Gyeongju seafood restaurant feast: Wando Cham Jeonbokjip

Once the weather starts getting cooler, you know Gyeongju is a must for a trip, right? It is only about 30–40 minutes from Pohang, so it is one of the places my husband and I visit often too, haha.

There are so many great places to eat in Gyeongju that choosing is always hard, but this time we decided on a wholesome meal of seafood braise and abalone porridge made with abalones caught in Wando, at a restaurant famous among Gyeongju locals, haha.

Wando Cham Jeonbokjip Location and Visit Tips

Location: 48 Alcheonnam-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk Hours: 11:00–15:00 Takeout: available 16:30–19:00 / closed every Sunday Parking: roadside parking is available near the restaurant Waiting: reservations are required on weekends or for private-room seating

An abalone restaurant near Gyeongju Terminal

Wando Cham Jeonbokjip (완도참전복집) is close to Gyeongju Terminal. It is close enough for visitors traveling by bus to get there easily by public transportation or taxi, so keep that in mind 😊

If you are driving, there is roadside parking nearby as well as a public parking lot, so parking should not be too difficult 🅿️

We hurried over to arrive before lunchtime, getting there around 11:30, but by noon it was already bustling with diners! There are private rooms too, so groups should reserve ahead for a more private meal.

A Spotless Interior and a Home-Cooked Korean Table

For a local restaurant, the interior was TOP ❗ It felt like a restaurant with years of experience, but it was very clean overall. There was not a speck of dust on the floor or tables either.

As you would expect from an abalone specialist, there were many different abalone dishes. We wanted to try a variety, so we ordered the abalone seafood braise and abalone porridge ✌️ The smell of the owner cooking was already drifting over, and I was sooo hungry 🤣

By the entrance, there were loads of fresh abalones like this. When they cook them so freshly caught, how could they not taste good, right? Haha.

??????????? Ah, it has been so long since I had a Korean meal like thisㅠ Since we are still newlyweds, we tend to make just one-dish meals at home, so I had missed a table like Mom's home cooking. My heart rate was through the roof 🤤🤤🤤

Starting with the side dishes, the seasoning was absolutely spot-on, and every single one was delicious. The owner is clearly a great cook ❗

Seafood Braise with Four Abalones and Rich Abalone Porridge

• Small seafood braise ₩31,000
• Abalone porridge ₩12,000

Finally, the main dishes 〰️〰️〰️ The table was packed with all the side dishes and mains. We ordered greedily, but there really was so much that three adults could easily finish it!

The star of the day: abalone seafood braise. Honestly, I did not expect there to be much abalone, but it was such a substantial dish with four big abalones.

There was also one large whole webfoot octopus, so we cut up both it and the abalones properly. They were so big that you could not just take a bite out of them, hahaha.

It also had a great variety of ingredients, including shrimp, sliced rice cakes, mideodeok (sea squirt), and goni (fish milt), which made it fun to eat, haha. Looking at it again while writing this post makes me want it all over again 😂

Next up, the abalone porridge...! One bite of the rich porridge, with abalone innards fully infused into it, really felt like eating a nourishing health foodㅠㅠ The seasoning was just right and it was full of flavor, so I immediately thought I would love to bring my parents here 🥹

The diners ranged from couples to families, and there were lots of older guests too. It really seemed to be a well-known local favorite in Gyeongju!!

A Gyeongju Korean Meal I Want to Have Again

• Recommended if you are looking for a Korean-food-focused meal
• Neatly prepared food
• Many good-value menu options

100% want to return 💛 I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Gyeongju 🤍