Being constantly horned at (we drove), climbing hills, seeking out waterfalls, peddling rail bikes around a cemetary and disturbing the diving ahjummas can work up an appetite! If in Jeju, do not pass up the chance to drop by the markets, eat abalone and down some beer with your fried chicken!

Munching in Markets:-

Korean markets are so amazing! The sea creatures on display are as fascinating as they are in any aquarium. Best of all, you can eat them (unlike in an aquarium)! Plus, there’s always stalls frying, steaming or boiling up tasty stuff that you can munch on as you explore. In Jeju, we visited the Dongmun Market, north side of the island and the Seokwipo Market in the south.

Photo highlights here:-

Dongmun Market

Address: Ildo 1(il)-dong, Cheju, Jeju-do, South Korea

Phone GPS: 7523001 (input phone no for driving directions using GPS in car)

No idea what these guys are but the ones on the right still alive!!

Have your sashimi and eat it too! Fresh from the stall.

These might make good venetian blinds …

Hallabong, hallabong, I could go on …

Besides the fruit that Jeju is so famous for, there are tonnes of other formats the Hallabong is made into as edible souvenirs to lug home.

No self-respecting market will be without these … Kimchi and other preserved veggies

Parking not readily available so must drive around a bit to suss out those elusive lots in between buildings

Seokwipo Market

Address:  22, Jungjeong-ro73beon-gil, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do

Phone GPS: 762-2925

Of course after eating in markets, one has to find proper meals! Here are some noteworthy places we ate at:-

Myeongjin Jeonbok Abalone Restaurant

Address: 1282 Haemajihaean-ro, Gujwa-eup, Cheju, Jeju-do

GPS Phone: 7829944

Quite a big place with ample parking out front; be prepared to wait during peak hours though and menu is limited to 4 items

Banchan to whet the appetite before the dishes came

The famous abalone porridge. Despite its dull and non-instagram-worthy appearance, it was steamingly good and comforting, especially on cool days.

More wholesome goodness in this hot stone rice adorned with sliced abalone. Definitely more instagram-worthy …

And wholesome cos it has chunks of pumpkin giving the rice a lift in taste with its natural sweetness

Unexpected was this hefty slab of grilled mackerel which came with the rice! We ingested it all of course

The famous Jeju abalones – 10 for about 30,000 won. Fat and succulent!

The abalone family, which was decimated happily!

Seongsun Ilchubong Diving Women’s Hut

Address: 284-12, Ilchul-ro, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do

Phone GPS: 7830959

So besides the Seongsun Ilchubong peak to be scaled, the place is also famous for diving women (Haenyo) who apparently will put on some diving performance twice a day. When we were there around noon, all the Haenyo were bundled up in sweaters and huddled in a circle downing soju. Definitely a better idea than heading into the cold, raging waves crashing against the black volcanic sand beach. With no upcoming performance, the alternative was to stumble into their “hut” and partake of some of the sea creatures they had netted.

Some shells of sorts fished out for inspection

A closer look at these guys

An octopus sits around the tank waiting to be carved up

Parts of the octo, the shell and abalone

So despite the sea creatures being the freshest they can be from the sea, they are not really the best consumed raw. Mostly tough and chewy, it was like gnawing on erasers with crunchy bits of sand …

Chimaek (Fried Chicken & Beer)Address: Almost everywhere …I would fly to Korea just to partake of Chimaek since it is the land of the ubiquitous double-fried chicken. In Jeju, the very friendly receptionist at Hotel Leo where we stayed (highly recommended for service excellence!) told us that BHC Chicken was the place to go to for our Chimaek fix. I would think that it is actually one of the best Korean fried chicken that I have ever ingested. Do not fret that it is only available in Jeju. We have since discovered that there are more than 1,000 stores across Korea so yes, buy a ticket to Seoul and make BHC your Better, Happier Choice (that’s what it stands for!).

We also stumbled upon this Chimaek store while wandering around the shopping street near our hotel at 10.30pm. It was packed with people having supper. Of course, we had to go in then. Going by an un-pronounceable name of ChiMcZip, not sure if there are any other branches outside this one in Jeju.

Besides sussing out local eats and fried chicken, we also spent our Korean Won in the GS25 convenience stores, Paris Baguette bakeries and my favourite hang-out for breakfast Angel-in-us cafe.