I was looking for a nice place to have dinner before leaving Jeju, so I started browsing Catchtable to find a place that could take reservations. Not sponsored btw, just in case you were wondering.
The place I wanted to book was full, so I ended up finding this place called DORIP, who still had space for a table of 4. Thank God, because this ended up being one of my favourite dining experiences in Jeju.
Restaurant in East Jeju
DORIP is located on the east side of Jeju, around the Woljeongri Beach neighbourhood. It’s run by a cute married couple, with a little boy who is associated with the restaurant’s branding. The owner jokingly said that the kid is probably the most expensive part-timer he has, because the kid’s drawings are displayed in the restaurant and on the menu. Super cute part-time graphic designer!
It’s located in quite a secluded spot, it’s quiet at night, and it feels a bit like a housing neighbourhood. The restaurant doesn’t have parking, so you’ll need to park nearby, which was quite doable for us.
There’s only one menu here: a 7-course meal for 59,000 won.
Wine & Dine in Jeju
One thing that DORIP requires its diners to do is to purchase a drink. It can be either a bottle, a glass of wine, or a non-alcoholic beverage.
They have an entire room dedicated to wine, where you can browse and choose from.
The main dining area is very nicely decorated, and there’s an open kitchen where you can see them cook up your dishes. The space isn’t the largest, they have tables that can fit 2 to 4 people, but a maximum of 10 to 12 people per seating.
During my visit, we got lucky because the first dish was swapped for sourdough bread with gosari butter, which they don’t usually have. They freshly bake the bread in-house, and the gosari butter was one of the best things I’ve had.
A stuffed chicken wing followed it, served with basil risotto and gorgonzola cheese, and a taco dish, which ended up being one of my favourite courses of the night.
There was also an anchovy pasta, topped with deep-fried burdock, which added a nice crispy texture to the overall dish.
The main beef galbi dish is served with seasoned Korean wild chives and a pepper sauce. It was cooked perfectly, and I appreciated the sauce’s slight spiciness to balance everything out.
Just when I thought we were done with the savoury dishes, the meal ended with an endive salad. No mistakes there. I thought it was interesting they chose to end with a salad, but this was a nice dish that felt flavourful enough to leave an impact while still being refreshing enough to be a palate cleanser before dessert.
Dessert was a matcha cake, and while it wasn’t as memorable as the savoury courses, it rounded off our experience well.
Best Restaurants in Jeju
If you’re ever looking for an awesome dining experience in Jeju, I highly recommend making a reservation for DORIP. It’s easily searchable via Catchtable, an app you can download on your phone.
DORIP (도립)
제주 제주시 구좌읍 행원로5길 33
33 Haengin-ro 5-gil, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si
Tues-Sat, 7pm to 10pm (Closed on Mondays & Sundays)
Reservations required
*This was an independent review by MiddleClass
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