Myeongjin Jeonbok 明珍鮑魚 (Jeju, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

Rain was pouring all day and when we arrived at famed abalone restaurant, Myeongjin Jeonbok (명진전복, 明珍鮑魚), it was raining even harder. To add insult to injury, we were told that the wait would be about an hour. It was only 5pm so everyone must be having a really early dinner tonight.



We placed our orders and patiently waited in the car until we got the green light.



I love a menu that's short and sharp. Just four items - abalone porridge, abalone stone pot rice, grilled abalones and sliced raw abalones, all considered signature dishes at Myeongjin Jeonbok.



First, a complimentary grilled mackerel to start things off. This was okay but the seasoning (with soy) was a little on the salty side.



It didn't take long for all the signature dishes to arrive.



Abalone porridge (12,000 won) - The first signature dish to arrive was abalone porridge with thin slices of abalone on top.



 The porridge was reasonably rich in flavor but not as rich as I first hoped. 



Grilled abalones (30,000 won) - The most expensive dish from the menu but the one most worthy of the hype and heavy price tag in my opinion.



I love the slightly chewy texture and the smoky flavors (from the grill) that came with it.



Abalone stone pot rice (15,000 won) - The rice was really bland and I didn't bother with the sliced abalone on top because I didn't think it would top the grilled abalone.



Just when we were finishing up our abalone feast, we saw this from the window - rainbow emerging on the horizon. Such a gorgeous sight!



Perhaps, it's a sign that we are finally getting some much-deserved sunshine tomorrow after a run of heavy rain. Let's pray that's the case.

Food Rating: 5/10
Price: ₩₩₩
Address: 1282 Haemajihaean-ro, Gujwa-eup, Cheju, Jeju-do, South Korea
Tel: +82 064-782-9944
Opening Hours: 9:30am - 9:30pm (Wed - Mon), Closed on Tuesday