Jeju Airport black pork restaurant with a Hallasan somaek: Pork80

You have to eat black pork on a Jeju trip, right? Haha. This is Nanchuk Matdon Pork80, famous as a black pork restaurant near Jeju Airport. It's open daily 11:30–23:30, with last order at 22:30.

What is Nanchuk Matdon black pork?

Nanchuk Matdon apparently means "delicious pig (돈) made by the Nanji Livestock Research Center" 🐷. I was curious what the name meant!!!

It's a breed created by crossing Jeju's native black pig with the Landrace breed, known for a deep, rich flavor, juicy meat, and a savory taste!! This place is also famous for a visit from Choiza. If you're someone who chases down good restaurants, you might have heard of it before. I found it while looking for a black pork restaurant in Jeju, and knowing Choiza had been here made me look forward to it even more haha. Going in person, the atmosphere was nice and the meat was delicious, so I was satisfied.

Inside Pork80 Jeju Airport Branch: atmosphere and seating

Right in front of the store is the charcoal grill bar~~~ nice and warm 🔥 Walking into Nanchuk Matdon Pork80, the vibe is a bit different from a typical BBQ place~~~ the meat is kept in a separate refrigerated showcase, so it feels like each piece is being shown off individually, which was impressive!! There's also a bar-style counter on one side where you can watch the staff prep the ingredients. Seeing the prep happen in an open space somehow made me trust the place more, haha.

The tables and the store have a retro feel!!!! A slight old-school atmosphere, but still clean~ overall a comfortable feeling! The charcoal-grill tables were nice and spacious. Plenty of room to lay out the meat and side dishes while eating. Every table already has tableware and small plates set up!! And something I quietly appreciated was that there's space under the chairs to store your bag haha.

Overall, the retro atmosphere combined with the warm feeling of a charcoal BBQ spot made Nanchuk Matdon Pork80 great!!

Staff grilling comes only with Nanchuk Matdon

How to enjoy Nanchuk Matdon best~~~ apparently the grilling service is only offered for Nanchuk Matdon! The staff grill all the meat for you, so we could just sit comfortably and eat, and the atmosphere was also very much to my liking. 🐷

When they recommend dipping it generously in the braised mel, you'd better follow the advice exactly, hahaha.

The 600g Nanchuk Matdon plate and the side dish spread

We ordered Nanchuk Matdon, something you can't easily try elsewhere! We got the 600g single plate! It comes with pork belly, neck, and collar cuts! The side dishes were also generous! The whole table was full!!!!

From fresh kimchi to seasoned raw crab!!! And the scallion salad was tangy and sweet and delicious!!!⭐️💗⭐️💗

Hallasan soju with Terra draft: a Jeju somaek

Since it was our last day in Jeju, we had to have a drink~~~~ they had Hallasan~~ and also sold Terra draft beer, so we ordered that!! Took a couple sips, then poured in two shots of Hallasan each to make Jeju soju-beer~~~~~~

The charcoal was so good! Sparkling and blazing away on the grill!! And there was a vent on the side that sucked up all the smoke, so no smoke rose up, which was great~

The Nanchuk Matdon plate came out~~~~ with cute king oyster mushrooms and fresh scallions!!!!

At a BBQ place, grilling the meat yourself is honestly a bit of a chore. Especially when you've come to Jeju to enjoy good food, and end up too busy grilling to relax—it can be a little disappointing.

But at Nanchuk Matdon Pork80, having the staff grill everything for us was really nice. The staff grilled the meat deliciously, so we could just sit comfortably and chat while eating!!! It felt like resting comfortably while eating delicious black pork during our Jeju trip haha.

And the highlight! The braised mel and matcha salt! Something you can only find in Jeju~~~~ they grilled it so well~ and answered our questions kindly too! Apparently Nanchuk Matdon is only served at about 4 places even in Jeju, so it's a rare black pork restaurant~

How did the fat on the Nanchuk Matdon taste?

Taste is definitely what matters most for meat! I especially liked the fat parts. Black pork's fat being chewy and savory is its charm, and here the fat felt firm yet turned soft when chewed, which was delicious. Not mushy or greasy fat, but something with a satisfying bite that still went down smoothly!! The savory flavor was great and the juiciness blended in, so I kept reaching for more haha.

Their skill in grilling evenly on all sides was next level~~~~ once cooked, it was kept warm in a spot on the grill~ and they even topped it with nicely grilled scallions!! My husband pointed out the grade stamp on the skin, laughing, saying "this really is Nanchuk Matdon" haha.

They grilled carefully, adjusting the heat of the good charcoal! A mix of Nanchuk Matdon pork belly, neck, and collar~~~ plenty of seasoned raw crab, packed with meat~ and eaten neatly with the tangy scallion salad!

Braised mel that wasn't too salty

Speaking of Jeju black pork, you can't leave out mel-jeot (fermented anchovy sauce). But sometimes the distinct saltiness or smell of mel-jeot can feel a bit much for me. Here, the braised mel wasn't overwhelming, which I liked. Eaten together with the meat, the saltiness wasn't too strong and didn't overpower the meat's flavor—it paired well. Adding the braised mel to the savory black pork gave it a whole new dimension of flavor. I think both mel-jeot lovers and those who usually find it a bit much would be able to enjoy this comfortably!!

They told us mixing rice into it was also delicious, so we tried it right away~~~~ with the braised mel and tofu in it, it's basically a mel stew!!! So so delicious haha.

Is Pork80 Jeju Airport Branch worth it?

This visit to Nanchuk Matdon Pork80 had delicious meat, but what stood out most was that the staff grilled everything and the relaxed atmosphere. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to eat good black pork in Jeju but doesn't want the hassle of grilling it themselves haha. Since Choiza has apparently visited too, it's worth keeping in mind if you're looking for a good black pork restaurant in Jeju. I really enjoyed the firm-yet-soft texture of the fat, and the braised mel wasn't too much, which was satisfying.

The charcoal did its job perfectly~ and there's even Jeju ice cream for a Naver receipt review! Reservations were easy too~ I was very satisfied! If you want black pork in Jeju, I recommend this place! 🐷