Jeju & Seoul - 26 Jul to 1 Aug, 2017

Jeju Island lies 130-km south of South Korea, and 1,848 sq km in area. Jeju is a special autonomous province of the Republic of Korea.  Seoul is its capital city.

"Dol hareubang" guardians offering both protection and fertility. 

Found all over Jeju, we came across these "Dol hareubang" lining up to welcome us at Cheonyeyeong Waterfalls.  They are typically placed outside gates for protection against demons travelling between realities.  

Right at the center of Jeju is the Hallasan National Park with the Hallasan Mountain as the highest peak in South Korea, rising to 1,950 metres, only slightly lower than Malaysia's Gunung Tahan at 2,187 metres in Pahang. Hallasan is a shield volcano with its last eruption estimated to be 5,000 years ago, making it classified as active.  

Jeju has a significant volcanic past.  Volcanic rocks are evident everywhere -- our friends told us that their shoes wear out specially fast here, due to the sharp volcanic rocks!

"Hallasan is Jeju, and Jeju is Hallasan"

Map of Jeju - note the locations of Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sungsan Peak), Manjanggul Cave (Manjang Cave) and Sanbangsan Mountain (Mt. Sanbang).

(Both Jeju images courtesy of Google.)

South Korea has at least nine geological sites on its Jeju island which is recognized by UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.  We visited 2 of them - the Seongsan Ilchulbong calderia, and the Manjanggul lava tube, plus one more marvel, Sanbangsan Mountain, for safe measure.

Seongsan Ilchulbong, Seogwipo-si

Seongsan Ilchubong or Sunrise Peak rising to 182 metres, is a calderia.  Wilkepedia explains calderia as "a large cauldron-like depression that forms following the evacuation of a magma chamber or reservoir.  When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time period, structural support for the crust above the magma chamber is lost.  The ground surface then collapses downward into the partially emptied magma chamber, leaving a massive depression at the surface.....Although sometimes described as a crater, the feature is actually a type of sinkhole, as it is formed through subsistence and collapse rather than an explosion or impact."

Aerial view of the Seongsan Ilchulbong calderia's tuff cone ( courtesy of Google)

Seongsan Ilbhulbong is on an island on the extreme eastern side of Jeju.

Manjanggul Cave, Gimnyeong-ri, Gujwaeup.

The Manjanggul Cave on Jeju is the world's longest lava tube stretching 13 km long and five metres wide at most places.  Wilkepedia explains that "lava tube is a natural conduit formed by flowing lava which moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow.  Tubes can be draining lava from a volcano during an eruption, or can be extinct, meaning the lava flow has ceased and the rock has cooled and left a long cave."  The cave is on the north-east side of Jeju.

Sanbangsan Mountain, Seogwipo-si.

The Sanbangsan Mountain is a huge body of lava, is a result of violent volcanic activity some 700,000 and 800,000 years ago.  The mountain is slightly under 400 metre, and has circumference of 3,780 metres and diameter of 1,314 metres.  Legend has it that when the top of the calderia Seongsan Ilchulbong "blew up" all those hundreds of thousands of years ago, its top was "blown off" and landed on the south-west of Jeju, as the Sanbangsan Mountain.

We will have more photos and information of these three fantastic Jeju landmarks later, after we had chance to cover the foods.

Foreword: Unlike my previous Seoul blog, I have not attempted to include addresses and locations of the restaurants.  Instead the business name cards with phone numbers are included, for ease of reference.

Eating in Jeju

Sunny Garden (Beef grill), Jeju

Sunny Garden has a galbi restaurant, and is also use as a favorite romance and wedding venue in Jeju.

Sliced beef tartare

Shoju

Beef slices over the grill

Cold noodles

Cold noodles "unravelled"

The food presentation and quality was very good - being our first night in Jeju - we were impressed.  We do not know the price range as our host Brandon treated us.  Thanks, Brandon!

Dong Sa Dong (Black Pig barbeque), Jeju

Photo wall of celebrities dining at restaurant.

Our dinner pork cutlets on the grill

Condiments to go with grilled pork

Waiter grilling port to perfection

The end of a very satisfying meal

Dong Sa Dong's black pig BBQ is very good.   The waiters are all young men and a few speaks good English having been educated in Australia, etc.  One was even a budding golf pro! It is useful to note that its not air-conditioned, and there is a long queue.  They close very early, and when we arrived at 8.45pm, they initially told us they were closed.  Our ladies went on a charm offensive, and they reluctantly allowed us to join the last queue.  The meal was very inexpensive, about SGD20-30 per head.

Crab Story, Jeju

Cold marinated baby mud crabs

Grilled abalone 

Baked cheesy corn

Grilled butter prawns

Chilled octopus slices

Grilled scallop with cheese toppings

Pancakes

Amzgingly huge lobster

The lobster roe sauce dip

Container for shells - overflowing!

Kimchi soup and roe rice

Although the lobster and crabs were fresh and huge it comes with a price. Albeit we ordered for more than 8 people, given that there were only 6 pax, the average cost per head was SGD130, after intensitve negotiation efforts by our host Brandon - who had both local knowledge and business knowledge of the owners.  (Note: not expensive by Singapore standards.)  This was the most expensive meal for our entire South Korea holidays!

