Jeju Dream Tower Pocha: Best Night View
A guest came to Jeju for a company workshop and offered to buy me dinner. I'm completely wrapping up my life in Jeju and moving back to Seoul tomorrow, so I was glad we could meet up beforehand and headed into the city. We decided to meet at Jeju Dream Tower, the tallest hotel on the island and the hottest spot right now during the pandemic. I had been wanting to go at least once, so this was a great opportunity.
We met up early for a cup of tea and went straight to get drinks, so the place was completely empty. The interior had a strong Chinese vibe—probably because it was built with Chinese capital—and the tables and chairs felt a bit too ordinary for a top-tier luxury hotel. It looks like they spent a lot of money, but somehow it still gives off a slightly cheap feeling.
The first thought I had when I saw the menu was, "This is expensive."
https://www.jejudreamtower.com/kor/dine/Pocha.jdt#menus
Pocha
A modern pojangmacha (street food tent) on the highest floor in Jeju where you can get drunk on golden K-pop and drinks late into the night. Enjoy a variety of bar foods and drinks like chicken and beer, or makgeolli (rice wine) and pajeon (scallion pancake).
www.jejudreamtower.com
Since it's a luxury hotel, you might actually think the prices are reasonable. Given how crazy Jeju's prices are these days, it might even be considered normal. When I first looked at the menu, I felt it was pricey, but once you take in the view, it magically starts to feel like a good deal. The alcohol, however, is definitely expensive.
The food takes a little while to come out, but it tastes quite good. It's an open kitchen, so there's no need to doubt the cleanliness. I guess that's to be expected from a restaurant in a top-tier hotel, but since the menu consists of pojangmacha (street food) dishes, it's a rather subtle, odd feeling. Between the menu and the Chinese-style interior, it feels a bit cheap, but then the view is absolutely top-notch, leaving you with this constant mix of luxury and cheapness.
The biggest advantage of Pocha is, without a doubt, the view. You don't even feel drunk when you drink here, and even if you do, you can just sit back and enjoy the scenery outside. The moment you walk in, you realize the high prices are entirely for the view. Because of that, you absolutely must sit by the window. I highly recommend arriving before the sun goes down so you can watch the sunset.
