Dongmun Market On Jeju Island-Abalone Butter Rice With Spicy Pork

After a nice appetizer of lobster and grilled pork rolls, I made my way over to a stall I had mentally circled as a “must try”. This stall specialized in abalone butter rice with spicy pork which was prominently displayed in the front of the cart. It had my mouth watering as I walked by it and I couldn’t wait to give it a try.

By the time I made my way over to the stall there was a long line waiting for me. It was clearly one of the more popular stalls in the market place. Always a good indicator for tasty food!

While waiting in line, watching the cooks prep and work their craft was pretty mesmerizing to me. It’s certainly enjoyable to see the food cooked right in front of you. When there’s a limited menu, the cooks really know how to create everything on it perfectly. It certainly helped to pass the time while waiting in line!

When it was my time to order the choice was obvious: I had to go with the abalone butter rice with spicy pork.

It comes nicely packed in the container. The proportions are perfect.

I didn’t really taste any hint of abalone in the rice. But it was very buttery and seasoned with nori on the top. Simple and delicious.

A chili based sauce coated the pork bits which were cooked to perfection. Tender and juicy with melt in your mouth bits of fat thrown in for good measure. The sauce coats the meat well and is quite tasty. A little sweet, a little spicy, it has a nice kick to it but isn’t overly spicy.

There’s also some crunchy green veggies (similar to a green onion but crunchy) in the dish as well. Getting a spoonful of the pork, cruncy green veggie, and abalone butter rice, provided a mouthful of delicious flavors and textures with the veggies providing a nice crunch. While the dish didn’t appear particularly large, it actually contained a substantial amount of well-packed food.

The abalone rice and pork offers a unique and enjoyable combination of flavors, that I’d defintely recommend!