Hidden away in Nangdo, an island in Yeosu is Baeknyeondoga Restaurant (백년도가식당). After connecting bridges were built, access to the island via land transport options has been made possible. Hence, there is an increase in island-hopping itineraries in Jeollanam-do.
It was also featured on Jun Hyun Moo’s Plan, a variety show by the Korean celebrity, which gave the restaurant an additional boost in popularity.
Popular Yeosu Restaurant
The restaurant is hidden within an alley and is housed in a 100-year-old traditional hanok passed down for four generations. Most of the hanok is private property and cannot be accessed. The main dining area is housed in a separate area, which can hold around 20 to 30 pax.
There’s no electronic queueing system, which is expected of a place located here. Instead, they give out wooden spoons with numbers as their queue system.
The restaurant is also decorated with lots of signatures, indicating its popularity among celebrities. However, it’s not just celebrity signatures on these walls – you’ll find signatures of athletes, politicians and more here. Seems like if you’re visiting Nangdo, a meal here is a must.
Menu at Baeknyeondoga Restaurant 백년도가식당
One of the highlights of Baeknyeondoga Restaurant is their Sliced Raw Tongue Sole Salad (서대회) (30,000won), which features raw slices of fish tossed together with vegetables, rice wine vinegar, gochujang and other condiments.
They have an option priced at the same price of 30,000won but served together with Acorn Jelly. We highly recommend getting this option as you’re able to try more items.
The seasoned fish is a nice blend of sweet, spicy and sour flavours. Texture-wise, it’s quite vibrant, with the chewiness of the fish balanced out with crunchy vegetables. While we were expecting the acorn jelly to be rather bland, it had quite a strong sesame oil flavour. The nutty and savoury notes paired really well with the fish!
Another dish to try is their Haecho Bibimbap (10,000won) which sees a nice mixture of fresh vegetables and haecho, a kind of seaweed, mixed with gochujang sauce. Despite not being huge fans of the dish, we really enjoyed the bibimbap dish.
Food-wise, the only item left from their menu is the Abalone Haecho Bibimbap (15,000won) which is similar to the original version, just served with slices of abalone.
They also have a seasonal menu which wasn’t available when we visited, but there were items like Raw Tongue Sole Salad with Soondubu and Maesaengi Oyster Rice Cake Soup.
The one thing you absolutely cannot miss when in Nangdo, Yeosu is this restaurant’s makgeolli.
Priced at 3,000won per bottle, the Makgeolli here is made using water from a well. It’s also fermented right here in the traditional hanok. It’s non-carbonated and feels a lot lighter than the usual makgeolli.
Because it’s non-carbonated, some people might find the feeling of this makgeolli a little bit off, but for us, it was perfectly acceptable. We thought it contributed a lot more to the smoothness of the drink.
You’re also able to buy the bottles of makgeolli in a set of 4 for 10,000won. Each table is limited to one box of 4 from what we’ve heard.
Restaurant in Yeosu
If you’re intending to visit Yeosu, we highly recommending taking a trip around the islands, and explore Nangdo while you’re at it. It’s got a nice fishing village vibe, reminiscent of certain neighbourhoods in Jeju.
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Baeknyeondoga Restaurant (백년도가식당)
전남 여수시 화정면 여산4길 5-2 100
100 Yeosan 4-gil 5-2 Hwajeongmyeong, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do
Tues-Sun, 11am-3:30pm, Closed on Mondays
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