But the meal was simply delicious!

Good food evokes high spirits!

Crab Story is just down the road from Nilmori Dong Dong lunch spot.

Abalone Porridge, Jeju

The abalone porridge shop is along the coastal road down from Sanbangsan Mountain. We were the first lunch customers there -- it was around 11.30am.   We didn't get their business card -- use their phone no: 64-792 4301 to find them. A real gem.

The coastal road in front of the Abalone porridge shop

We were early. Later a large group of Korean tourists came.

The free re-fill condiments

Abalone sashimi

Grilled Abalone 

Abalone porridge

Fresh abalone in porridge -- what a treat!

Nilmori Dong Dong, Jeju 

(lunch on way to Manjanggul Caves)

Imagine under the pastry roof, its seafood soup!

Wala, seafood volcano cioppino soup!

Jeju pork oil pasta - my favorite!

Hallabong citrus vignarette season salad

Pile of snow?

Hallasan snowsherbet

Dig deeper to find Korean red beans

If you are wondering why there are so many pictures of the snowsherbet or "ice kacang", its because the ice shavings are so unique (really feels like snow) and the dessert delighted us.

Monsant Cafe, Jeju 

(break at Aewol Point before Nilmori Dong Dong)

This is the famous Korean Lovers' Cafe, with the neon sign over the cashier "I promise to love you!"  I am not surprise if this has been used in a perfect setting for Korean love drama!

Aewol Point

Inside Mansant Cafe

The restaurant generously offered free water because they don't sell bottled water.

Front of Mansant Cafe

The locals enjoy a dip in the sea at Aewol Point.

Aewol Point beach goers

Octopus ramen, Jeju

This shop faces the Seongsan Ilchulbong calderia, and probably boasts of the many rubber-suited oyster divers that walk in for quick lunch.  We saw a group of 7-8 young divers, men and women, in the shop.

The obscure octopus ramen shop

This carpark opposite is the best landmark to find the shop

Tank with live octopus.

Live abalone and sea-conch (a shell fish) on the floor of the restaurant. Its a bit messy.

The ceiling the walls are decked with handwritten notes and well wishes, including name cards, photographs and even a SGD2 note.

The restaurant.

This pot of ramen is for 2.

Close-up view of the shell fish used

The remains of the meal

Personally, I thought this octopus ramen is nothing to rave about. But then it is just me - octopus is better sashimi or grilled!?

Eating in Seoul

Tosokhon Samgyetang, Seoul

near Gyeongbokgung Palace

Had to queue for about 10 min to get in.

Seafood and Green Onion Pancake

Tosokchon Samgyetang

The sticky rice inside the chicken

Kimchi is delicious

Daikon is good and crunchy

Maple Tree House, Myeongdong, Seoul

This is the first Galbi restaurant in Seoul we savoured.  They serve both beef and pork.

Korean steamed egg - we like it so much, we had two pots!

The dinner was about SGD40 per head. A good and value for money meal.

Sae Byuk Jib, Gang-nam, Seoul

This is another Galbi restaurant. Unlike Maple Tree, it serves only beef.  We have been here before and unknown to us, Sae Byuk Jib has now a Michelin star.  Sae Byuk Jib is very popular with the locals and heavily booked up. We were warned that they will not hold our table, if we are late for our 7.45pm booking.

Korean marbled beef - considered as good as wagyu beef

We had 3 orders of the Korean ribeye beef and 2 orders of the short ribs. This was a lot of meats.

Perhaps due to the Michelin star, and fact that we had over-ordered the meats, our average cost per head was SGD90. Not expensive by Singapore standards, but relatively expensive by local standards. 

Myeongdong Kyoja, Myeongdong, Seoul

We have been to Myeongdong Kyoja previously.   This is a noodle soup and dumpling lunch place. Ordered the same "comfort" food on the menu again, and it was just as good as we remembered it to be.

Queueing up under the hot sun to get into Myeongdong Kyoja

The shop facade under renovation

The queue coming up the stairs

Kalguksu (chopped) noodles are handmade by cutting flour dough into thin slices by knife.

Meat (mandu) dumplings

Cold spicy noodles.

This is still a fast and cheap lunch place.  That explains the long queues.  Our average cost per head was about SGD24.   The restaurants boast of a 40+ year old history.

Gogung Bibimbap, Myeongdong, Seoul

This was our first time at this restaurant, having not enough time to visit last time.  Based on our experience, this restaurant is definitely worth a another visit.  Wangji Bip is opposite Gogung.

Condiments at Gogung

Sliced beef soup

Hot bibimbap with rice

Cold bibimbap with rice

This was our first and only bibimbap place, and taking the set meal B, we only spent SGD25 per head.  A very hearty and satisfying meal.  

Wangbi Jib, Myeongdong, Seoul

Wangbi Jib is a galbi restaurant also known as "Wang Fei or Consort's house".  Wangbi Jib is directly opposite Gogung Bibimbap.  

