Hamdeok Beach black pork restaurant salt tasting: Jeju Samchun

One of the things you’d really miss on a Jeju trip is black pork, right? This time, I visited Jeju Samchun’s Hamdeok branch near Hamdeok Beach.

Rather than simply being a place to eat meat, it lets you enjoy something a little different through the aging, smoking, and grilling process, so I had high expectations. After trying it myself, I could understand why so many people seek it out as a black pork spot in Hamdeok. 😊

They say the combination of black pork aged for over 300 hours and grapevine is something you can taste only at Jeju Samchun. Jeju Samchun had me excited from the entrance already.

Jeju Samchun location and visitor information

Jeju Samchun’s Hamdeok branch is at 537-1 Sinbuk-ro, Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si. It is close to Hamdeok Beach, making it a good spot for a meal after looking around the shore. It is a one-minute walk toward Hallasan from the Hamdeok Olive Young intersection, and would be good for either lunch or dinner if you are planning to visit Jocheon or Hamdeok Beach.

• Hours: 12:00–23:00 / last order 22:00
• Parking: public parking is available nearby, and there is a free parking lot behind Hamdeok Olive Young with a green fence
• Reservations are available, with seating for groups

What are the exterior and interior like?

The exterior has the distinctive feel of a Jeju barbecue restaurant while still giving a relatively neat impression.

Once inside, it felt calmer and less cramped than I expected. In particular, the wide folding windows and front garden create a more relaxed feel than an ordinary barbecue restaurant.

The space was neatly arranged, so it seemed fine for a family meal as well as a visit with a partner or friends. High chairs are also available, which looked convenient for families.

A barbecue restaurant can easily get smoky and smell of meat, but the ventilation was good here, so there was hardly any meat smell.

Menu and ordering the Joka Set

Jeju Samchun sells individual cuts such as five-layer pork belly, pork jowl, and pork shoulder blade, as well as set menus centered on Jeju pork.

• Joka Set ₩60,000
• Samchun Set ₩96,000
• Harubang Set ₩132,000
• Pork neck, 300 g ₩36,000
• Five-layer pork belly, 200 g ₩24,000
• Black pork for two, 400 g ₩54,000

This time, we ordered the Joka Set.

How did the Joka Set arrive?

First, the basic table setting was neatly presented.

There were lettuce, chili peppers, and garlic as standard, plus cucumber kimchi, roasted seaweed, scallion salad, and white kimchi.

The dipping options were varied enough to keep things interesting: salted innards of cutlassfish, ssamjang (fermented soybean dipping paste), a special sauce, and breadcrumb salt, among others.

A feature of Jeju Samchun is that it pre-grills pork aged at low temperature for 300 hours, then adds grapevine smoking.

The aroma that gently rose as the ordered meat came out and went through the smoking process was quite impressive. The pork was thick and looked appetizing, and another plus was that the staff grilled it themselves, so we did not have to frantically cook while eating.

Take a bite of the well-grilled pork and it is pleasantly savory outside while moist within. The fatty parts were chewy and nutty, while the lean meat had the deep flavor distinctive to aged pork.

The grapevine smoke was not overpowering, either; it just gently complemented the black pork without greatly getting in the way of its own flavor.

Personally, rather than dipping it in lots of different sauces, I would recommend trying it first with just a little salt to appreciate the meat itself. 🥩

Side dishes to enjoy alongside the pork

There are also dishes to enjoy with the meat, including Samchun kimchi stew, seafood doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), hangover ramen, and janchi-guksu (banquet noodles). Samchun kimchi stew is introduced as a spicy, deeply flavored dish made with well-fermented kimchi and rich broth, while the seafood doenjang-jjigae includes seafood and blue crab. It is a good lineup for adding a meal dish after the pork, too.

A black pork meal after Hamdeok Beach

If you are looking for black pork near Hamdeok Beach, it is a solid choice location-wise. Above all, the 300-hour low-temperature aging → pre-grilling → grapevine smoking → staff grilling it themselves

process felt a little different from an ordinary black pork restaurant, and I was satisfied with the juices and chewy texture of the thick cuts. It seems best suited to people who want proper black pork in a clean, calm atmosphere rather than a flashily decorated tourist restaurant.

If you are planning a black pork meal after a trip to Hamdeok Beach, I recommend it to anyone looking for a Hamdeok black pork restaurant or a good place to eat in Jocheon.