Nohyeong-dong charcoal BBQ in Jeju: raw galbi and black pork belly

Mon–Sun 16:00–23:00

Why we chose Jeju Boncham Sutbul Galbi for our last dinner near Jeju Airport

On the last night of our Jeju trip, we were trying to decide where to eat and ended up at Jeju Boncham Sutbul Galbi. We're the kind of couple who hates wasting travel time going back and forth, so before our flight back to Seoul, we decided to have dinner somewhere near Jeju Airport. Rather than travel far from the airport and come all the way back, it was much more efficient to eat great meat in Jeju until the very last moment and then head straight to the airport.

There's a spot near the restaurant with free 2-hour parking, so we didn't have to worry about that at all. If you're looking for somewhere to eat near Jeju Airport, the location is pretty convenient too.

Why we added raw galbi to the black pork order

Our original plan was simple: since we were in Jeju, let's eat black pork belly. But the owner strongly recommended the fresh raw ribs, saying they were really delicious. He was so confident about it that we got curious and ordered both the raw ribs and the black pork together.

Side dishes and the blue crab seafood doenjang stew

After we ordered, the table filled up with basic side dishes — lettuce wraps, dressed greens, shredded scallion, salad, steamed egg, and so on. One thing that was a little different from other BBQ places was the aged kimchi they served. If you love kimchi, that's a real treat! We also ordered doenjang (soybean paste) stew, which is a must with grilled meat — here it's a seafood version made with blue crab, and the broth was refreshing and delicious from the first spoonful.

The owner put mel-jeot (fermented anchovy sauce) on the grill along with the meat and grilled it all himself with real care. It was great not having to grill it ourselves — we could just relax and chat while we ate.

Raw galbi: one bite in, we wished we had ordered two servings

Finally, we tried the fresh raw ribs the owner had recommended so strongly. Wow… the moment I took one bite, I immediately understood why he was so confident. It was genuinely delicious. You could really taste the savory flavor and juiciness of the ribs themselves, and it got better the more I chewed. Honestly, I hadn't planned on ordering raw ribs at all, but the moment I took a bite I thought, 'We should have ordered two servings of raw ribs...' and regretted it right there 🥹

We wrapped it in aged kimchi, wrapped it in lettuce, ate it with shredded scallion — it was fun trying different combinations. But in the end, what tasted best was... just eating the raw ribs plain! Genuinely, eating the meat with nothing added at all was the tastiest way. Because the base ingredient itself is a total powerhouse, haha. Rather than having sauce or wraps mask the flavor of the meat, it was so much better to fully taste the raw ribs on their own. I was glad I trusted the owner's recommendation.

Black pork belly dipped in mel-jeot

That's not to say the black pork belly was disappointing either. The pork belly came in thick cuts, and grilling it golden brown over charcoal was delicious. Dipping it straight into mel-jeot really brought out the charm of eating black pork in Jeju. Going back and forth between the raw ribs and the black pork, each had such a distinct flavor that I was glad we ordered both.

Cold noodles to finish, in a room full of locals

After eating our fill of meat, we finished with an order of cold noodles for dessert. You really have to finish grilled meat with cold noodles for a perfect meal. We were so absorbed in eating that before we knew it, the table was packed edge to edge with food 😋

At some point I looked around and noticed that most of the other customers looked like locals. We were the only ones who looked like tourists, which was almost a little embarrassing 😅 But seeing that actually made me think, 'Ah, this is a real local favorite.' Famous places that draw lots of tourists are great too, but personally I'm even happier to find spots that locals keep coming back to. When it comes to eating meat in Jeju, tourist favorites are nice, but a true local favorite is really the best.

Who should eat at Jeju Boncham Sutbul Galbi?

I'd especially recommend this to people like us, looking for somewhere to eat dinner near Jeju Airport before their flight on the last day of a Jeju trip. Parking was easy, the owner grilled everything for us, and we got to eat a hearty meal of fresh raw ribs, black pork belly, aged kimchi, seafood doenjang stew, and cold noodles.

If you're looking for good food in Nohyeong-dong, Jeju, or a truly Jeju-style meat meal near Jeju Airport, I recommend Jeju Boncham Sutbul Galbi. Especially the fresh raw ribs — trust the owner's recommendation and be sure to try them! Next time we come back to Jeju, I think we'll start by ordering two servings of raw ribs!!