Aewol pork noodle skeptic's take on bone broth: Handam Guksu, Jeju

Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch 33 Aewol-ro, 1st floor, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea Mon 10:00-16:20 / last order 15:40 Tue-Sun 10:00-20:30 / break 15:30-17:30 / last order 19:50 Group bookings available, baby chairs

Why a pork noodle skeptic changed her mind at Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch

Today I'm introducing 'Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch,' located in Aewol-eup, Jeju. When you come to Jeju you're always trying to figure out what to eat, and gogiguksu (pork noodle soup) is one of those dishes that's a bit love-it-or-hate-it. Honestly, I'm not really a fan — it can taste a little bland to me.

Since we'd come all the way to Jeju anyway, we visited without much expectation, thinking we'd just have a light bowl of noodles and move on. But this place turned out to be genuinely delicious pork noodles. Let me recommend it to you~!

Floor-to-ceiling ocean views at the entrance to Handam Beach

Aewol in Jeju is famous for its cluster of pretty cafés and great restaurants. Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch is also right near the entrance to Handam Beach, so it was very easy to find.

One entire wall of the restaurant is a huge floor-to-ceiling window, and the sea stretches out beyond it. Sitting at a window seat and looking out at the ocean was pure healing. However you angle the photo, you get a perfect shot — a true 'view restaurant.'

What we ordered: three dishes, 35,000 won for two

After some deliberation, here's what we ordered and how much it cost.

• Bone-broth pork noodles: ₩10,000
• Dongchimi bibim noodles: ₩10,000
• Dombe naengsuyuk (cold sliced pork): ₩15,000
• Total paid: ₩35,000

Given how prices at Jeju tourist spots have been lately, the ocean view plus the generous amount of meat made this feel very reasonable. Two people ordering two bowls of noodles plus a hearty side of sliced pork for the mid-30,000-won range — I wanted to give it a passing grade on value for money too. The portions were even large.

Side dishes from the self-serve bar

There's also a self-serve bar, so you can go grab the basic side dishes yourself!

Self-serve bar

The side dishes were tasty too.

Is the bone broth rich? As deep as pork rice soup

First up is the house signature, 'bone-broth pork noodles.' As I mentioned, I don't usually like pork noodles, so I was a little nervous taking the first spoonful of broth — but the moment I swallowed it, I couldn't help but say, 'Wow, this is different!'

There wasn't a single percent of gamey smell in the broth. It's a pale, rich bone-broth base, and it had the deep, heavy, savory weight of a thoroughly simmered pork rice soup or seolleongtang (ox bone soup).

If you like pork rice soup, this is a flavor you'll love without exception. I love pork rice soup, so it was genuinely delicious to me.

The noodles weren't soggy either — they were chewy and springy, boiled just right, and the portion of noodles was really generous~

They told us it tastes even better with black pepper sprinkled on top, so we sprinkled some on.

Dongchimi bibim noodles: as chewy as jjolmyeon

Next came the 'dongchimi bibim noodles.' Apparently you're supposed to pour the dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth over these mixed noodles. They had a charm clearly different from the usual bibim noodles you'd imagine. The moment I took a bite, my first thought was, 'Huh? This is kind of nutty and chewy, like jjolmyeon (chewy wheat noodles)!'

Maybe because the sauce is dongchimi-based, it wasn't an artificial or heavy sweetness, but a refreshing, tangy-sweet flavor that wrapped around your mouth.

Try wrapping a piece of the dombe naengsuyuk in the bibim noodles and eating them together. It goes really well!

Dombe naengsuyuk: the 15,000-won dish to order every time

And this is the dish I have to insist you order no matter what — the 'dombe naengsuyuk'! Normally when you think of 'suyuk' (boiled pork), you picture steaming hot meat, so the name 'cold suyuk' might sound a little unfamiliar.

It comes out chilled and thinly sliced, with the fat trimmed away so it's never greasy — the more you chew, the more the clean, nutty flavor of the meat itself lingers deeply in your mouth.

It comes served with wasabi, a spicy dipping sauce, garlic, and chili on top. Try putting a bit of wasabi on a thin slice of the cold pork, dipping it in the special sauce, and eating it with a piece of garlic. It felt like a great drinking snack too — really delicious.

If you want to enjoy a hearty, delicious bowl of noodles while taking in an amazing ocean view in Aewol, Jeju — especially if you, like me, have had preconceptions about greasy pork noodles — I definitely recommend visiting 'Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch.'