Pungwon (풍원): An Ode to the Island’s Origin
From its scenic coastlines to its mountainous terrains, Jeju has so much to offer despite being a fairly small island. Even though Jeju is South Korea's largest island, it only takes up 1.83% of the country’s total area. During our trip to Jeju, we visited waterfalls, lush bamboo forests, and so many awesome beaches. This remarkable island even has an island of its own! We decided to dedicate a full day to go to Udo Island and we did not regret it.
Udo Island is located off the eastern coast of Jeju. For scale, Udo is only 0.33% the size of Jeju. Its name literally means “Cow Island” because it resembles a cow lying down. This tiny island has incredible cliffs, immaculate black sand beaches, and many other unique characteristics. For example, Udo is also known for its high quality peanuts.
We took a short ferry ride to Udo and rented a mini car (2-seat electric vehicle) to drive around the island. These mini cars are easy and safe to use! Also, don’t worry if you have a poor sense of direction. Driving around Udo is simple because it’s basically a big loop.
Once we got our mini car, we drove to lunch at Pungwon, a casual restaurant for Jeju Black Pork (흑돼지주물럭) and Hallasan Fried Rice (한라산볶음밥대표). To our surprise, the Hallasan Fried Rice comes with a short story about Jeju and Udo. Overall, the food was good and we even got to try Peanut Makgeolli. You can read more about our meal below.
After lunch, we drove around looking for a quiet cafe or a dessert shop selling peanut ice cream. There was one on almost every corner. Then, we spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the island’s landscapes and beaches before heading back to Jeju.
Pungwon’s dining area is simple and spacious. We had a late lunch so that’s why it looks empty inside.
Udo is famous for its high quality peanuts, which have a strong nutty taste and aroma. On the island, you can find a wide variety of peanut snacks and products. That being said, when we saw Peanut Makgeolli (우도땅콩막걸리) on the menu, we knew we had to try it.
Makgeolli is a Korean rice wine that is milky, sweet, and lightly carbonated. The savory, roasted flavor of the peanuts mixed with the sweetness of the makgeolli was almost reminiscent of peanut butter. It was delicious!
(5,000 WON)
This is their Jeju Black Pork (흑돼지주물럭). This pig is native to the island and is considered premium over the other mainland breeds.
The pork is prized for its clean but meaty flavor. It lacks some of that gamey funk found in other breeds of pig. One of the meat’s most unique features is its texture. Jeju black pork has a firm and bouncy quality to it.
The pork was prepared in thin slices and marinated in spices. Pungwon serves this with ssam (Korean Vegetable Wraps).
(15,000 WON)
This is the Hallasan Fried Rice (한라산볶음밥대표). For many Korean grilled meat dishes, you can order Bokkeumbap (볶음밥), which is an additional fried rice order prepared on the same pan used to cook the meat. The idea here is to capture all the remaining flavor on the pan and conclude the meal with a nice, hearty bowl of rice. Also, it’s just really delicious.
Pungwon’s Hallasan Fried Rice comes with a short story about Jeju and Udo. At the start of the story, Pungwon recreates the Hallasan volcano before its eruption.
When the Hallasan volcano erupted, it formed Jeju Island. The eruption is depicted here in the form of beaten eggs.
Annie was listening very intently to the story… or maybe she was just thinking about the fried rice.
In the end, a little piece of egg was separated and placed to the side to represent Udo island. Overall, a cute and tasty way to share a short story about the history of Jeju and Udo.
(3,000 WON)