Seogwipo seafood restaurant for cutlassfish: Jejurowoon

On the evening of my third day in Jeju, I visited Jejurowoon Cheonghaewon Seongsan Ilchulbong Branch. I had enjoyed it on my previous Jeju trip, so I added it to this trip’s dinner plans too. This visit was also through an experience group.

What comes with the braised cutlassfish A set?

After sitting down, I ordered the A set I had eaten last time. It came with braised cutlassfish, grilled tilefish, sticky pot rice, soy-marinated crab, and a soup.

For the soup, I could choose between seafood stew and sea urchin miyeokguk (seaweed soup). My partner and I are not very good with sea urchin, so we chose the seafood stew.

After ordering, seven side dishes arrived, including soy-marinated crab. Eating them one by one gave the meal a home-cooked feel, which I liked.

What was the texture of the grilled tilefish like?

The grilled tilefish was one of the dishes that had particularly stayed with me from my previous visit. This time, too, it arrived nicely browned, with crisp skin and soft, moist flesh inside. Pulling off the thick pieces of fish, I found them savory and clean-tasting, without any fishiness for me. The flesh was so tender that I could scoop it up with a spoon.

What did the seafood stew taste like?

The seafood stew arrived bubbling hot. It contained blue crab, clams, and mussels, and the doenjang (fermented soybean paste)-based broth had the sweetness of crab and the clean flavor of clams. Since the broth was not heavy, it was nice to have a spoonful or two between bites of rice.

How did I eat the braised cutlassfish and sticky pot rice?

Next came the spicy braised cutlassfish and freshly cooked sticky pot rice.

When I opened the lid of the sticky pot rice, steam rose up, and the grains looked glossy and pleasantly chewy. Even on its own, the rice had a subtle sweetness. After transferring the rice to a bowl, I poured in warm water to make nurungji (scorched rice), then placed pieces of cutlassfish that had simmered down in the sauce onto a small plate.

The cutlassfish had thick flesh. After removing the bones on both sides with a spoon, large pieces of fish came away easily.

I placed cutlassfish coated in the spicy, lightly sweet sauce over the rice. The tender fish and chewy rice went well together. I also cut up the braised radish soaked in the sauce with my spoon and mixed it into the rice, finishing a whole bowl.

At the end, I topped the nurungji soup I had prepared earlier with a piece of cutlassfish. I was already full, but I finished the meal with the nutty scorched rice. Once again, not only the braised cutlassfish but also the moist grilled tilefish stayed with me, and I returned to my accommodation after a filling dinner.