Galchi (갈치), the long, silver hairtail fish, is the dish most visitors want to try in Jeju, and there are galchi restaurants on almost every corner of the island. That makes it hard to choose. This guide covers three local spots for galchi on different sides of Jeju: a spicy braised galchi in Hallim, an old-school braise in Seongsan that people queue for in the morning, and a grilled galchi set meal in Sehwa. We also added two bonus picks for other Jeju fish dishes: an anchovy soup near Jeju City and mackerel sashimi in Moseulpo.
The picks below are adapted from visits by Revitguide reviewer 호미식 (Homisik), who rated each 4 out of 5. Each section links to the original Korean review.
What Is Galchi? A Quick Guide to Jeju Hairtail
Galchi is the largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus), also called cutlassfish in English because its long, flat, silver body looks like a sword. In addition, it has no scales and soft white flesh that flakes off the bone when cooked.
In Korea you will see two names at the market: eun-galchi (은갈치, “silver galchi”) and meok-galchi (먹갈치, “ink galchi”). They are the same fish. The difference is how it was caught. Eun-galchi is caught one fish at a time on a hook and line, so the silver skin stays intact, while meok-galchi is caught in nets, where the silver rubs off and the fish looks darker. As a result, Jeju is famous for silver galchi, and Mokpo on the southwest coast is known for meok-galchi.
Korean boats catch most hairtail between July and November, and many Koreans say the fish is at its best in autumn, when it is fatter. Still, Jeju restaurants serve galchi all year.
Galchi jorim, galchi gui and galchi guk
- Galchi jorim (갈치조림): galchi braised in a red chili sauce, usually with radish and green chili. It arrives in a pot or pan and is meant to be shared with rice. Most places price it per person and ask you to order one portion per person.
- Galchi gui (갈치구이): grilled or pan-fried galchi. It is the best way to taste the fish itself, and it is often part of a set meal with rice, soup and side dishes.
- Galchi guk (갈치국): a clear Jeju soup of galchi with greens. It is lighter and much less spicy than the braise.
One tip for eating galchi: the fish has rows of thin bones along both edges. Use your chopsticks to slide the meat off the central bone, and push the edge bones aside.
Galchi in Jeju: Our Picks at a Glance
| Restaurant | Area | What to order | We paid | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daegeum Sikdang (대금식당) | Hallim, west | Galchi jorim | ₩37,000 and ₩39,000 | Spicy, bold braise |
| Matna Sikdang (맛나식당) | Seongsan, east | Galchi and mackerel jorim | ₩26,000 | Old-school breakfast braise |
| Jaeyeon Sikdang (재연식당) | Sehwa, northeast | Galchi set meal (갈치정식) | ₩16,000 | Grilled galchi, solo diners |
| Namwon Badang (남원바당) | Jeju City | Melguk (anchovy soup) | ₩10,000 | Bonus: local Jeju soup |
| Miyeongine (미영이네) | Moseulpo, southwest | Mackerel sashimi with soup | ₩99,000 | Bonus: mackerel sashimi |
1. Daegeum Sikdang (대금식당): Bold Galchi Jorim in Hallim
There are so many galchi jorim restaurants in Jeju that it is now hard for any of them to really impress me. On my previous trip I came to this place, but they had already run out of ingredients and I never got to eat. That left me wanting more, so this time I moved a little earlier, and I finally got to try their galchi jorim.
From the first look it was a little different from typical galchi jorim. In fact, the taste was as direct as the red color of the sauce. It was clearly strongly seasoned, and the spicy sauce had soaked deep into the fish. This was not a sweet, smooth style. It was a braise where the heat and the dark, rich sauce really stand out.
Therefore, if you are hoping for a mild galchi jorim that a family with young children can eat easily, it may feel a bit strong. On the other hand, if you like galchi with a spicy sauce that has really sunk in, it is very satisfying.
The omelet that balances the spicy galchi
The rolled omelet that comes with it played a bigger role than I expected. After a few bites of spicy galchi, a soft piece of omelet calms the heat, and then your chopsticks go straight back to the galchi. It is a good pairing.
The walls are covered with notes left by guests over many years, the kind of history you rarely see at newly built tourist restaurants. Last time I was turned away at the door because they had sold out, and this time I finally sat down to a full table. Maybe the waiting and the disappointment helped, but even after eating a lot of galchi jorim in Jeju, this was a plate with a clear character that I will remember.
