Muneui squid sashimi with sushi rice at Jeju Bambam, a Nohyeong

Where is Jeju Bambam?

Today I'm introducing a Jeju Nohyeong favorite, an izakaya known for its muneui squid (patterned squid) dishes — Jeju Bambam.

The restaurant sits about 10 minutes by car from Jeju Airport, right in front of Nohyeong Tteuranchae Apartment.

Exterior

The Jeju Bambam sign stands out right away. At the wood-finished entrance, a photo of the signature muneui squid dish is on display.

Interior and seating

The interior fits about 34 diners and is done up in wood-tone decor, giving it a cozy feel — the tables and seats are spacious, so we had a comfortable time.

We came in early evening, and since there weren't many other guests, it was quiet and easy to talk.

There's a partitioned area that feels somewhat private, and it's easy to use if you book ahead. A mural on the wall adds a distinctive touch, like a Japanese izakaya.

Menu and drinks

There's a good variety of well-priced sets that include muneui squid.

Beyond the sets, there are lighter dishes that go well with a drink. Side dishes are available after ordering a main.

You can choose from various types of sake, draft beer, soju, wine, and highballs.

Write a Naver receipt review and you'll get a soju, beer, or drink on the house.

A whiteboard at the entrance lists the origin of ingredients.

What we ordered and the basic side dishes

We ordered muneui squid for ₩70,000, vegetable mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) for ₩9,000, and somyeon noodles for ₩3,000.

The basic side dishes served were peas, radish salad, and sausage.

The sausage and egg salad that comes as a basic side is great for a light drink before the main dish arrives. Note that extra orders cost ₩2,000.

To help you enjoy the meal, sushi rice, salted pollock roe, wasabi, white kimchi seaweed, pickled radish, and sesame oil sauce are all served together.

The No-Face-shaped soy sauce bottle is adorable. We set out the seaweed and edamame on the table while waiting for the food.

The sushi rice arrived neatly plated on a wooden cutting board.

Black sesame seeds are sprinkled over the salted pollock roe, and it's delicious just placed on seaweed and rice.

A cute wine-glass-shaped Cheongha soju cup! It's such a small, adorable size that it makes you want to buy one for yourself haha.

How did the muneui squid taste?

Today's star, the muneui squid, is presented in an elegant flower-shaped plating paired with perilla leaves.

Seeing the neatly sliced muneui squid with such an upscale look made my mouth water.

The wing portion is served with perilla leaves, and it's especially tasty eaten in the mulhoe or as a spicy raw fish salad.

I tried it with just a light dip in squid-ink salt, and the squid's natural sweetness came through strongly, with an outstanding chewy, springy texture.

I also tried it dipped in sesame oil sauce, and a nutty aroma filled my mouth while the chewy texture came alive.

You have to try the seaweed + sushi rice + squid combo. It's a fantastic flavor.

Top the seaweed with sushi rice and salted pollock roe. The pairing of nutty seaweed and salty roe worked really well.

Finishing with vegetable mulhoe and somyeon

The vegetable mulhoe was packed with fresh vegetables.

Adding the perilla leaves served alongside the main bowl into the mulhoe made it hard to stop eating, thanks to the crunchy vegetables and the tangy-sweet broth.

We ordered the noodles separately. The somyeon came topped with cucumber and a container of sauce.

We tried some as a mixed noodle dish too. We drizzled on gochujang-based sauce evenly to make it a bibim style. Eating the vegetables and noodles together, the tangy-sweet mixed flavor was really appetizing.

We finished the rest by dunking the noodles into the mulhoe broth. We wrapped up the meal with a bowl of tangy-sweet mulhoe.