Jeju is like the Hawaii of Korea. It’s located far down South, and is full of volcanic rocks, palm trees, and wonderful foods that you can’t find anywhere else in Korea. Several specialities, like tilefish, come from Jeju.

Tilefish are a local Jeju specialty. They're traditionally partially dried, then grilled.

The sashimi here is fresh from the sea. My dinner was filled with soft and gooey things I’d never tried before, including several types of unphotogenic sea breams, sea cucumbers, snails, and shellfish. I got a treat, keeping the two beautiful abalone shells once I was done with my meal. After this, I decided to seek out the market where the local people got their fantastic seafood.

Abalone sashimi

At the market, there were rows upon rows of fish. The array I saw included mounds of octopus, squid, and cuttlefish, leaving some tables reminiscent of 1950s horror flicks. These cute little guys left an impression on me. They got me thinking of Sebastian from the Little Mermaid, and may have brought me one step closer to vegetarianism.

Too cute to eat

Soon I’ll be back in my own kitchen and able to make new recipes…until then, I expect Jeju will keep me happy and full.