Udo abalone restaurant, windy-day lunch with Dad: Soseom Jeonbok

A spot for gau jeotgal (abalone innards salted seafood) as memorable as the chewy abalone itself: Soseom Jeonbok on Udo

Soseom Jeonbok (소섬전복) is an abalone restaurant near Geomeolle Beach on Udo Island. I ate at plenty of places during our Jeju trip, but this was the one Dad said satisfied him the most. Spicy, refreshing abalone hot pot, gau jeotgal to go with the abalone rice, and tender butter-grilled abalone, all at a reasonable price in one meal.

Where is Soseom Jeonbok on Udo?

Soseom Jeonbok is an abalone restaurant at 1158 Udohaean-gil, near Geomeolle Beach on Udo. It's open daily from 09:00 to 20:00, has a parking lot in front, accepts groups, and has high chairs too.

When you travel around Udo, deciding where to eat is always a dilemma. Since this was a trip with Dad, we didn't want hamburgers or jajangmyeon (black bean noodles), so I looked for a place where we could have a proper, filling meal.

The restaurant is fairly spacious, but it gets crowded at mealtimes, so keep that in mind if you're planning a lunch visit. It's also worth considering if you're looking for a meal near Geomeolle Beach, or want something hearty during an Udo bus tour.

What is the atmosphere like at Soseom Jeonbok?

The restaurant is a bright space with big picture windows looking out at the scenery. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was those windows. Sunlight pours in and you can see outside, so the whole place felt bright and clean.

With so much room, it looked fine for families too. When I visited, there were lots of middle-aged ladies among the customers, and I thought, okay, this has to be a good place. After eating, I felt I could confidently call it an Udo restaurant to visit with your parents. (You know, right? Moms never go just anywhere!)

What's in the Soseom Jeonbok Honryesang set, and how much is it?

The Honryesang set at Soseom Jeonbok is ₩48,000 and comes with two single dishes plus 6 butter-grilled abalone. That's what we ordered, and for the single dishes I picked the abalone hot pot!

What do Soseom Jeonbok's geu jeotgal and abalone rice taste like?

Surprisingly, what my chopsticks kept going back to at Soseom Jeonbok was the gau jeotgal (abalone innards salted seafood) served with the abalone rice. It was on the menu, and since it's not a jeotgal you see every day, my first thought was, what is this?? Turns out it's a real little devil~!??

At an abalone specialist I assumed the abalone hot pot or the butter-grilled abalone would stick with me most, but the thing I kept reaching for was the gau jeotgal. The side dishes were good too: black pork skewers and soy-marinated crab (ganjang gejang).

The abalone rice is full of sliced abalone and mixed with seaweed, and it was wonderfully nutty on its own.

And the gau jeotgal isn't very salty, so I could scoop up big helpings of it!!!

As recommended, I put the gau jeotgal on top of the abalone rice and ate them together: a slight saltiness and a huge savory depth. Maybe because I already love abalone innards, it totally hit my taste buds.

The gau jeotgal was delicious with rice, and just as good on the black pork skewers.

How were the abalone hot pot and butter-grilled abalone at Soseom Jeonbok?

What I liked first about the abalone hot pot was the broth: spicy, yet with a refreshing seafood flavor. It was incredibly windy that day, and after one sip my body and heart felt warmed and melted, haha. You know the feeling, right?

There was plenty of seafood in it too, so picking through the different ingredients was fun. Eating the warm broth with rice felt like a properly filling meal.

If you like refreshing seafood broth dishes, I think you'll be satisfied.

The butter-grilled abalone that came with the Honryesang set was 6 pieces, with a faint butter aroma and a tender texture.

The butter-grilled abalone wasn't tough at all, so it was easy to enjoy. The special pairing of abalone rice with gau jeotgal, the refreshing hot pot broth and the tender butter-grilled abalone, all on one table, is the strength of the Honryesang set, so I recommend it.

Is Soseom Jeonbok a good lunch on Udo with your parents?

Soseom Jeonbok was a place where we could taste abalone in several ways and have a filling meal. The spicy, refreshing abalone hot pot was good, but what I remember most is eating the abalone rice topped with gau jeotgal. Above all, Dad said it was the most satisfying meal of our Jeju trip, so if you're traveling with your parents, I'm sure they'll be happy.