Cheonjitgol Sikdang (천짓골식당)

Cheonjitgol Sikdang (천짓골식당)
4 Jungang-Ro 41Beon-Gil
Seogwi-Dong
Seogwipo 63592
South Korea

https://www.mangoplate.com/en/restaurants/Fu_D45TkTg

https://naver.me/5OnGDgRk

Dombe Gogi / Boiled Pork

Frenzied Boiled Pork Feast

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 9
Value for Money: 8
Spent about KRW ₩22,000 / SGD $22 per person.

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Renowned for being among the best places to feast on the local Jeju & Seogwipo speciality of Dombe Gogi / Boiled Pork, Cheonjitgol Sikdang (천짓골식당) only opens in the evenings, and is challenging to get a seat without advance reservations. Many locals throng Cheonjitgol Sikdang despite their relatively short opening hours, the near-constant queue and noisy bustle at this family-run restaurant a testament of their consistent quality.

Ambience at Cheonjitgol Sikdang is casual and functional. The cozy homely place is brightly lit, with comfortable furnishings in neat rows. The enclosed area gets noisy with chatter when crowded, and people sometimes speak a little too loudly. You'll see people queueing for a seat alongside the road, but turnover is relatively fast. While the sturdy wooden tables are fairly large, once the whole range of numerous dishes are served, it begins to feel slightly cramped.

Service at Cheonjitgol Sikdang is friendly and works fast. The family-run place has the patriarch working the kitchen, while the matriarch engages guests. Staff demonstrate good product knowledge, and I note they clean up quickly when guests leave. We had the benefit of having the matriarch show us how to pair the boiled pork with various ingredients, and while she was friendly, the overall experience feels hurried and frenzied (through no fault of theirs).

Food at Cheonjitgol Sikdang is traditional Korean cuisine, focused on the local speciality of Dombe Gogi / Boiled Pork paired with a variety of condiments and ingredients. They have both regular pork and black pork available, all freshly prepared and sliced tableside, with staff showing you the best way to eat it. Portions are sized for communal dining and sharing, budget about KRW ₩22,000 / SGD $22 per person for a meal here.

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Cheonjitgol Sikdang Exterior

Cheonjitgol Sikdang Interior

Bottles of Makgeolli (KRW ₩4,000) to complete the meal. The milky-white liquor complements the pork so well, and it's interesting that they serve it in a bowl here. Good!

Makgeolli (KRW ₩4,000)

Makgeolli

Makgeolli

A good range of Banchan / Side Dishes (KRW ₩Complimentary) as well as condiments, for pairing with the boiled pork belly. The lady boss demonstrated to us on how best to pair, guiding us to appreciate the complexity of textures and flavours.

Banchan / Side Dishes (KRW ₩Complimentary)

Gochujang / Fermented Chili Paste

Eomuk Bokkeum / Stir-Fried Fish Cake

Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage

Kongnamul / Cold Soy Bean Sprouts

Sangchu / Lettuce

Yangpa Jangajji / Pickled Onions

Ssalbap / Steamed White Rice

Saeng Maneul / Raw Garlic

For the 1st serving, we ordered the Dombe Gogi / Boiled Pork (KRW ₩60,000 for 600g Black Pork Belly) of black pork. Sliced tableside, the boiled pork belly is tender and succulent with a light chew to texture, and medium meaty savoury flavour with good fragrance. Highly recommended!

Dombe Gogi / Boiled Pork (KRW ₩60,000 for 600g Black Pork Belly)

Dombe Gogi / Boiled Pork

For the 2nd serving, we ordered the Dombe Gogi / Boiled Pork (KRW ₩24,000 for 300g Regular Pork Belly) of regular pork, or white pork. Sliced tableside, the boiled pork belly is tender and succulent with a light chew to texture, and mild meaty savoury flavour, though it carries less fragrance than its counterpart. Highly recommended!

Dombe Gogi / Boiled Pork (KRW ₩24,000 for 300g Regular Pork Belly)

Dombe Gogi / Boiled Pork

Dombe Gogi / Boiled Pork

For the boiled black pork belly, we were shown 5 different ingredient pairings. The sea salt and soy sauce options lends a salty savoury flavour, allowing the natural taste to shine through.

With Sea Salt

With Soy Sauce

With Pickled Onions

With Kimchi Pickled Cabbage & Raw Garlic

Wrapped In Lettuce

For the boiled white pork belly, we were shown 5 different ingredient pairings. I felt the pickled onions, with its vegetal earthy sour flavour, enhanced the meat. Also the kimchi pickled cabbage and raw garlic likewise enhanced the meat with robust vegetal herbal sour spice flavour.