Jeju self-bar banchan grilled fish set before a flight: Naneun Jigeum

Before heading back to Gimpo Airport after a great Jeju trip, I wanted a hearty Korean meal as my last stop, so I visited Naneun Jigeum Saengseoni Meokgo Sipda Yongdam Airport Branch, a grilled fish specialist near Jeju Airport.

It's about a 10-minute drive from Jeju Airport, so it's really well-positioned for a meal right before a flight. 👍

How do you get to Naneun Jigeum, and where do you park?

• Location: 10-minute drive from Jeju Airport
• Parking: dedicated spots in the alley right next to the restaurant
• If it's full, flash your hazard lights at the entrance and the owner will help guide you in!

Inside Naneun Jigeum: a clean dining room and a neatly stocked self-bar

With exposed ceilings and anchor decorations hanging around, the place had a kind of retro, vintage feel to it. 💛

The basic side dishes were seasoned bean sprouts, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), bracken fern, seasoned cucumber, and pickled gochujang peppers, along with sesame soy sauce and yuzu soy sauce!

There's also a self-bar on one side where you can help yourself to as much of the side dishes as you like 🙌💛

What comes with the Big Son's Set for two, and the cheonggukjang jjigae

We ordered the restaurant's signature combo grilled fish menu, which lets you try a variety of fish at once — the 'Big Son's Set for two' (₩36,000). 😍

When you order the set, you can pick one stew — cheonggukjang jjigae, sundubu jjigae, or kimchi jjigae — and we went with cheonggukjang jjigae since we were craving something savory.

And thinking back on it now, choosing cheonggukjang was really the right call haha!

The savory cheonggukjang base had well-fermented kimchi in it, so instead of being heavy it was clean and refreshing — genuinely delicious. 👍

It gave off that nostalgic feeling of home-cooked food made by a grandmother in the countryside, and I kept scooping up the broth throughout the meal. 💛

The four-fish grilled combo starts with the size

Finally, the main dish — the combo grilled fish — arrived! 😍

There were four types of fish in total: flounder, mackerel, croaker, and cutlassfish, and I was surprised by the size the moment it came out haha. Overall, every fish was large and grilled to a perfect golden-brown. 👍

Flounder

The flesh was plump and hearty, with a soft, clean texture! Dipping it in the yuzu sauce actually made it taste even cleaner and more delicious!

Mackerel

The outside was grilled nice and crisp, a textbook example of crispy-outside, tender-inside. Not salty at all and full of savory flavor!!

Croaker

It was unusually large and had just the right amount of saltiness — so delicious! 🫶

Cutlassfish

That distinctive flaky yet tender texture was fully present.

Deboning it and putting it on top of rice was seriously so good ㅜㅜ!!

What I loved most, though, were the special sauces served with the grilled fish — the sesame soy sauce and yuzu soy sauce. 🫶

Even after dipping the fish generously, it wasn't salty at all and had this subtle fragrance, giving it a different charm from regular soy sauce! 🩷

🫠Honestly, if you're in Jeju, you have to eat grilled fish at least once, right? With the fish grilled crispy-outside-tender-inside and dipped in the special sauce, a whole bowl of rice disappeared in no time. 🫶🩷

Current promotions and the verdict on Naneun Jigeum

Looking at the table sign, there were various events going on — a fluffy steamed egg with a review, savory gomtang gim (roasted seaweed) with a 2-person set order, and a highball deal for visits between 6 and 8pm — so if you're visiting, it's worth checking those out 🩷

With large, beautifully grilled fish, a refreshing yet savory stew, and neat side dishes on top, it was a really satisfying and filling dinner 🙌 If you're looking for a great grilled fish restaurant in Jeju, or want a tidy, generous grilled fish set near the airport, I definitely recommend stopping by Naneun Jigeum Saengseoni Meokgo Sipda Yongdam Airport Branch!👍