Jeju pork noodle restaurant for an early meal: Myeonjumak

Myeonjumak Jeju Main Branch on Beonyeong-ro in Jocheon-eup

If I had to pick the very first food I need to eat on a trip to Jeju, I would say pork noodles—I really, really love Jeju pork noodles!! This time, I visited Myeonjumak Jeju Main Branch, a true local favorite on Beonyeong-ro in Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si, which closes by early afternoon!! Just looking at the Naver reviews and visitor count, you can tell that so many people come here to eat.

• Address: 1F, 1143 Beonyeong-ro, Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea (제주 제주시 조천읍 번영로 1143 1층 면주막)
• Hours: 09:00–15:00
• Last order: 14:30
• Closed September 25 for Chuseok
• Parking: Available in front of the restaurant

Here is the exterior!! The parking area is so spacious that even a beginner driver like me could park with no trouble and head inside, haha.

A spacious, comfortable interior for dining with children

Here is the inside! We arrived right when it opened and were the first ones in, so there was nobody there at first, but customers soon started arriving one by one, haha. The restaurant was really spacious and pleasant, so it looked great for group visits too.

There were plenty of high chairs ready for children, so it looked like a comfortable place to eat with little ones. There was also a certification document saying they use 100% Jeju black pork raised directly on Jeju~!

From pork noodles to abalone mixed noodles

Here is the menu!! They also have baby noodles for little ones, and I heard they are free for children up to 36 months old : ) The noodle options included pork noodles, anchovy noodles, cold anchovy noodles, anchovy-and-pork-broth noodles, mixed noodles, sea-snail mixed noodles, and abalone mixed noodles~! They also had bean sprout soup with rice, pork soup with rice, and abalone porridge, plus plenty of sides to enjoy alongside everything!!

Freshly boiled dombe-gogi at 9 a.m.

They use freshly slaughtered Jeju black pork, and the dombe-gogi is boiled at 9 a.m. and noon!! No wonder the dombe-gogi we ate as soon as we arrived at 9 was incredibly springy and tender.

Dombe-gogi may be unfamiliar to some of you. It is a local Jeju dish of freshly boiled black pork, served on a wooden cutting board and sliced from the whole piece!! “Dombe” is apparently the Jeju dialect word for a cutting board, haha. (That was new to me too.) You can think of it as similar to suyuk (boiled sliced pork), but Jeju black pigs grow on an island without big day-to-night temperature swings, so they experience less stress and are said to be healthier, producing especially high-quality meat~

They work with Dongnam Jemyeon, a noodle maker with 50 years of tradition, and they also make and sell their own kimchi. The kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) tasted bright and crisp, like they had just been made, and they cut through the richness of the pork noodles perfectly.

Ordering was easy with the kiosk at each table~ On one side, there were seaweed flakes, chili powder, pepper, and salt. I noticed they carefully wrote down the date every time the containers were refilled. I was genuinely touched by that level of cleanliness and care!!

Generous, springy dombe-gogi and noodles

We got a half portion of dombe-gogi made with 100% Jeju black pork from a certified Jeju pork seller! Is this really a half portion? A whole platter came piled with firm, springy dombe-gogi—the portion was huge, and the meat was wonderfully fresh and chewy.

I ordered pork noodles, and my boyfriend ordered spicy mixed pork noodles!! There was plenty of lettuce, peppers, garlic, ssamjang (savory soybean dipping paste), and gochujang (Korean chili paste). Can you see the size of those noodle portions? There was seriously so much that I thought I might burst, hahaha.

The pork noodles had a hot, deeply flavored broth!! I sprinkled on pepper to taste, and it was absolute heaven!~

The mixed noodles were seriously memorable!! I wonder if they make the noodle sauce themselves—it was so tangy and sweet that it instantly made my mouth water!! Put a piece of dombe-gogi on top and take a bite, and it tastes like you have completed your whole Jeju trip, hahaha.

Every single menu item tasted like it had been made with real care~ The portions were enormous and the quality was excellent, so this is a true must-visit local restaurant in Jeju, hahaha. And because the portions are so big, do not snack beforehand—come hungry, eat until you burst, and go home happy!! I would return 100%; officially approved as a great restaurant near Saryeoni Forest Path.