Second visit: still the best braise around
Was that first impression a mistake? I wondered if I had overrated it, so I came back with a different group. It was right again. Soon I started calling it “King-geum Sikdang.” The galchi jorim was still delicious. I have eaten a lot of galchi jorim in Jeju, but not many places stay in my memory this clearly. For one thing, the sauce is rich enough, yet it does not cover the taste of the fish, and with rice you keep reaching for more.
The second visit confirmed that the first one was no accident. The owner was again working hard in the kitchen, sweating, and looked a little tired, probably because of the hot weather. Either way, my opinion of the food did not change. I trust a restaurant that is good twice more than one that was good once, and Daegeum Sikdang held up. I can say it clearly now: in this area, the galchi jorim champion is Daegeum Sikdang.
Galchi at Daegeum Sikdang: how to visit
- Address: 6 Ongpo 1-gil, Hallim-eup, Jeju-si (제주 제주시 한림읍 옹포1길 6)
- Hours: A visitor in October 2026 listed daily 11:40 to 19:00 with a break from 15:00 to 16:00. It can close early when the fish runs out.
- Price: Galchi jorim was ₩37,000 for two people in 2026.
- Waiting: The same visitor reported numbered waiting tickets handed out from 10:45, before opening. Go early.
- Map: Open in Naver Map
- Original review on Revitguide (first visit) and second review on Revitguide.
2. Matna Sikdang (맛나식당): Morning Galchi Jorim in Seongsan
Why people line up for galchi jorim from the morning. If you look for galchi jorim in Seongsan, Matna Sikdang is a name that comes up sooner or later. I arrived early in the morning, and there was already a wait. The fact that people queue for galchi jorim at breakfast time tells you a lot about this place. While I ate, guests kept coming in, and tourists mixed naturally with diners who looked like locals.
I ordered galchi jorim and mackerel jorim together. First of all, rather than being aggressively spicy, the sauce was built around a light sweetness. Also, the fish had taken in the sauce well, and there was plenty of liquid, so it was perfect for spooning over rice and mixing in.
After all, a braise like this is about how good it makes your rice taste, and Matna Sikdang seems to know exactly that. Put a piece of fish on a spoonful of rice mixed with sauce, and you naturally move on to the next spoonful.
The charm of an old local restaurant
These days Jeju has many clean, stylish galchi jorim specialists. Matna Sikdang has a different strength: the power of an old restaurant. For example, it has no fancy decor, yet people wait from the morning, and as soon as one table leaves, the next guests sit down. You can feel the atmosphere of an old local place that has kept its name for galchi jorim in Seongsan for a long time. If you want the real galchi jorim experience in Seongsan, scene and all, it is worth a visit.
Galchi at Matna Sikdang: how to visit
- Address: 41 Dongryuam-ro, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo-si (제주 서귀포시 성산읍 동류암로 41), near Seongsan Ilchulbong
- Hours: 08:30 to 14:30 (last order around 14:00), closed Wednesdays and Sundays according to 2026 visitor posts and Revitguide. It closes early when it sells out.
- Price: Galchi jorim ₩14,000 and mackerel jorim ₩12,000 per person, as shown on the menu board in our photo. Order one portion per person.
- Waiting: Write your name and number inside. In busy seasons, visitors report queueing from early morning; going after the lunch rush can be quicker.
- Map: Open in Naver Map
- Original review on Revitguide.
3. Jaeyeon Sikdang (재연식당): Grilled Galchi Set Meal in Sehwa
I did not expect to love grilled galchi. From the outside it looks like an ordinary neighborhood restaurant, but every time I walked past, it was busy. I kept telling myself “next lunch, I have to eat there,” and I finally went.
I ordered the galchi set meal (갈치정식). To start with the conclusion: it was the best grilled galchi I have had in Jeju so far. Even people who feel grilled galchi alone is not enough will be happy with this table. Besides the grilled galchi and a variety of side dishes, it even comes with spicy stir-fried pork (jeyuk bokkeum).
In particular, I liked that the pork came in a small portion. It does not try to take over from the main dish, just a piece or two to enjoy. The whole meal felt well balanced around the grilled galchi.
