co.190 in Seogwipo: Burgers & Pasta with an Ocean View
A little girl visiting our house mentioned that her favorite food is spaghetti, so we headed to the most famous spot in our neighborhood. Located inside Soul Village, it's co.190, a restaurant opened by Chef Choi Hyun-seok, who frequently appears on TV and gained massive popularity for his signature "pretentious salt sprinkling" move. 190 is a company founded by Chef Choi, with its main branch in Seongsu (Seoul), and unusually, they've expanded with branches down in Jeju. In Jeju, you can find these franchise locations in Namwon and Seongsan. The cafe next door to 190, called Choidang, is also run by the same company, making it another one of Chef Choi's spots.
On the way there, I had my hopes up, wondering, "Will the famous chef actually cook for us?" But upon arriving, there wasn't anyone who even looked like him. It's just a franchise. Since it's located inside Soul Village, the parking lot is spacious, and there's plenty of room for kids to run around. It's a great place for families who are tired of eating raw fish and hangover soup to indulge in some rich food while letting the kids burn off some energy.
Assuming "JMT" stood for the Korean slang for "freaking delicious," we ordered the JMT Double Burger, burrata cheese, lobster tomato sauce spaghetti, and cream sauce risotto. Because of the head chef's fame, the prices are quite high. I always say this about these types of restaurants, but if you're visiting from Seoul, there's no real need to come here just for the food. The target audience is locals and tourists from other regions.
The dishes came out one after another, and everything tasted great. You might think that's a given considering the high prices, but keeping in mind that there are French and Italian restaurants in Jeju charging this much for mediocre food, it's actually a solid place.
The hamburger, in particular, was really good. With no vegetables inside, just meat and cheese, it completely fills your mouth with a heavy, rich flavor. A cola or a salad is a must, but since we ordered the tomato spaghetti, we used the soda and pasta to cut through the greasiness. The meat was grilled perfectly—neither burnt nor undercooked. It definitely delivers the taste of a handmade burger rather than a typical franchise one. While I think the other menu items are a bit pricey, if you want to spend some time enjoying a meal with a view at Soul Village, I highly recommend ordering the burger.
There's nothing bad to say about the spaghetti, either. The noodles were cooked well, and although the lobster portion was small, it was delicious. Aside from the price, there's nothing wrong with the food. The cream cheese risotto was a bit too heavy to eat alongside the burger, but that was just a poor menu pairing on our part, not a lack of flavor, so I'll give it a pass. I never once thought "Huh?" while eating. Even without the main chef present, they must have a great system for training their staff.
Even better than the good food is the ocean view from the windows at 190. Even in Jeju, I can't recall many places where you can dine while looking out at a wide-open sea. This is especially true for Western restaurants—whether French, Italian, or American. Most of the coastline is dominated by raw fish restaurants, which tend to be incredibly crowded. The biggest advantage of 190 is being able to enjoy Western food while gazing at the quiet, peaceful Seogwipo ocean.
If you don't usually get the chance to try handmade burgers or high-quality pasta, I recommend this place. The prices are similar to what you'd find in Seoul, and the taste is on par as well. For the record, if you prioritize getting a good bang for your buck, you shouldn't even go near a pasta restaurant in Jeju.