Iseorim in Jeju: Pork Belly and Amazing Side Dishes
The meal that would be the last dinner of the trip. To have a proper meal before ending the trip, I looked up places recommended by people I trust when it comes to food. I scoured everything from Baek Jong-won's picks to places recommended by foodie friends. Even after searching endlessly, nothing really stood out, and time just kept passing. Then, a place recommended by a former coworker—nicknamed "Seong-chelin" because his dining recommendations were always spot-on—caught my eye. It was near the hotel, and the menu was grilled black pork, perfect for a glass of soju, so I washed up and headed straight there.
While most fresh pork BBQ restaurants in Jeju put "black pork" on their signs, Iseorim bills itself as a charcoal-grilled fresh meat specialist. My goal was still black pork, so I tried to order it, but unfortunately, they were sold out that day, so I just ordered Jeju ogyeopsal (five-layered pork belly). Jeju locals often say they don't know why black pork is so famous, and as a city boy from Seoul, I can't tell the difference either, so it didn't really matter to me whether it was black pork or not.
It took a little while for the meat to come out, so I nibbled on the side dishes, and everything except the kimchi was delicious. I don't know if Jeju kimchi is normally like this, but compared to the mainland, it was beyond bland—it tasted like nothing. Aside from the kimchi, all the side dishes suited my taste, and it was fun how different they were from Seoul. The pamuchim (green onion salad), in particular, had a refreshing taste rather than the spicy kick you get in Seoul. It wasn't the usual flavor, which made me think, "What is this?", but it was so good that I kept reaching for it.
They put the meat on the grill, opened the soju we ordered, and suddenly poured a splash right into the meljeot (anchovy sauce)! I've seen this a few times in Seoul, but I was startled because they just poured it in without a word. If we're talking about flavor, the taste of the soju going in must be important, but I didn't get to ask which soju works best. In my case, I ordered Hallasan 21-proof, and the resulting meljeot was incredibly delicious, so if you're not sure, I recommend Hallasan 21. If your spouse says, "Honey, why are you ordering alcohol!" and tries to stop you, just say, "This place requires soju for the meljeot," pretending you're only ordering it for the flavor, not because you want to drink.
Being used to Seoul, I thought they would grill all the meat for us, but they don't cook it all the way to the end. After setting it up initially, you grill it yourself to your preferred style. It cooks so slowly that you might think the fire is too weak, but amazingly, the meat cooks at the exact same pace the meljeot boils. I don't know if they timed it on purpose, but I was getting impatient with how slowly the meat was cooking. Still, the thought that "maybe it's intentional" kept me from asking for more charcoal.
Finally, it was ready. I tried a piece of meat, and it was incredibly delicious with no gamey smell at all. Next, I dipped it in the meljeot, which wasn't spicy but quite subtle. Even when I just dipped my chopsticks into the meljeot to taste it, it didn't have that strong, salty punch you get at black pork restaurants in Seoul; instead, it was so mild and smooth it almost felt a bit thin. I don't know if it was the power of the soju (though come to think of it, they add soju in Seoul too), but it was a fantastic meljeot that perfectly suited my palate. Later, I tried pouring in a bit more soju, but that completely ruined the flavor. I recommend eating it exactly as they prepare it, and just asking for a refill if you run out.
Eating it with the refreshing pamuchim offered a completely different flavor. In Seoul, pork belly spots known for rich or spicy flavors are popular, but at Iseorim, you can enjoy clean and refreshing lettuce wraps. The meat is great, but the other dishes they serve are truly impressive.
I had a feeling the kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) and yeolmu guksu (young radish noodles) would be delicious too, so even though I was already full, I pushed myself and ordered them. When I had tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties) in Jeonju last time, the difference between eating it alone versus pairing it with cold noodles was huge, so I ordered these just in case.
First off, I was really worried about the kimchi jjigae because of the bland kimchi, but the stew had a nice, refreshing, and smooth flavor. The broth was so refreshing, it was as if to say, "This restaurant's kimchi was made specifically for stew, not for eating plain." That said, it wasn't the kind of deep, hearty broth that makes you let out an audible "Ahhh~" Because it wasn't very spicy or salty, it was mild enough that even foreigners could easily enjoy it. It felt like a kimchi jjigae that was missing something, but having a spoonful after a shot of soju was incredibly refreshing. Just drinking the broth felt a bit plain, which naturally made me scoop up the solid ingredients too.
The yeolmu guksu, as expected, paired perfectly with the meat. It felt like it was coolly washing away the heat and grease in my mouth. The noodles themselves weren't anything special, and since I was so full, I left a little behind. If your meat is mostly done cooking, that's the time to order the yeolmu guksu so you can sip the broth during the second half of your meal and experience a different flavor profile. Of course, it also snaps you right out of your soju buzz, effectively making you want to drink another glass. Personally, I thought the yeolmu guksu paired better with the meat.
After finishing the ogyeopsal, I wanted a bit more, so I ordered some hangjeongsal (pork jowl). In my case, the pork jowl was a bit better to eat. I wonder how it would have been if I had eaten the pork jowl first, and then paired the ogyeopsal with the yeolmu guksu later. Ah... no, I don't know. Thinking about it now, I can't say which one was better. Everything had its own unique charm.
It felt a little pricey, but since they give you 200g, it's actually cheaper than Seoul, where 150g is the standard. Honestly, once you start eating, you forget about the price. I dipped it in meljeot, ate it with pamuchim, and tried wrapping it in a perilla leaf with meljeot and pamuchim. On top of that, I replenished my carbs with some rice and kimchi jjigae, and refreshed my palate by eating meat with the yeolmu guksu. I even tried adding some musaengchae (julienned radish salad) to the mix. This wouldn't even cross my mind if the side dishes were bad, but they were delicious, and the meljeot was especially fantastic. I also realized today that Jeju pork restaurants in Seoul have been boiling their meljeot all wrong.
There might be days like today when the restaurant is out of black pork. But it doesn't really matter. Pork quality is so good these days anyway that it's all pretty similar. I had an incredibly delicious meal at a restaurant where it felt like the owner was shouting, "A restaurant's true worth is proven by its side dishes!"