Jeju Local Food: Gengi-guk at Maendorong Haejangguk
Since I've been working at Hey Seogwipo (a local hotel and workspace), I usually end up grabbing lunch nearby. Right behind it is a food street called Arang Joeul Geori, which is my usual go-to. Today, after a quick search, I found a place on this street selling a dish I had never heard of or seen before: gengi-guk (crab seaweed soup), so I decided to stop by.
Both the restaurant's name and its menu are unique. A quick search tells me that "maendorong" means "warm" in the Jeju dialect, often used to describe the perfect temperature for eating. Some people might find the word familiar thanks to the K-drama Warm and Cozy (Maendorong Ttottot), but since I haven't seen it, it was completely new to me. Anyway, "Maendorong Haejangguk" probably translates to "Warm Hangover Soup." I'm just guessing based on a few clicks, and since I can't understand even 20% of the Jeju dialect, I have no idea if I'm actually right...
Gengi-guk is a traditional Jeju local dish made by grinding up small crabs and boiling them in seaweed soup. I only found this out by Googling, so I had absolutely no idea what it would taste like until I tried it. Judging from various blog posts, it's definitely a love-it-or-hate-it kind of food. So for today's lunch, rather than humming a happy tune on my way in, I walked through the doors armed with a spirit of adventure.
This restaurant has pretty high ratings, but you can easily spot a few low-star reviews too. In those comments, some people mention that the owner is unfriendly. To me, though, it just sounds like the typical Jeju way of speaking; I didn't feel any unfriendliness at all. Sure, it's not the heavily buttered-up, overly polite greeting you might get from Seoulites like me. But the customers coming in to eat weren't exactly speaking in soft, gentle tones either, so I figured it's just the vibe of the neighborhood.
Finally, the gengi-guk arrived. First of all, I was surprised to see six different side dishes. Six sides for a 10,000 KRW bowl of soup! I tried to think of a place in Seoul that serves this much, but nothing came to mind. And the side dishes were so delicious that by the time I finished my meal, all six plates were completely empty.
I took a spoonful of the gengi-guk broth, and a deeply refreshing taste washed over me. But it wasn't the clear, spicy kind of refreshing you get in Seoul. It definitely wasn't the heavy, thick taste of a meat broth either... It's really hard to explain. I can see why people say it tastes like the ocean, and I understand why some people might not like it. It's a very unfamiliar flavor. Usually, seaweed soup has a bit of beef and sesame oil, making the broth slightly greasy. This soup, on the other hand, isn't greasy at all, much like a clear fish soup. Perhaps because of the abalone intestines and ground crab (honestly, I couldn't tell there was crab in it just by tasting), it has a slightly thick yet spicy and refreshing flavor. Even reading my own description, I don't know what it tastes like. You really just have to try it for yourself.
It's also amazing that a mere 10,000 KRW soup comes with two whole abalones. The easiest way to explain this dish to someone from Seoul is to call it "Abalone Seaweed Soup."
Even though I don't usually like seaweed soup, I practically licked the bowl clean. Having abalone in it is great because it gives you something substantial to chew on. And even if you don't eat the seaweed, the broth itself is incredibly refreshing. Eating just the seaweed wasn't really my thing, but it tasted great when paired with the salty side dishes.
The funny thing is, the only people eating gengi-guk were me and a couple who also looked like they were from Seoul. Everyone who seemed like a Jeju local was ordering someori-gukbap (beef head rice soup). Maybe gengi-guk is famous among Seoulites, but to the locals, this place is actually a someori-gukbap hotspot? Next time, I'll have to eat like a local and try the beef head soup.
November 18, 2021
I visited again just a few days later. This time, I ordered the someori-gukbap.
First off, even though it had only been a few days, three of the side dishes had changed. For 8,000 KRW, you get 11 different items on the table, including sauces and noodles. And the soup is absolutely packed with beef head meat.
The taste is a bit lighter than what you'd find in Seoul, and it has a distinct meaty aroma. Rather than feeling like it's been boiled down until soft, the head meat has a fun, chewy texture. Since they serve it with both rice and somyeon (wheat noodles), it's incredibly filling. I definitely recommend eating the noodles first, and then adding some dadaegi (spicy paste) when you eat the rice.
But my top recommendation is to get the gengi-guk. (At least, if you're from Seoul!)
