Hamdeok black pork BBQ with Dad, breadcrumb-salt belly: Jeju Samchun

Jeju Samchun is a black pork spot in Hamdeok that's extra convenient thanks to its grilling service.

Black pork is usually dipped in meljeot (salted fermented anchovy sauce), that's the classic way, but near Hamdeok Beach I found a slightly different combo. Breadcrumb salt!

It went especially well with the pork belly, I thought? This is Jeju Samchun (제주삼춘), the black pork restaurant near Hamdeok Beach.

Where is Jeju Samchun, and was there a wait?

Jeju Samchun is at 537-1 Sinbuk-ro, Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si, near the Hamdeok Beach public parking lot. You can park in the public lot or in front of the restaurant, which makes it a great fit for travelers!

I went on a weekday before 6 PM and, luckily, got seated right away with no wait. Customers kept coming in after that and it filled up fast, so I was glad I came early!

Jeju Samchun's atmosphere and the 500g Jocha Set

Inside, Jeju Samchun felt clean overall. The back is good for big groups, and the front has a garden-style space that caught my eye.

I ordered the Jocha Set (조카세트). It's 500g for ₩60,000, and the main cuts were neck and pork belly. Since Jeju Samchun has a grilling service, you can relax and focus on eating.

The meat is Jeju pork certified by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, so it feels trustworthy, and I'm told the black pork is aged at low temperature for 300 hours and then smoked with grapevine wood chips before it comes out.

Jocha Set neck vs. pork belly: which was better?

The Jocha Set comes with neck, pork belly and more. The neck was perfectly fine, but the one I personally enjoyed more that day was the pork belly.

The rich, nutty flavor that's unique to pork belly suited my taste better than the other cuts.

A trip for two with Dad, and the staff did the grilling

This trip was just me and my dad, so grilling could have been a hassle, but at Jeju Samchun they grill everything to just the right doneness, which was really convenient!

And the meat was more memorable with a dipping sauce than on its own. The star is the breadcrumb salt I'll introduce next.

Pork belly with breadcrumb salt: what does it taste like?

Jeju Samchun's breadcrumb salt is a dipping salt made by mixing breadcrumbs and salt. I'd actually already tried dipping pork in breadcrumbs in Cheonan, you know? But at Jeju Samchun, the Hamdeok black pork spot, they had breadcrumb salt, with the breadcrumbs and salt mixed together.

You take well-grilled pork belly with just the right amount of fat and dip it in the nutty breadcrumb salt. Even when I dunked it in deep, it wasn't too salty, and it was delicious.

The richness of the pork fat and the crunchy, salty breadcrumb salt really went well with the pork belly.

Jeju Samchun's side dishes and sauces: cucumber salad, Maldon salt, shiitake wasabi

Jeju Samchun has a good variety of side dishes and sauces to go with the meat. The cucumber salad (oi-muchim) in particular is sooo refreshing and delicious. Both Dad and I fell for it,,

The Maldon salt and shiitake wasabi were good too!

About the cucumber salad I'm raving over: keep eating meat and it can get a little greasy, but eating it alongside gave a fresh, light balance.

With plenty of sauces and things to pair with the meat, you can eat in different combos without getting bored, which I think is a strength of Jeju Samchun.

If you want black pork near Hamdeok Beach

Staff grill the meat for you at Jeju Samchun, so you can eat comfortably no matter who you come with, and it was a place where I could eat Jeju black pork at a reasonable price.

The pork belly and breadcrumb salt combo was even better than I expected, so if you're looking for a black pork place in Hamdeok, check the cuts, set sizes and dipping sauces carefully before choosing. Personally, when I want a proper black pork meal, Jeju Samchun is a good choice.