Rainy-day pork noodles and a self-serve hair tie bar: Handam Guksu

Today I want to introduce a lunch spot that's famous in Aewol, Jeju — Handam Guksu.

We headed there for a late lunch around 3pm (break time starts at 3:30). The wind was blowing softly and it was drizzling, so I found myself craving hot broth. Perfect day for pork noodles!

This is Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch, located right at Handam Beach.

Even though it was well past lunchtime, the place was packed — friends, couples, families of all different nationalities, haha.

A pretty interior with an ocean view

The first thing that caught my eye walking in was the ocean view of Handam Beach through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Sitting by the window meant the wait for food never felt boring, since the sea was right there. Imagine how pretty that view would've been on a clear day!

Where to park? A tip about the Randy's Donut lot

You can even see Biyangdo Island off in the distance. That lot you see is the Randy's Donut parking lot — if there's no space in front of the restaurant, parking here gets you a 1-hour free parking pass.

What we ordered and the self-serve bar

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

I was torn between the pork tteokgalbi and the boiled pork, but this time I went with the dombe naengsuyuk.

At the self-serve bar you can help yourself to side dishes like kimchi, peppers, and pickled radish. What impressed me was that the dishes were pretty ceramic, not plastic, plus kids' tableware — and even more surprising, hair ties!!! This owner really understands what women need. When you're eating hot noodles you just want to tie your hair back for a second, and somehow the hair ties you carry always disappear. Haha.

Bone-broth pork noodles, dongchimi bibim noodles, dombe naengsuyuk — seeing the table all set felt so satisfying.

Bone-broth pork noodles, just right for a rainy day

Pork noodles with milky bone broth topped with Jeju pork. This is it! The broth is simmered for a long time, so the color was already rich and pale white. With bean sprouts and green onion mixed in, the broth was so rich and savory that I couldn't stop taking sips. Let's just say I finished nearly every drop — not a secret anymore!

The pork on top of the noodles was tender too, so it went perfectly with the noodles. One sip of the warm broth and I felt my whole body melt.

What does the dongchimi bibim noodles taste like?

It felt like a shame to only have the pork noodles, so we also ordered dongchimi bibim noodles, which came with finely shredded meat. It was soft, almost like braised beef, and different from bibim noodles I've had elsewhere — pretty memorable. Adding a bit of the dongchimi broth served on the side made it mix better and taste even more refreshing.

It was packed with finely shredded pork, cucumber, and bean sprouts, so the texture was great to chew on too.

Dombe naengsuyuk is a hidden gem too

Personally, what impressed me just as much as the pork noodles was the dombe naengsuyuk. The moment it arrived, what stood out was how thinly the meat was sliced — it looked completely different from the thick-cut dombe pork you usually picture.

I usually prefer thick, warm boiled pork, but this cold dombe pork still had a chewy texture. It wasn't greasy at all, just clean and light. The more you chew, the more savory flavor comes through, and adding a little of the wasabi and dipping sauce that came with it gives it a whole different flavor.

I couldn't believe pork could be this light and clean-tasting!!

I wrapped it in the bibim noodles, wrapped it in the pork noodles, dipped it in wasabi and sauce with a bite of pepper — so many ways to enjoy it! Ordering the dombe naengsuyuk was a great call.

The basic side dishes from the self-serve bar — kimchi and pickled radish — were tasty too. Exactly the style of kimchi we like!

Can you bring kids along?

High chairs are available, and kids' tableware is well prepared too. The owner says families are welcome to visit. They also do a Naver photo review event, so give that a try. ^^

Ocean view at Handam Beach, an Aewol pork noodle favorite

With an ocean view of Handam Beach, rich bone-broth pork noodles, distinctive dongchimi bibim noodles, and light dombe naengsuyuk, it was a satisfying meal. If you find yourself at Handam Beach, stop by Handam Guksu, a local favorite in Aewol.

Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch info

• Address: 33 Aewol-ro, 1st floor, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
• Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00-20:30 (last order 19:50), break time 15:30-17:30 / Mon 10:00-16:20 (last order 15:40)
• Parking: 1 hour free parking at Handam public parking lot (Randy's Donut parking lot) or Handam trail parking lot (next to Olive Young); Handam parking lots 1 and 2 not included
• Reservations: Naver Reservation, Catch Table available
• Pets not allowed