Most guests seemed to be regulars, chatting easily with the owner and asking how she was doing. Because of that, watching them put me in a good mood too, and it felt like a place that has been loved for a long time. To be honest, I do not usually eat grilled fish much. Even so, after Jaeyeon Sikdang I told people around me, “I just had really amazing grilled galchi.” Now I wonder if that record-level galchi would taste the same on a second visit. So if I go back to Jeju, I will probably return here too.
Galchi at Jaeyeon Sikdang: how to visit
- Address: 27-2 Sehwa 3-gil, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si (제주 제주시 구좌읍 세화3길 27-2), a short walk from Sehwa Beach and the Sehwa five-day market
- Hours: About 10:00 to 19:00 (last order 18:00). Sunday closures differ between sources, so check before you go. It can close early when ingredients run out.
- Price: Galchi set meal ₩16,000 (what we paid; also listed on Siksin in 2026). Each set comes with rice, seaweed soup, side dishes and a little stir-fried pork.
- Good to know: Solo diners are welcome, so it is a handy galchi stop if you travel alone.
- Map: Open in Naver Map
- Original review on Revitguide.
Bonus 1. Namwon Badang (남원바당): Melguk, a Jeju Fish Soup
This one is not a galchi restaurant, but it fits well if you want to try Jeju fish dishes beyond hairtail. I ordered melguk (멜국), a Jeju soup made with anchovies (mel is the Jeju word for anchovy), which I had never had before coming to Jeju.
Right from the first spoonful, a spicy kick came up with a gentle scent of the sea. I worried that a fish broth would taste strongly fishy, but it was not heavy at all. If anything it was refreshing, and after a night of drinking it would have worked brilliantly as a hangover soup. Besides that, there were plenty of green vegetables in the soup. The look and the spicy broth reminded me a little of the galchi guk I had at Sambo Sikdang. I had hardly ever seen fish soups like this before Jeju, but I kept running into them on this trip, so it seems to be one style of Jeju soup.
Side dishes I did not order
The melguk was interesting, but the side dishes surprised me even more. I ordered only one meal, yet grilled gakjaegi (a Jeju name for jack mackerel) and pork skewers (dwaeji sanjeok) came out too. As dishes I had not ordered kept arriving, I thought they had made a mistake. “We didn’t order this?” I asked carefully, and they said it was all part of the basic side dishes.
Above all, the pork skewers were what I remembered most. I put a little jarijeot (salted damselfish, a Jeju staple) on the pork and wrapped it in lettuce, and that combination was great. The clean, nutty taste of the pork gets a deep savory boost from the fermented fish, which brings out the meat instead of overpowering it. The main was the melguk, but when I think back, the pork with jarijeot comes to mind first.
Overall, it is less a restaurant decorated for tourists and more a local place where Jeju people drop in for an easy meal. There is nothing fancy, but melguk, grilled gakjaegi, pork skewers and jarijeot, food you only find in Jeju, all land on one table. It showed me what a true Jeju meal looks like.
Visiting Namwon Badang
- Address: 7 Cheonsu-ro 8-gil, Jeju-si (제주 제주시 천수로8길 7), in Jeju City
- Hours: A visitor listed Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 to 21:30, closed Mondays (Revitguide also lists Monday as the day off).
- Price: We paid ₩10,000 for the melguk.
- Map: Open in Naver Map
- Original review on Revitguide.
Bonus 2. Miyeongine (미영이네): Mackerel Sashimi in Moseulpo
Moseulpo port, on Jeju’s southwest coast, is famous for mackerel sashimi (godeungeo hoe, 고등어회), and Miyeongine and Manseon Sikdang are its two best-known names, right next to each other. Last time I went to Manseon Sikdang, so this time I tried Miyeongine. Maybe it was just my impression, but that day in Moseulpo it seemed like every guest was heading to Miyeongine.
Before the meal I honestly thought, “They are mackerel sashimi places right next to each other, how different can they be?” After eating at both, I changed my mind quite a bit. First, the sashimi itself is hard to rank. Both places served good quality mackerel with no fishy taste at all. If you only judge the raw fish, either one will satisfy you. The real differences were in how you eat it and what comes around it.
