Dongmun Market sashimi takeout with coconut shrimp in Jeju: Dutumhoe

Whenever I travel to Jeju, Dongmun Market is one of the places I always end up stopping by. There's such a variety of food, a lot of it stuff you can only get in Jeju, so it's great for packing up dinner or late-night snacks for the hotel all in one go. On this trip I decided to grab sashimi and sushi from Dongmun Market, and the place I found was Dutumhoe Dongmun Market branch. Dutumhoe, famous as a Dongmun Market sashimi restaurant.

Where is Dutumhoe Dongmun Market Main Branch, and what are the hours?

• 📍 Location: 16 Gwandeok-ro 14-gil, Dongmun Market (Gate 8) - inside the night market, Jeju-si, Jeju, South Korea
• 🕖 Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• 🅿️ Parking: Dongmun Traditional Market public parking lot

The name itself is 'Dutumhoe' (thick sashimi), so I was curious just how thick the sashimi slices would actually be.

Dutumhoe sits inside Jeju Dongmun Market, so it's easy to swing by while browsing the market. Besides sashimi, they also sell sushi, mackerel pressed sushi (bong-sushi), futomaki, coconut fried shrimp and more, so it's really convenient for packing up food to eat back at the hotel.

Sashimi sliced to order: a look at the display case

Some sashimi is pre-prepared, but they also clean and slice the fish right when you order. Being able to watch the slicing process up close makes it feel that much fresher, and you can see the fish being cut into perfectly bite-sized pieces — which is why so many people come to Jeju Dongmun Market specifically for sashimi takeout.

Inside the refrigerated showcase, everything from various sushi to futomaki, mackerel pressed sushi, and assorted sashimi is neatly laid out, so you can see at a glance what to pick.

You could also spot sweet shrimp — a Jeju must — in the showcase.

What the assorted sashimi platter looks like

It's not just one type of fish — several kinds of sashimi are arranged neatly on one plate, so it looks rich in color right away. Instead of thin slices, each piece is cut thick, so you can really dig into a hearty portion of sashimi.

Salmon and flounder sushi, eaten right in the car

Salmon/flounder sushi

I also packed salmon and flounder sushi, and ate it right there in the car on the way to the hotel — it was really good. The salmon sushi hit first with a soft, moist texture. The salmon's distinctive rich fattiness slid smoothly through my mouth, and eaten together with the sushi rice, it was light yet savory. The flounder sushi felt completely different from the salmon — chewy and springy when bitten into, so following the salmon sushi with the flounder sushi cleansed my palate nicely.

Mackerel pressed sushi and futomaki

Pressed sushi/futomaki

The item I was most looking forward to: pressed sushi and futomaki. When it comes to mackerel dishes you can enjoy in Jeju, mackerel pressed sushi made with live mackerel is the one. Dutumhoe's mackerel pressed sushi looked delicious, so I picked it right away. Mackerel pressed sushi has a charm that's clearly different from regular sashimi sushi.

It was much bigger than I expected, catching my eye the moment I opened the container. Instead of the usual bite-sized gimbap or sushi pieces, each piece was quite substantial on its own. The rice and various fillings were packed in without a single gap, so the cross-section looked really appetizing too. The ingredients were cut generously, so picking up one piece actually felt heavy in the hand! Putting a big chunk of futomaki in your mouth, you get the fluffy texture of the rice along with the flavors of all the fillings at once — a richer taste than eating each ingredient separately. The light, clean flavor of the fish and seafood combined with the varied textures of the fillings, so the more you chewed, the fuller the flavor got.

The distinctive rich, deep flavor of mackerel comes through first, and eating it with the rice, the mackerel's oiliness blended nicely with the tangy sushi rice. In particular, the mackerel wasn't sliced too thin — the flesh felt thick, so the fish's presence was very clear in every bite. Mackerel can easily end up tasting overly fishy, but the way I had it, the mackerel's distinctive savoriness was strong and rich, and adding a touch of wasabi made it even cleaner.

Coconut fried shrimp: the perfect beer snack

Coconut fried shrimp

Coconut fried shrimp — the perfect beer snack. I went in thinking of Dutumhoe as a sashimi and sushi specialist, but since I could also pack coconut fried shrimp along with everything else, I ordered that too. Sashimi and sushi alone tend to be mostly light dishes overall, so tossing in a bite of crispy fried shrimp in between made for a great combination. The batter kept its crispy texture, and inside was a plump shrimp with a springy bite. Dipping it fully into the sauce that came with it made it even tastier!! Highly recommend as a beer snack.

Is Dutumhoe worth it for Jeju takeout?

You can pack fresh sashimi and sushi at Jeju's Dongmun Market, plus enjoy mackerel sashimi and sweet shrimp — dishes you can only really get in Jeju. Being able to pick a wide range of menu items from one place makes it easy to have a satisfying, full dinner back at the hotel.