Aewol noodle shop with mild level-1 mala pork noodles: Handam Guksu

One of the dishes you absolutely have to eat on a Jeju trip is gogigguksu (pork noodle soup) 🍜 This time I visited Handam Guksu, a pork noodle restaurant near Handam Beach in Aewol, Jeju, and both the food and the atmosphere were so satisfying that I have to share. If you're looking for a good pork noodle spot in Aewol, Jeju, stick around 🙏🏻🥰

Hours and parking at Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch

Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch is open 10:00–20:30, with a break time from 15:30–17:30, and last order at 19:50. There are 3 parking spots in front of the restaurant, and you also get 1 hour free at either Randy's Donuts parking lot or Handam Trail parking lot.

Exterior

Interior

Ocean-view seats right across from Handam Beach

Handam Guksu, this pork noodle spot in Aewol, Jeju, sits right in front of Handam Beach, so it's a real view spot. You can watch the sea while you eat. Handam Beach visible just beyond is so pretty!! It was the perfect place to zone out at the ocean and take a little break during the trip.

The interior was clean and comfortable, so it seemed like a lot of families were visiting. They even have baby chairs!! I heard it's popular with locals as well as tourists in Aewol, so my expectations were high.

On my nth trip to Jeju, tired of pork noodles? Try the mala pork noodles

Here's the great thing about Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch — they sell mala pork noodles! Since this is now my nth trip to Jeju, I've had so much regular gogigguksu that I was getting a bit tired of it, and here comes mala pork noodles!! They also have dongchimi bibim noodles, which is refreshing and perfect for summer.

What we ordered

• Mala pork noodles
• Dongchimi bibim noodles
• Dombe naengsuyuk

Self-serve banchan — the soy-marinated radish is a hidden gem

You grab kimchi and radish and other banchan from the self-serve bar, and they also had baby forks and bowls ready.

Doesn't the kimchi and radish already smell like a good restaurant? I've always only seen radish tossed in red seasoning, so seeing it marinated in soy sauce for the first time was a surprise — and it was delicious too!

Ta-da. Mala pork noodles, dongchimi bibim noodles, and dombe naengsuyuk — isn't this the perfect spread?

The mala pork noodles are about as spicy as mala tang level 1

Wow, the broth alone is perfect. The mala flavor isn't too strong, it's just right, so everyone can enjoy it without any real dislikes!! About mala tang level 1, maybe? It really keeps the essence of gogigguksu intact while bringing out the mala flavor — mala pork noodles that catch two rabbits at once.

For the dongchimi bibim noodles, pour in the broth

For the dongchimi bibim noodles, they give you dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth separately to pour in and mix. It was so hot outside, and having something cold go in felt amazing. The combination of the cold broth and the sweet-and-tangy seasoning was really good. Thanks to the tangy yet clean flavor, alternating between this and the mala pork noodles made everything taste even better.

Dombe naengsuyuk, the noodles, and the portion size

And the cold dombe pork slices are thin and so tender, with just the right chewiness — totally my style. Jeju-raised pork is piled generously on top of the rich broth.

The noodle thickness was just right, and wrapping the chewy noodles with the tender meat together was so delicious. And the portion was genuinely huge — I kept eating and eating and it never seemed to run out. It has a different charm from regular pork noodles, so I recommend it to anyone who's now tired of ordinary gogigguksu!

The kimchi is totally amazing too!!

And the wasabi and sauce that come with the dombe pork are the real kicker 👍🏻👍🏻

Recommended combo: bibim noodles + dombe pork

When you order the bibim noodles, definitely order the dombe pork too and wrap them together like this~!! The seasoning from the bibim noodles meeting the dombe pork makes it even more delicious.

With the radish too! It really felt like meeting the pork noodles of my life. Mala meeting gogigguksu, of all things. Even back in Busan I keep thinking about it — where do I find this again...? ㅠㅠ

The meat's texture is chewy and delicious, and it's perfect for lunch in Aewol! I heard the handmade black pork tteokgalbi and the lean meat gukbap are also popular menu items, so I'll have to try those next time haha. If you're looking for a good pork noodle spot in Aewol, I recommend Handam Guksu, where the mala pork noodles and dongchimi bibim noodles are both excellent 👍🏻