Couple's horse meat course near Jungmun, Seogwipo, Jeju: Marijoa

A Jungmun, Seogwipo favorite: Marijoa, a horse meat specialty restaurant

Hi, this is Three :) I've had plenty of black pork and hairtail on Jeju trips before, but this time I wanted something a bit more unusual, so we went out for horse meat.

This was my second time trying it, but my boyfriend's first, so instead of just walking into anywhere, I looked for a place certified to sell edible horse meat. Marijoa Jungmun Branch, near Jungmun in Jeju, is listed as a specialty edible horse meat retailer certified by the Jeju Provincial Government's Livestock Policy Division, so we decided to check it out.

At first I was a little worried there might be that distinctive horse meat smell, but once we actually worked through the course, it was much cleaner and more tender than expected — we both left really satisfied.

• Daily 12:00–21:30
• Free parking in front of the restaurant

Horse meat near Jungmun: what about parking?

Marijoa Jungmun Branch sits near Jungmun Tourist Complex in Jeju. There's a generous parking area right in front, so travelers renting cars around Jeju can pull in easily.

Since getting around Jeju often means driving between multiple spots, having ample parking matters more than you'd think — here we could just walk in without worrying about it.

Checking the edible horse meat certification

If you're trying horse meat for the first time, where you eat it really matters. On Jeju, it's worth checking whether a place is certified to sell edible horse meat, and Marijoa Jungmun Branch is listed as a specialty retailer designated by the Jeju Provincial Government's Livestock Policy Division.

Since this was my first time too, I checked this before visiting, and knowing it was a certified specialty restaurant made it easier to eat with confidence.

Spacious, comfortable interior with private rooms

Inside, the restaurant was much bigger than I expected. The tables have generous spacing, and the place is large enough for a big family gathering, so it seemed good for family meals or group dinners too.

There are also private rooms for a more intimate meal, which seemed ideal for people traveling with parents around Jeju or looking for an anniversary dinner spot.

Side dishes from a self-serve bar

A good spread of side dishes came out from the start, and you could grab more from the self-serve bar whenever you wanted. When you're traveling with a group, asking for extra side dishes can feel like a hassle, so being able to just help yourself was convenient.

Overall the restaurant felt clean and the staff were friendly, so even on a first visit, the meal felt easy and unpretentious.

From lunch dishes to the full horse meat course: the menu

Marijoa Jungmun Branch doesn't only serve horse meat courses. At lunch there are also simpler meal options, and both lunch and dinner offer horse meat course menus.

We ordered the Joa Course at ₩39,000 for two that day, a set built to let you try horse meat prepared many different ways — which actually felt like a good choice for first-timers like us.

Starting clean with the basic side dishes

The basic side dishes included pickled onion, bracken fern namul, macaroni salad, cucumber salad, and kimchi. Horse meat itself is fairly mild, so it paired well with punchier sides like the pickles and kimchi.

Since the course arrives in several stages, having side dishes to nibble on between courses made for a nice, unhurried meal.

On the benefits of horse meat

On one wall, there was information about the supposed health benefits of horse meat and horse bone. Since we'd rarely had the chance to eat horse meat before, we ended up reading through it. I'd thought of it as just an unusual dish to try on Jeju, but knowing more about it made the meal feel a bit different.

First course of the Joa Course: horse extract

We ordered the Joa Course for two, and the first thing to arrive was horse extract. I'd expected an actual cut of meat to show up first thing in a "horse meat course," but it turned out to start with the extract, followed by a lineup of dishes in sequence. The staff kindly explained how to eat each dish and which cut it was, so it was easy to follow along.

Three kinds of sushi with horse yukhoe and horse sashimi

Next came three kinds of sushi along with horse yukhoe (seasoned raw meat) and horse sashimi together. Visually, it didn't look all that different from regular beef yukhoe or sashimi, but it was surprising how many different ways horse meat could be served. The staff recommended starting the horse sashimi with the chadol (brisket-like) cut.

Clean but with a touch of richness: horse sashimi

We started with the chadol cut, and a light richness spread in the mouth with a nutty flavor. The rest of the horse cuts were generally mild, and it felt like eating a leaner cut than beef.

I'd expected horse meat to have a strong distinctive smell, but contrary to that worry, it was surprisingly clean.

My favorite: horse yukhoe

Personally, the horse yukhoe was my favorite dish in the whole course. I'd had it once before elsewhere, and it isn't all that different from regular beef yukhoe, which made it easy to enjoy — the mild meat with flavorful seasoning made it approachable, and I think it's a good entry point for anyone trying horse meat for the first time.

Braised horse ribs and horse cutlet

Next up were braised horse ribs and horse cutlet. After the raw dishes and yukhoe, this was our first chance to try cooked horse meat, and it was interesting how different the same meat felt depending on how it was prepared.

They also brought out complimentary al-bap (fish roe rice) on the house. The course alone kept coming, and with the al-bap added in, we started feeling pretty full.

Third course: grilled horse meat

After that came the grilled horse meat. The staff suggested grilling the fattier cut alongside it, and grilling the two together definitely added a nutty richness.

Overall it felt more like eating a lean cut of beef than a fatty meat, and there was still no strong horse meat smell to speak of. What helped most was that the staff explained how to eat each dish as it arrived, so even a first-timer could enjoy it without any confusion.

Finishing with shabu-shabu

The course wrapped up with shabu-shabu. After going through yukhoe, sashimi, braised ribs, cutlet, and grilled meat, finishing with a warm soup felt like a well-rounded way to end the meal. Once the shabu-shabu was done, you could add noodles and porridge to round things off properly.

There was a generous amount of meat in the shabu-shabu, and the broth was rich and warming — it genuinely felt like a restorative tonic.

Is this a good spot to bring someone trying horse meat for the first time?

Honestly, my boyfriend was more worried than me since it was his first time trying horse meat, but once he actually ate it, he said it was way better than expected and seemed genuinely satisfied. Going through yukhoe, sashimi, grilled meat, braised ribs, and shabu-shabu, the flavor changed so much depending on the cut and cooking method that it turned into a surprisingly fun meal.

If you want to try something a bit more unusual than Jeju's usual dishes, or you're looking for a special meal with your parents on Jeju, this could be a good option. If you're near Jungmun looking for a distinctly Jeju dish, Marijoa Jungmun Branch is worth considering as a Jungmun favorite for horse meat.

For a first taste of horse meat, it really matters to eat somewhere free of any off-putting smell and genuinely tasty — at Marijoa Jungmun Branch, the horse yukhoe was my favorite, and getting to try sashimi, braised ribs, cutlet, grilled meat, and shabu-shabu all in one course felt like a solid setup even for people trying horse meat for the first time.

With a spacious dining room, parking, and friendly staff, it also seemed like a good pick for a family meal. If you're looking to try something different on Jeju, give this horse meat specialty restaurant near Jungmun a try :)