy taste meljeot can have, but this one wasn't strongly fishy at all. It was savory and salty in a good way, so much so that I ended up ordering extra rice just to mix it with the meljeot.

The staff member came by again and quietly handed us an apron. A moment later, they came back and quietly gave us a hair tie too. The way they just wordlessly took care of what we needed felt oddly like tsundere charm. Thanks to that, I tied my hair back neatly and got ready to really dig in.

Was a 600g plate of Nanchuk Matdon enough for two?

We didn't hesitate — we ordered the one-plate Nanchuk Matdon. At 600g, the portion looked plenty generous for two people.

When the plate arrived, a staff member grilled it for us. Along with the thick cuts of meat, they also grilled some scallions.

As the meat started cooking, it clearly looked different from regular pork. The grain looked really firm, and the way the fat and lean meat came together was striking.

The secret behind that chewy texture

Nanchuk Matdon really was chewy. Not tough — the lean meat itself just felt firm and dense. My husband said it felt denser than regular pork too. The more I chewed, the more the meat felt springy, and savory juices kept coming through. Personally, this was one of the most memorable meats I ate on this entire Jeju trip.

Matcha salt, wasabi, pickled pepper — how should you eat it?

For the first bite, I just dipped it lightly in matcha salt. The saltiness brought out the meat's richness, and it was the best way to taste the Nanchuk Matdon itself. Next, I dipped the salted meat in wasabi. The meat's deep flavor combined with the sharp bite of wasabi cleaned up my palate. It cut through the fattiness while still letting the richness of the meat shine — a combination I could keep eating.

The staff member cut up some pickled peppers and placed them on top of the meat. I'm honestly not a fan of peppers and don't usually eat pickled ones either. But eating it this way, it was surprisingly delicious. The pepper's characteristic aroma wasn't overpowering — just a slight kick with a tangy edge that brought out the richness of the pork belly. The crunchy texture sealed the deal, and after that I kept eating it with the pickled pepper too.

The staff member also dipped a piece of meat generously into the meljeot and topped it with grilled scallion. I usually assume meljeot will taste fishy, but Pork80's was different. The savory saltiness blended with the meat's rich juices, and the fragrant grilled scallion added even more depth. Even I, someone sensitive to fishy smells and usually not a meljeot fan, ended up dipping into it a lot this time.

It was also delicious with scallion salad, and paired well with the tangy radish salad too — I ended up finishing almost all of the radish salad.

Would I go back to Pork80 Jeju Airport Branch?

The Nanchuk Matdon I had at Pork80 stood out for its chewy, dense texture, so different from regular pork. Having staff grill it for us made things easy, and I liked being able to enjoy it in different ways — with meljeot, matcha salt, and pickled peppers. Above all, the Nanchuk Matdon itself was just delicious. If I come back to Jeju, I think I'll seek out Nanchuk Matdon again. If you're looking for something special in black pork near Jeju Airport, I'd recommend trying the Nanchuk Matdon at Pork80.