For all donkaas-lovers in Jeju, thought you might like this handmade donkaas (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant in Shin Jeju. I’ve tried a lot of donkaas during my time in Seoul, but I have to say this ranks up there with some of the best. The owner ajumma uses Jeju black pig for the donkaas, making it super soft n tender on the inside, while the donkaas is breaded to perfection for a nice crunchy outside. Not only was the donkaas itself delicious, but the accompanying sauce (you always need a good sauce, right?) had a nice tangy kick to it, making it perfect for the scoop of rice and other sides on the dish (which were also great btw!). We also ordered the healthy deulkae sujebi (hand-torn pasta in perilla seed broth), where the sujebi (dough) itself is mixed with ssuk (mugwort), common ingredient in Korean soups and desserts like tteok (rice cake). If you’ve ever eaten green tteok, mostly likely it was made from ssuk. Along with the perilla seed broth, the ssuk adds a slightly medicinal and herbal flavor to the dish. I’ll be honest, the deulkkae sujebi here was just average, but still good if you’re a fan of deulkkae sujebi.

If there’s anything to complain about, it’s the “slow” service. My girlfriend and I were the first to arrive and order for lunch, but it still took a good 15 minutes for the food to arrive. When asked why it took so long, she was super nice and explained that she worked alone (meaning she cooks and does front of house service all day, every day). She added that her regular customers are understanding and don’t mind the extra wait. We agreed with her. If you’re in the area, give the place a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Food: ★★★★½ out of 5 stars

Service: ★★★½ out of 5 stars

Ambiance: ★★★★½ out of 5 stars

Value: ★★★★½ out of 5 stars

Red Elephant (빨강코끼리)

Shin Jeju, Nohyeong-dong 1274-4 (제주 제주시 노형동 1274-4)

Phone: 064-712-8825

Hours of Operation: Open every day except the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month from 11:30 am ~ 10 pm (break time 3~5:30)

Here’s an interactive map to the restaurant: https://goo.gl/maps/geWZU