Hamdeok black pork restaurant with baek-kimchi wraps: Jeju Samchun

Jeju Samchun Hamdeok Black Pork is a grilled black pork restaurant at 537-1 Sinbuk-ro, Jocheon-eup, Jeju City, Jeju. Open daily from 12:00 to 23:00 with last order at 22:00, it takes group bookings and reservations, and offers high chairs, parking, and pet-friendly seating.

Hello! When planning a trip to Jeju, there's one menu item everyone puts at the top of their must-eat list — Jeju black pork, loved by everyone from kids to grandparents.

On this trip, I found myself near Hamdeok Beach, famous for its gorgeous sea views and soft sand. After a windy walk along the coast, I got hungry and started scouting for a solid place to eat. There are so many BBQ restaurants and eateries packed around Hamdeok that I agonized over which one wouldn't disappoint.

That's how I found Jeju Samchun Hamdeok Black Pork. Its location right by the beach was a plus, but what really sold me were the good reviews and the clean, tidy interior — I decided to go without hesitation.

What Jeju Samchun near Hamdeok Beach looks like inside

The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, the first thing I noticed was how distinctly upscale the atmosphere felt compared to a typical black pork BBQ joint.

The side dishes and dipping sauces at Jeju Samchun

The basic spread at Jeju Samchun includes baek-kimchi (white kimchi), lettuce and peppers, garlic, scallion salad, salt, ssamjang, pollack roe, and melchi-jeot (fermented anchovy sauce). Once seated and after ordering, the neatly arranged banchan (side dishes) started coming out one by one. Just looking at the presentation made me feel well taken care of.

The baek-kimchi, an essential side dish for cutting through the richness of the meat, had a great crisp texture. Fresh lettuce and peppers, garlic for a bit of a kick, and a generous portion of savory seasoned scallion salad rounded things out.

Along with the basic salt and ssamjang, there was also luxurious pollack roe and the smoky, essential-for-Jeju-black-pork melchi-jeot, so you could mix and match to your taste.

Black pork neck and belly, grilled at the table by staff

A little later, the black pork arrived neatly laid out on a cutting board, and it exceeded expectations. The thick neck cut and pork belly showed off a beautiful balance of lean meat and fat, and the vivid red color signaled top-tier freshness.

Next to the meat sat king oyster mushrooms branded with the 'Jeju Samchun' logo, along with an adorable dol hareubang (stone grandfather statue) shaped charcoal decoration.

Here, a skilled staff member grills the meat for you from start to finish, with full attention until it's perfectly cooked.

They placed the thick cuts on the hot grill to crisp up the outside, then carefully cut them into bite-sized pieces and kept flipping to cook evenly. Mushrooms and peppers were also grilled alongside so they'd soak up some of the meat's fat — meanwhile I could just relax, chat, and focus on eating. Very satisfying.

How the melchi-jeot, grilled baek-kimchi and pollack roe combo tasted

After trying a piece of the savory meat dipped lightly in salt, I dipped it deep into the bubbling melchi-jeot and topped it with a spicy pepper — an explosion of savory flavor filled my mouth. Also, wrapping the meat and pollack roe with baek-kimchi lightly grilled on the pan cut through the richness perfectly. Delicious.

And of course, good food calls for a drink. Since I was in Jeju, I ordered a bottle of Hallasan mild soju to go along with the meal. With a clean, no-gamey-taste, juicy piece of black pork and a shot of soju, all the fatigue from traveling seemed to wash away instantly.

Finish with the seafood ramyeon: mussels and shrimp

After finishing a good amount of meat, I added a 'seafood ramyeon (spicy noodle soup)' as the finale and the ultimate drinking companion.

The ramyeon was packed with mussels, clams, plump shrimp, crunchy bean sprouts, chopped scallions, and red pepper. Taking one spoonful of the broth first, the seafood and bean sprouts gave it a deep, refreshing, rich flavor.

It completely washed away any heaviness left in my mouth after eating the meat. Definitely order it!

If you're looking for a black pork restaurant near Hamdeok Beach in Jeju that has it all — atmosphere, flavor, and friendly service — I confidently recommend visiting Jeju Samchun!