Big Son's set for a weekday dinner at a Yongdam, Jeju fish restaurant

Early fall, nice weather, and I was off to Jeju. Trying to figure out what to eat for dinner on the first night, I suddenly craved something hearty — grilled fish. Since I'd booked my stay near the airport, I looked at the sea for a bit and then went off to get some grilled fish.

Where Naneun Jigeum Saengseoni Meokgo Sipda Yongdam Airport Branch is, and where to park

Naneun Jigeum Saengseoni Meokgo Sipda Yongdam Airport Branch is at 168 Yongmun-ro, 1F, Jeju-si, Jeju, a 2-minute walk from the Yongdam 1-dong Community Center bus stop. It's open daily from 09:30 to 21:00, with last order at 20:30.

• 📍 168 Yongmun-ro, 1F, Jeju-si, Jeju / 2-min walk from Yongdam 1-dong Community Center bus stop
• ⏱️ Daily 09:30–21:00, last order 20:30
• ✔️ Reservations available, takeout and delivery available, free corkage
• 🚗 Side alley parking available / free parking at Top Mart public lot 1 minute away

I'd seen some posts saying parking was a hassle, but there were plenty of open spots in the alley and the nearby public lot worked fine too!

Weekday evening at the Yongdam fish restaurant: more locals than tourists

Naneun Jigeum Saengseoni Meokgo Sipda Yongdam Airport Branch has the menu posted outside, so you can decide before you even walk in!! Even though we went on a weekday evening, the place was practically packed — definitely a local favorite.

We seemed to be the only tourists in there... Now that I visit Jeju often, hunting down local hotspots has become half the fun, and this one was a win again.

The magazine-style menu and what comes in each set

This is the menu, but honestly I didn't even realize it at first! We'd really been craving mackerel and cutlassfish, and this fun magazine-style menu had it all. A true grilled fish spot in Jeju.

The set meals here are great value for the heart. I was torn between the dad's set and this one, but figured the big son's set must be the signature dish, so I went with that. You can upgrade to tilefish for an extra ₩2,000, so consider it! Jeju bream is delicious too. I did think about the braised version for a second, but stuck with my first pick — grilled.

There were single-portion à la carte items too, and you could add extra orders! And the alcohol prices were still shockingly cheap... how is that even possible!!!!!! There were some older folks enjoying a drink with their meal, and I totally get why, haha.

The last page had a fun daily fortune section, plus recommendations for nearby spots worth visiting — it really made me feel like I was in Jeju.

Set freebies and the 10% discount

Order a set and you get gomchang gim (seasoned laver) free, and if you leave a review you get a jumbo steamed egg too — definitely worth using. We skipped the review event since the portions already looked huge, but I saw it at another table and it looked really good. Also, veterans, active military, firefighters, and police get a 10% discount at all times, which is a nice touch.

The interior had that Jeju feel, with postcards on display too, so waiting wasn't boring at all.

Side dishes and the sesame dipping sauce

The side dishes were simple but well put together. The stir-fried fish cake was way spicier than I expected, which surprised me, but it paired nicely with the mild grilled fish! I usually only eat grilled fish with soy sauce and wasabi, but Naneun Jigeum Saengseoni Meokgo Sipda Yongdam Airport Branch also gave us a sesame sauce, which I love. It went so well with everything — sweet and delicious!

Big Son's set with kimchi jjigae

With the big son's set, you can choose your stew from cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew), sundubu (soft tofu stew), or kimchi — we went with the spicy, tangy kimchi jjigae. The well-aged kimchi simmered down into a stew that was seriously delicious. The kimchi pieces were a nice bite-sized cut, and there was plenty of tofu in there too, so it's good for all ages. It came in a stone pot, so it stayed hot until the very last spoonful, which I loved.

Four grilled fish, and which one tasted best

And then came the fully loaded platter of grilled fish! From left to right: cutlassfish, croaker, mackerel, and flounder — every single one a fish I love.

The whole table was packed. I went with the 'simple' option of grilled fish, but I ended up walking out completely stuffed... After eating so much raw fish in Jeju, having grilled fish was even more satisfying. The mackerel was especially moist and delicious, living up to its reputation, but for us, the flounder was the absolute best!!

A post-meal walk to Yongyeon Valley

There's Yongyeon Valley nearby — it's pretty and famous as a photo spot, so definitely check it out. It was too late in the evening for us, so we skipped it, but it sounds like the perfect walk to bring your blood sugar down after a meal like this!!