Condiments to go with galbi

The Korean ribeye

Short ribs

Ginseng Chicken Soup, Myeongdong, Seoul

This restaurant is famous for its ginseng chicken soup and roasted chicken.

The ginseng chicken soup

The roasted baby chicken

Korean baby chicken really is very tasty.

The chef putting the rotisserie on the window

We have also been to this restaurant previously.I particularly like the fried chicken because its so well done - crispy and tasty and the chicken is small enough to almost melt in your mouth.

Their ginseng chicken soup is different from the Tokochon which is thick and savoury.  This shop's ginseng chicken soup is lighter both in taste and texture -- a different style but very nice in its own presentation.

Hanchu Fried Chicken, Gang-nam, Seoul

Hanchu Fried Chicken is like a Japanese Izakaya restaurant. It is famous for after-work gathering of office workers in the Gang-nam area.  The fried chicken, fried peppers, etc are examples of the the "tapas" type of menu they are famous for.   As we were in between meals, we decided a sampler fried chicken will go well with the beers for our parched throats.

Fried chicken

The address is 549-9 Sinsa-dong Gangnam-gu Seoul. Phone is 82-2-3446 5778 to go there.  This is also our second time at Hanchu and nothing much has changed.

Geographical Wonders of Jeju (cont'd from the intro)

Seongsan Ilchulbong (calderia)

This is a calderia. A calderia is a volcano which had exploded with so much force, that it's sides had collapse into itself.  With its top gone, what remains made the mountain appear smaller than it would otherwise be, before the eruptions.

Legend has it that Seongsan Ilchulbong's top had blown off and is now sitting 63-km away, as the Sanbangsan Mountain!

Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone is Korean National Monument No. 420, was designated as a Global Geopark in 2010.  It is also called the "Sunrise Peak", it was created by violent eruptions upon a shallow seabed about 5,000 years ago.  The 180 metre high tuff cone rose from the eastern seaboard of Jeju Island like a gigantic ancient castle.

Aerial view of the tuff cone (courtesy of Google)

A "peek" view of the calderia - was stopped by the guard from entering the park without a ticket.

"Creation" of Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak

The tuff cone top

Sanbangsan Mountain, Seogwipo

Sanbangsan Mountain is made out of solid molden rock. Its has lots of cracks and cavities, hence its name "caves".   It is famous for its temple which is where the carpark faces.

Sanbangsan Mountain with the temple at its foot

Apparently, the mountain is often seen with a ring of clouds over it, and we were lucky to catch it (photo above) when we were lunching further down the road at the abalone porridge shop.  (See also earlier comment that the mountain could have been a "rock" thrown over from Seongsan Ilchulbong 63-km away?)

Sanbangsan Mountain and lava cones formed from volcanic flows after the trees they engulfed had decayed

The Yongmeori coast is full of the craggy surfaces and many caves....

The "ship" is actually a restaurant on the beach.

Beach of lava rocks - more evident at low tide

Bridge at "Welcome Center" shops

The volcanic legacy of Sanbangsan / Yongmeori coast is very evident.

Manjanggul Cave (Lava tube)

The temperature and humdity changes rapidly as one enters or leaves the cave.

This is the hot summer season, and the rapid change in temperature and humidity hits us quite hard on the ascent. It was really uncomfortable coming up to ground level, compared to the cool and relatively less humid air underground.

A model of how the lava tube looks like in a cross section cut out view.

The collapse of the tube's ceiling creates the entrance into the cave.

The opening into the tube

Gingerly going down the steps into the tube

Lava flowlines - when lava flows in a tube, the level of the flow is often registered on the walls.

Stalactite, meaning "to drip", is a type of formation that hangs from the ceiling of lava tube.

Large and small passages in the Manjanggual Lava Tube. 

Continuous supply of hot lava into the tube causes thermal erosion of the tube's floor, whereas the lava can be accreted on the tube ceiling, resulting in the irregular height of the tube.   The dome-like topography of the ceiling is called a "cupola".

Getting around in Jeju

We had a rental car in Jeju, although on hindsight, we could easily have called taxis to get to all our destinations, had we based ourselves in Jeju City.

Instead we were accommodated in hotel resort in the south-west corner of Jeju, in the vicinity of Osulloc tea museum near Hallim on Mountain road No.1132.

We took highway No.1135 from Jeju City to our hotel, and heavily wooded No. 1139 through the Hallasan National Park from Sanbangsan to Jeju City. In getting to the eastern side of Jeju where the lava tube and Seongsan Ilchulbong were, we used the scenic northern coastal road and also No.1132.

The season is end-July, and the temperature in Jeju were cooler averaging aounrd 29-30 degC. Seoul was warmer at around 32-33 degC.  It did not rain except for one day (in Seoul).

Our last visit to Seoul was in 2015 - and we liked it so much that we repeated most of the Seoul restaurants. <Click here>.

As we leave the Land of Kimchi, we say goodbyes to our galbi and samgyetang....and our Jeju "Dol hareubang"..

"Dol hareubang" at foot of Sanbangsan Mountain