Abalone porridge for two with 12-dish seafood table in Gangneung

Gangneung Jeonbok Haenyeo Village is a Gangneung breakfast spot that cooks abalone porridge to order in a pressure pot and serves it alongside a haenyeo (female diver) table made up of 12 or more dishes.

Instead of ladling out porridge that's been simmering all day, they cook a fresh pot for each table after you order, and I heard they use live abalone caught that day rather than frozen.

It's not just abalone porridge on its own either — you get boiled pork, seafood, mulhoe, and more all on one table, which is what makes Gangneung Jeonbok Haenyeo Village stand out.

My husband and I booked ahead through Naver for breakfast. We were looking for a solid breakfast spot in Gangneung and found this place — the spread turned out to be much more varied than we expected.

Where is Gangneung Jeonbok Haenyeo Village and is there parking?

It's right in front of St. Johns Hotel in Gangmun, so even on a first visit it wasn't hard to find.

There was a spacious parking lot, and the restaurant covered the parking fee for us.

What's the interior like?

The first floor had a lot of tables and felt clean and spacious overall.

On the walls, there were paintings depicting haenyeo divers and a space introducing a sanggun haenyeo (a senior-ranked diver).

Going up to the second floor, the floor-to-ceiling windows and lighting gave it a cafe-like atmosphere. With plenty of tables and space, it looked good for family meals or larger group gatherings too.

Curious about the pressure-pot abalone porridge?

We ordered the pressure-pot abalone porridge for two. It's cooked in a pressure pot only after the order comes in, then served fresh at the table. They noted they use live abalone rather than frozen, and the haenyeo table can vary depending on what ingredients are available that day.

What comes with the haenyeo table?

Ordering the abalone porridge comes with a haenyeo table of 12 or more dishes, including seafood, boiled pork, mulhoe, and grilled fish. It's not just a couple of side dishes tacked on — it fills the whole table, so we ended up eating a hearty breakfast.

Warm steamed abalone and whelk.

Mulhoe with vegetables and seafood in a tangy broth.

The thinly sliced boiled pork came with a side of chive salad.

And a whole fish, grilled to a nice golden brown.

How was the abalone porridge itself?

There was so much abalone you could see it clearly throughout, and since it's cooked straight in the pressure pot, it arrives nice and warm.

Eating it plain was good, but adding a bit of green onion kimchi or jeotgal (salted seafood) here and there gave it a nice change of flavor.

At the time of our visit they were also running a Naver receipt review event, and we got some conch (sora) as a thank-you for our review.

Was it a good breakfast choice in Gangneung?

If you were picturing a single bowl of abalone porridge, the full haenyeo table spread makes for quite a difference. I'd recommend it if you want a hearty breakfast near St. Johns Hotel and Gangmun Beach, or if you're looking for a Gangneung breakfast spot to bring your parents to^^

My husband and I came for breakfast, and getting to eat everything from abalone porridge to a whole spread of seafood left us satisfied and full.

Gangneung Jeonbok Haenyeo Village info

• Address: 286-1 Haean-ro, Building B, 1st-2nd floor, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• Hours: 08:00 - 15:30
• Last order: 14:50
• Closed: Every Tuesday
• Reservation: Naver Reservation
• Parking: Available