At Miyeongine, a fresh kimchi (geotjeori) comes with the sashimi, and it is an important kick. Put rice on a sheet of laver, add a piece of mackerel and some of this kimchi, wrap it up, and the flavors come alive. Where Manseon Sikdang serves sliced onion and soy sauce next to the sashimi, at Miyeongine this kimchi really stands out. Both restaurants also serve braised mackerel; however, personally I liked Manseon Sikdang’s a little more.
The soup that sets it apart
The biggest difference was the soup at the end. Manseon Sikdang serves a clear mackerel soup in a bowl, but Miyeongine’s looks completely different from the first moment. A milky, thick soup, almost like soy milk broth, arrives in the pot. At first it tastes nutty and rich, as if ground beans were in it, but when I asked, the owner said there are no beans at all. That surprised me again. In the end, its slightly funky, nutty taste resets your palate after a lot of sashimi. It felt less like a side soup and more like the final punch that makes you remember the place.
On top of that, I ordered grilled mackerel separately. Maybe because the mackerel itself is good, the flesh was very soft and thick. I expected an ordinary grilled mackerel, and it was much better than that.
So which is better, Manseon Sikdang or Miyeongine? It is hard to pick one. The sashimi is excellent at both. However, once you get into the side dishes, the braise and the final soup, the two restaurants show their own colors in surprisingly different ways. Trying both and finding the differences yourself was a really fun food experience.
Visiting Miyeongine
- Address: 42 Hamohanggu-ro, Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo-si (제주 서귀포시 대정읍 하모항구로 42), in front of Moseulpo port
- Hours: A visitor in 2026 saw 11:30 to 22:00 (last order 20:30) posted on the door, with Wednesday as the day off. Check before you go.
- Price: The 2026 menu listed mackerel sashimi with soup at ₩70,000 (small, 1 to 2 people) or ₩95,000 (large, 3 to 4 people), and grilled mackerel at ₩15,000. We paid ₩99,000 in total.
- Waiting: There is a CatchTable waiting kiosk inside the restaurant.
- Map: Open in Naver Map
- Original review on Revitguide.
Tips for Eating Galchi in Jeju
- Order per person. Galchi jorim is usually priced per portion, and many restaurants ask for one portion per diner.
- Go early. Popular galchi spots like Daegeum Sikdang and Matna Sikdang can sell out, and Matna Sikdang closes in the early afternoon.
- Choose your style. Pick jorim if you like spicy food and rice, gui if you want the pure taste of the fish, and galchi guk if you want something mild.
- Plan by area. Daegeum Sikdang works with a day on the west coast near Hyeopjae, Matna Sikdang with Seongsan Ilchulbong, and Jaeyeon Sikdang with Sehwa Beach.
- Bring cash or a card. All of these are casual local restaurants. Expect simple seating and fast service.
Planning more food stops? Browse our Jeju food guides. If you are in Seoul before or after Jeju, see our guides to the Noryangjin Fish Market for seafood, ganjang gejang (soy-marinated crab) and the best Korean restaurants in Seoul. Heading to the mainland coast next? Our Busan food guide covers the city’s must-eat dishes.
FAQ
What is galchi in English?
Galchi is the largehead hairtail, also known as cutlassfish or belt fish. It is a long, flat, silver fish with soft white flesh and no scales.
Silver vs ink hairtail: what is the difference?
In short, they are the same species. Eun-galchi (silver galchi) is caught one fish at a time on a line, so the silver skin stays intact; Jeju is famous for it. Meok-galchi is caught in nets, which rubs off the silver, and Mokpo is known for it.
How much does galchi jorim cost in Jeju?
At our picks, galchi jorim was ₩14,000 per person at Matna Sikdang and ₩37,000 for two at Daegeum Sikdang in 2026. Meanwhile, a grilled galchi set meal at Jaeyeon Sikdang was ₩16,000.
Is the braise spicy?
It depends on the restaurant. For example, Daegeum Sikdang’s braise is strongly seasoned and spicy, while Matna Sikdang’s leans slightly sweet. If you do not eat spicy food, try grilled galchi or galchi guk instead.
When is hairtail in season?
Korean boats catch most hairtail from July to November, and autumn is often called the best season because the fish is fatter. Jeju restaurants serve galchi all year.
We checked prices and hours in November 2026, and they can change. Check Naver Map before you go.
