Jeju 4-Day Itinerary: Day Three

Read Day 1 here - Hallim Park, BBQ Pork

Read Day 2 here - Jeongbang Waterfall, Yongmeori Coast, Saeyeon Bridge, Seopjikoji

Read Day 3 here - Sangumburi Crater, Yongduam Rock, Mysterious Road, Dongmun Market

Read Day 4 here - Seongsan Ilchulbong, U-do, Jeju City

We had planned to go to Udo today but the wind was too strong when we looked out the hotel room window so we changed our plans. We drove to Sangumburi Crater 산굼부리 (phone number: 783 9900) which had an admission fee of 6000 won per person. The wind was so strong when we parked there that we had to be careful getting in and out of the car incase the door was blown closed on our limbs!

Sangumburi Crater

Windy day at Sangumburi Crater

The crater is a natural monument and is an extinct volcano that did not spew lava (or not much) thus making it unique. The walk up to the crater was made easier because the wind blew my body up the slope. It also made it harder to aim for the steps when coming down though. It was so windy up by the crater that I had to yell to talk but the scenery was gorgeous and vast. A famous k-drama was filmed here but I couldn’t read the sign to know what its name was. Just like at Seopjikoji, I wished that I had a warm hat to protect my head from the wind knocking it around. It would also keep my hair at bay instead of flying in different crazy directions.

For lunch we went to 비자림꿩요리점 (bijalimkkwong yolijeom, phone number: 783 3888) which I found from Eat Your Kimchi’s video and blogpost on Jeju. Their video will make you want to visit Jeju! This traditional restaurant was run by one granny who did not speak any English. Luckily, I had photos on my phone to show her what I wanted to order. Her restaurant only served pheasant hot pot and bingddeok 빙 떡 so don’t worry about the language barrier over the menu.

Bingddeok restaurant

Course 1: pheasant hot pot

Course 2: Bingddeok

Course 3: Buckwheat noodles and dumplings

Our three course meal started with a hotpot of many vegetables and raw pheasant on the side. We boiled the meat in the simple but fragrant broth and wrapped it in vegetables to eat. This was the only meal that we had in Jeju that was not spicy and I really appreciated that. Following the hotpot she served us bingddeok which was buckwheat pancake wrapped around sesame oil marinated radish. It was made fresh and, though simple in flavour, it was refreshing with the soft pancake and sweet radish.

Lastly after we finished the hotpot, she exchanged it for another hotpot that had bones with some meat attached of the pheasant that we ate in the first hotpot. In addition there were vegetables, handmade dumplings and handmade buckwheat noodles. Despite their irregular shape due to being handmade, I really enjoyed the noodles with their al dente texture that absorbed the flavours of the broth. It was a great end to the meal and left us very satisfied. The three course set cost 45,000 won.

We were the only people in the restaurant and although we couldn’t speak to each other at all, the granny was friendly and showed us how to eat each course. I’m glad that I took Simon and Martina’s recommendation and came here! Though I do have to point out that parking was difficult in this backroad restaurant location. There were only parallel parking spots on the narrow road available.

Leaving the restaurant, we drove to Yongduam Rock 용두암 (Dragon Head, phone number: 728 3918) which had many tourists around. We saw haenyeo 해녀 (women sea divers) again selling fresh seafood. After snapping a few photos, we got back in the car and drove to Mysterious Road (phone number: 728 2755). This road created an optical illusion where it seemed like things were rolling uphill. I couldn’t really see it but others got out of their cars and bent down on the side of the road to examine the optical illusion.

Yongduam Rock

Mysterious Road was not far from Jeju City so we drove there to visit Dongmun Market 동문재래시장 (phone number: 752 3001). We passed by a food stall selling tteokbokki, gimbap and other snacks with a long queue. When we got closer, we saw that they had pictures up of when the popular k-variety show, Running Man, visited their shop.

Dongmun Market

Tteokbokki shop visited by Running Man

Running Man photos displayed at the shop

We got tteokbokki 떡볶이 from another shop further into the market and it was so good. It was served with egg and fishcake and the rice cake was longer than the kind they sell in Korean restaurants abroad. The rice cake maintained its chewy texture despite being cooked and heated for a long time. Or maybe they were sold faster than I thought and were constantly refilled to the batch. Definitely another yummy snack that I wish was more widely available back home.

Read Day 1 here - Hallim Park, BBQ Pork

Read Day 2 here - Jeongbang Waterfall, Yongmeori Coast, Saeyeon Bridge, Seopjikoji

Read Day 3 here - Sangumburi Crater, Yongduam Rock, Mysterious Road, Dongmun Market

Read Day 4 here - Seongsan Ilchulbong, U-do, Jeju City

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