Seogwipo Korean restaurant with a garden stroll: Jungmun Godeungeo Ssam-bap

Jeju is a big island, so we planned our trip by moving accommodations according to each route. We stayed in the Jungmun Tourist Complex, where there is so much to see and experience, and explored Jungmun and nearby Seogwipo.

After Cheonjeyeon Falls and the Jusangjeolli Cliffs, Jungmun Godeungeo Ssam-bap

After seeing Cheonjeyeon Falls and the Jusangjeolli Cliffs near Jungmun in Jeju, lunchtime came around, so we went with the kids to Jungmun Godeungeo Ssam-bap (중문고등어쌈밥) for old-kimchi mackerel wraps.

Jungmun Godeungeo Ssam-bap is only about a 5–10 minute drive from the Jungmun Tourist Complex, so it is easy to get to. If you are planning to visit attractions around Jungmun, it would be a great place to stop for lunch or dinner.

A spacious restaurant for even a late lunch

The restaurant is huge, with 480 seats in total, so it seemed like you could eat without waiting whenever you visit. There is no break time either, so a late lunch is possible.

The parking lot is also enormous, with room for as many as 10 large buses, so I think it is a good spot for tour groups too.

I also loved that there is a mini buffet inside where you can help yourself to extra side dishes. Along with spicy pork stir-fry and japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), there were more than 12 kinds of side dishes and all sorts of wrap vegetables—such generous portions that we had a truly hearty meal.

They reportedly offer abalone porridge free of charge to guests coming for breakfast, too. Since they open at 9:30 a.m., having a filling bowl of abalone porridge with breakfast sounds like a proper pick-me-up. Guests who arrive before noon are said to receive the porridge, so it could work nicely for a late breakfast as well.

We visited for a slightly late lunch, but there were still plenty of diners inside. With no break time, there was no pressure to rush over even if our itinerary ran late.

A 3,500-pyeong garden seen from the window

And what was really lovely was the large garden outside the restaurant. We could dine by floor-to-ceiling windows looking directly onto the charming garden.

The 3,500-pyeong garden has flowers that change with the seasons. From canola flowers and roses to snowy scenery, it was such an appealing place where you can enjoy a lovely view while dining in any season.

Self-bar side dishes and what we ordered

Just looking at the table full of banchan (Korean side dishes), you could tell how generous the owner is. The included side dishes were plentiful, and we could get any extras we wanted from the self-service bar. I recommend using the four-section plates to save table space.

We ordered two servings of old-kimchi mackerel wraps with abalone stone-pot rice, plus one serving of king grilled tilefish with abalone stone-pot rice. The mains were generous, and with so many side dishes too, the whole table was packed—it felt like we had come to a full Korean-course restaurant.

Boneless flower mackerel old-kimchi braise, limited to 30 servings a day

The old-kimchi mackerel arrived wrapped in aged kimchi. Even visually, it was clear that more care had gone into it than at other places, and the kimchi looked rather like a flower—so pretty, haha.

When I lifted the deeply cooked old kimchi, there was tender mackerel inside. As it turned out, this was the boneless flower mackerel old-kimchi braise, limited to just 30 servings a day, haha.

The boneless flower mackerel old-kimchi braise is not simply shaped like a pretty flower. It is made with fresh mackerel that has been prepared to use only soft, boneless fillets, making it easy to eat without tiny bones and more special than ordinary old-kimchi mackerel braise.

There was no need to pick out little bones, so we could mix the boneless fish straight into the rice. One bite with the spicy sauce, mackerel, and old kimchi had such wonderful savory depth—I was completely impressed.

The pot rice, made with abalone and seafood, was chewy and delicious too. Wrapping it with the mackerel, old kimchi, and greens meant getting both good nutrition and great flavor at once.

Crispy and moist king grilled tilefish

We also ordered the king grilled tilefish. It was enormous, and the flavor was incredible too. Tilefish is something we often eat in Jeju, but its springy flesh was especially good here; it was grilled crisp outside while remaining springy and moist within—enough to make tilefish my new favorite fish.

A squeeze of lemon makes it even fresher. It was delicious on its own with its nicely salty seasoning, but also tasty dipped in soy sauce, and the kids really enjoyed the grilled tilefish.

Later, we could pour water into the abalone pot rice and enjoy it as nurungji (scorched rice). With fragrant abalone and hijiki seaweed in it, it was absolutely delicious either plain or simply mixed with the soy sauce.

After our meal, we found various Jeju specialties for sale as well, so we bought one of each to share with the kids, haha.

A garden stroll after the meal

After finishing our meal, we came out to look around the 3,500-pyeong garden and take a walk. In autumn, pink muhly fills the garden, and it is apparently so beautiful and atmospheric that you might not need to go to a separate attraction.

We visited in late summer, so there was no pink muhly, haha. Instead, roses and other pretty flowers were in bloom.

We had a delicious, abundant meal and enjoyed pretty flowers in the garden in front of the restaurant, so it was a satisfying place to relax and take lovely photos during our Jeju trip.

It looked like a great choice for traveling with children or bringing parents along too, and I am 100% willing to revisit Jungmun Godeungeo Ssam-bap the next time I come to Jeju.