Seogwipo Korean restaurant for a Jeju seafood dinner: Jejurowoon

When traveling in Jeju, you end up eating Jeju specialties like black pork, mackerel, and cutlassfish quite often. But after having flour-based food all day, there are times when you really crave a proper rice meal for dinner. Since we had eaten flour-based food for lunch that day, we decided on Korean food for dinner and headed to Jejurowoon Cheonghaewon in Seongsan. It had a set that let us eat everything from braised cutlassfish and grilled tilefish to sticky stone-pot rice and soy-marinated crab all at once, so it was a great fit when we wanted a full Jeju-style spread.

Jejurowoon Cheonghaewon exterior and parking

The yellow building was easy to spot. There was no need to look for a separate parking lot; we simply parked along the street in front of the restaurant.

Weekday evening atmosphere

We arrived at around 5:30 p.m. on a weekday and could park and walk right in. At that time, only about two groups were eating, so it felt relaxed, but diners started coming in quickly as 6 p.m. approached. There were office workers having dinner after work as well as families, so it seemed to get quite busy at dinnertime.

The restaurant was generally neat and tidy, with the feel of a Korean restaurant. There were plenty of tables, so it looked comfortable for a meal for two as well as a family visit. Shell, fish, and other sea-inspired decorations were placed around the space. Since we had come to Jeju for seafood dishes, those little details suited the restaurant nicely.

One thing worth grabbing in advance is an apron. Once again, I only went to get one after spilling broth. Truly closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. If you order something brothy like braised cutlassfish or stew in a ttukbaegi (earthenware pot), I recommend picking up an apron before the food arrives.

C Set and A Set prices

Personally, the C Set was what first caught my eye on the menu. An à la carte abalone seafood stew alone costs ₩15,000, but the ₩16,000 C Set also comes with grilled tilefish, sticky stone-pot rice, and soy-marinated crab. For just ₩1,000 more, the set looked much more worthwhile.

A full spread with the A Set for two

Since we were in Jeju, we decided to do it properly and ordered two portions of the A Set. (₩24,000 per person)

Not long after we ordered, the side dishes were set out first. The abalone seafood stew arrived first. Then the braised cutlassfish, grilled tilefish, and sticky stone-pot rice came out one after another, and before we knew it, the table was full. A spread like this really makes you feel that you are having a meal in Jeju.

Side dishes and soy-marinated crab

Rather than having an overwhelming number of side dishes, each one was neatly prepared.

Soy-marinated crab was included in the set too. It had hardly any fishy taste and was not overly salty, so it was easy to enjoy. My husband and I nicely split it, two pieces each.

Stone-pot rice and preparing scorched rice

I moved the rice from the pot into our bowls and poured water into the remaining pot. It had been a while since I had eaten stone-pot rice, and freshly cooked rice really is a little different from plain white rice. The grains were sticky with a lovely texture, so it was delicious even without side dishes. I put the lid back on to make nurungji (scorched rice) and started the meal in earnest.

The broth of the abalone seafood stew

The abalone seafood stew had a doenjang (fermented soybean paste) broth. It tasted similar to the familiar Korean crab soup, kkotgetang, with a pleasantly spicy kick and a refreshing broth.

Above all, it had quite a lot of blue crab in it. The savory richness of the doenjang and the clean flavor of the seafood went wonderfully with rice.

There was a reason we chose Korean food for dinner: with hot broth like this, it really felt like we were having a proper meal.

Spicy braised cutlassfish and braised radish

The braised cutlassfish had a pleasantly spicy seasoning.

A piece of cutlassfish over rice was delicious, but the sauce itself was so good that lightly mixing it into the rice was incredibly moreish too.

And is anyone else more excited for the braised radish than the fish in a fish braise? Me!! Put a piece of cutlassfish on white rice and top it with a piece of braised radish too, and it is just so good. Some days I look forward more to the radish soaked in seasoning than the fish, and this was one of those days—I kept reaching for it.

Crispy, chewy grilled tilefish

The grilled tilefish had crisp skin. The skin was nicely seasoned, so it was pleasantly salty on its own, while the flesh had a firm, chewy texture.

I generally like fish with firm, chewy flesh like tilefish, so I really enjoyed it.

Another advantage of the A Set was being able to eat both a seasoned fish dish like braised cutlassfish and simply grilled fish on the same spread.

Scorched rice and coffee after the meal

The pot where I had poured water after serving the rice had turned into nurungji, so there was still something to enjoy at the end. Having it with the seafood stew broth made for a nice finish to the meal.

Restaurants like this often have instant coffee available, but this one had a coffee machine where you could make an Americano or espresso. If we had visited for lunch, I think I would have made myself a cup, but since it was dinner, I reluctantly held back.

At Jejurowoon Cheonghaewon Seongsan Ilchulbong Branch, you can enjoy braised cutlassfish and grilled tilefish—two dishes you may want to eat at least once in Jeju—on one spread, along with sticky stone-pot rice and soy-marinated crab, so the price felt reasonable for what was included. It seemed worth stopping by when you want a Jeju-style full-course Korean meal after visiting Seongsan Ilchulbong or Seopjikoji. Gwangchigi Beach is right next door too, making it a nice place for a seaside walk after eating to help digest.