Hyeopjae Beach opening-time breakfast with a baby: Onjeong Jorim

The whole point of this Jeju trip was to do lots of ocean swimming with the baby. Hyeopjae Beach is one of the most recommended Jeju beaches for babies, and before swimming there we figured we'd better eat a solid meal first so we could enjoy playing with the baby afterward — so we visited Onjeong Jorim, which sits right in front of the beach.

Onjeong Jorim's location and hours

Onjeong Jorim

• Address: 328 Hallim-ro, Hallim-eup, Jeju-si
• Hours: 10:00 - 22:00
• Baby chair: Yes

Since we wanted to enjoy Hyeopjae Beach, we left the hotel early with our swimsuits packed and timed our visit to Onjeong Jorim's opening hour, planning to eat the crowd-pleasing hairtail stew — meal first, swim after, worked out perfectly. On top of that, the hairtail stew is great value, and if you'd like to try mackerel too, there's a mixed stew on the menu — worth keeping in mind.

Menu and prices, and what to order with a baby

Jeju manong hairtail stew: ₩15,000 per person Jeju manong mackerel stew: ₩15,000 per person Jeju manong mixed stew: ₩15,000 per person Grilled whole hairtail: ₩40,000 Grilled mackerel: ₩15,000

The Jeju manong hairtail stew, loaded with pungent garlic, requires a minimum order of two servings, and you can also try hairtail, mackerel, or a mixed stew of both. We worried about what to order for the baby since stew isn't ideal, but Onjeong Jorim also has reasonably priced grilled whole hairtail and grilled mackerel that work well for kids too. There's also boiled pork (suyuk) in different sizes to add on the side.

How were the side dishes?

The side dishes were simple but all tasty. Maybe because we came straight after waking up for this great-value Hyeopjae hairtail stew, we were hungry and devoured every side dish. I cut up some bean sprouts and fish cake for the baby, who seemed to really enjoy them — haha, but you already had breakfast! If you're timing your visit around your baby's mealtime, definitely add a grilled option!

An ocean-view seat right in front of Hyeopjae Beach

Since we came for the great-value Hyeopjae hairtail stew, we ordered the hairtail, and it seemed like most other tables were ordering the same. Being right in front of Hyeopjae Beach, the location was great, and lots of travelers were passing through, including plenty of people eating with their suitcases in tow. Thanks to the reasonable prices, young students and couples were dining there too, all enjoying good value. Prices in Jeju have gone up a lot these days, so eating isn't cheap — but being able to eat hairtail with an ocean view like this right in front of you, no wonder it's so popular.

How spicy is the Jeju manong hairtail stew?

The Jeju manong hairtail stew is packed with pungent garlic, so the sauce is quite intense, and for us spice-wimps as a couple, it was a bit too spicy. Since the baby had already eaten breakfast before we came, we didn't order a grilled dish separately, but the baby clearly had trouble with the stew, so I'd really recommend getting a grilled option at Onjeong Jorim if you're with a child. That said, it's very much to adult tastes — it's the ultimate rice-thief, so we ended up adding an extra bowl of rice. The sauce is thick and full of flavor, and our chopsticks kept going back for more.

Hairtail size and waiting time

The hairtail pieces in the stew were also fairly large. We carefully picked out the flesh to eat together, and it was delicious. Hairtail is a fish pretty much everyone likes, no strong dislikes there, and combined with being such great-value hairtail stew right by Hyeopjae Beach, if you don't arrive at Onjeong Jorim's opening time, you'll likely face a fairly long wait during peak season. That's how popular this affordably priced hairtail stew is.

Good to know before you go

We also tried piling rice and hairtail stew onto seaweed, and it was really delicious — a solid, satisfying breakfast. Since it's a stew dish, cooking takes a bit of time, so if you're planning to visit Onjeong Jorim in front of Hyeopjae Beach, it's a good idea to arrive a bit earlier or build some extra buffer into your schedule. After eating our fill of hairtail stew and rice, we headed off to enjoy the ocean at Hyeopjae Beach with the baby — that sauce really is the highlight, and I find myself craving it again already.