Jeju Black Beef at Heukhanu Myeongpumgwan
A Jeju halmang (elderly woman) grilled some delicious seafood she caught herself yesterday, so I had to return the favor. I'd heard that most Jeju haenyeo (female divers) don't actually like raw fish, so I leaned toward a grilled dish. Since Hanwoo (premium Korean beef) is the ultimate choice for grilling in Korea, I looked up some beef restaurants. During my search, I found a unique place: Heukhanu Myeongpumgwan, the restaurant I'm introducing today. It was my first time hearing about heuk-u (Jeju black cattle), but according to a blog post, it's "where Jeju locals take guests to impress them." The description sounded incredible, so I took a leap of faith and brought all the elders here.
Jeju is famous for its black pork, but apparently, the black beef is famous too, hence the name heuk-hanwoo (black Korean beef). Yesterday, the halmang told me not to trust the "black" label too much because most black pork is sent up to Seoul, leaving very little on Jeju Island. That made me a bit worried about this black beef. However, since the place is run by Nonghyup (the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation) and is located right next to a Hanaro Mart, I felt a bit more confident.
Looking at the menu, the prices are definitely on the higher side. The black beef is more expensive, likely due to its rarity. The staff explained that black beef has less marbling than regular Hanwoo, making it leaner and more savory. But since we're in Northeast Asia, where people absolutely love marbling, I honestly don't know if that justifies the higher price.
We ordered the black beef and waited as the side dishes were set up. True to a high-end restaurant, the sides were very clean and neat. Considering the price, you might feel like there's nothing spectacular, but nothing is lacking either. I think it's much better than serving a bunch of tasteless side dishes just for show.
Soon, the meat arrived, and the staff grilled it for us. If someone asked me how the black beef tasted, my answer would be, "I have no idea." Not because it was bad, but because it was just too delicious to analyze. Unless you have a highly refined palate that can detect subtle differences, it honestly wouldn't have mattered if it was black beef or regular Hanwoo. It was so good that I just kept stuffing my face until I fell into a food coma.
The interior here is as spacious as the parking lot. And the staff manage this massive space flawlessly. They move around so efficiently that I never felt like I was waiting too long for anything.
As expected from a fine dining spot, the bill was quite high. Still, the food and service were top-notch, making me feel like I had truly treated my guests well. If you're traveling around the Seogwipo area with your family, I think this is a great place to visit for a grand finale on your last day.
I visited again in 2022 after a winter hike up Hallasan Mountain.
My previous memory of the black beef was fantastic, but since I knew there wasn't a huge difference from regular Hanwoo, we just ordered the assorted regular Hanwoo this time. The prices had gone up significantly compared to five years ago, but the food and service remained exactly the same. It was the absolute perfect way to replenish my exhausted body.