Myunghee Restaurant: The 10,000 Won Buffet Locals Line Up For in Western Jeju
I stumbled onto Myunghee Restaurant myself on the way back from Geumoreum (one of Jeju's volcanic hills, known locally as an oreum), right when I was starting to get hungry. The building's red, yellow, and black paint job caught my eye from pretty far away.
Honestly, at first I assumed it was just an ordinary neighborhood diner. Then I noticed a sign that simply read "10,000 Won Buffet," and another one nearby that said "Ten Thousand Won of Happiness" — the restaurant's own confident nod to its price. That kind of confidence made me curious.
Most of the customers around me looked like locals, not tourists. When a place fills up with residents before visitors even find it, I always want to know why. One meal in, and it made sense.
🍚 All This for 10,000 Won?
The price is 10,000 won per person, paid upfront, and that covers the buffet, cold noodles, and sikhye — a traditional Korean sweet rice punch. I'll admit — I expected a typical cheap buffet spread. The number of side dishes changed my mind fast.
The day I visited, the mains were spicy pork stir-fry, braised short ribs, and grilled hairtail (a popular fish in Korean home cooking), with japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), assorted seasoned vegetables, and fried dishes filling every corner of the counter.
Watching them prep every side dish fresh, with real ingredients, made me trust the place immediately.
I'm usually a little wary of pork dishes at cheap buffets — the gamey smell has caught me off guard before. Not here. The seasoning was spot-on and there wasn't a trace of that smell. The grilled hairtail wasn't huge, but I could grab several pieces, which worked out fine.
None of it tasted store-bought. Everything felt homemade, which made the whole meal feel like home cooking rather than a buffet.
🧑🍳 The Story Behind "Myung Hee Chef"
I noticed the phrase "MYUNG HEE CHEF" everywhere in the restaurant — carved into the chairs, worked into the wooden wall panels. At first I figured it was just part of the décor. Then I asked the owner about it.
Turns out his wife, who runs the kitchen, used to work as a hotel chef. The pride on his face while he told me that said everything. It also explained why every single side dish tasted so well-seasoned.
🍜 Cold Noodles and Sikhye, Self-Serve
The soup that came with my meal was a mild seaweed soup — clean and simple.
Next to the main buffet line, there's a separate cold noodle station. The broth was icy, with tiny bits of ice floating on top — exactly what you want on a hot summer day. Noodles, sliced cucumber, radish, and shaved ice are self-serve, and toppings are set out separately for you to add however you like.
Once you're done eating, there's self-serve sikhye waiting for dessert too.
These two aren't just an afterthought — they round the whole meal out like a proper course. For 10,000 won, this goes well beyond "good value."
If you've never had Korean cold noodles before, I've included a quick guide below.
🌙 Dinner Menu: À La Carte Instead of Buffet
Myunghee Restaurant isn't only a lunch buffet. It reopens after a break for dinner too — but in the evening, it switches to à la carte dishes like spicy stir-fried octopus, spicy pork stir-fry, and bulgogi hot pot. Each dish runs around 9,000 won.
Value buffet at lunch, à la carte dining at night — that flexibility is another reason this place stands out.
🪑 Solo-Dining Friendly
One more thing I appreciated: dedicated solo seating. There's a section clearly marked for solo diners, screened off with glass partitions, so you can eat alone without feeling awkward. For a diner out in a rural farming district, that's a thoughtful touch.
🚗 Parking: Where to Look
There's street parking right in front, but by the time I arrived, it was nearly full.
Turns out there's a dedicated lot about 100 meters away — look for a sign with the restaurant's name near a side road just past the main building.
Seeing both parking areas nearly full told me everything I needed to know. This place clearly has a loyal local following.
🚗 A Perfect Stop Near Osulloc and Geumoreum
Myunghee Restaurant sits just a few minutes' drive from both Osulloc, Jeju's well-known green tea museum and café, and Geumoreum. It's an easy stop whether you're coming from the tea museum or heading down from the oreum. I've always found that eating at a local spot like this, rather than a tourist-area restaurant, makes the whole trip feel more special.
🍚 When to Go
This is the spot for when you're hungry after Geumoreum, or craving a real meal after Osulloc. You can eat alone without any awkwardness, and at 10,000 won, it's an easy pick even if you're bringing your parents along.
If you're driving around western Jeju, this is one of those places I'd happily return to. Good food, homemade side dishes, friendly prices, and plenty of locals at the tables — that's usually a combination you can't go wrong with.
| 📍 Address | 626 Nokchabunjae-ro, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City, Jeju Island |
|---|---|
| 🕖 Hours | Mon–Sat 10:00 AM–2:30 PM · Break 2:30–4:30 PM · Dinner 4:30–8:00 PM (may extend) · Sunday 10:00 AM–3:00 PM only · Open daily |
| 💰 Price | Lunch buffet 10,000 won per person (prepaid) · Dinner à la carte around 9,000 won |
| 🚗 Parking | Street parking out front + dedicated lot (about 100m walk) |
| 📞 Phone | +82 64-773-9994 |
Avoid arriving during the break (2:30–4:30 PM), or you'll show up to a closed door.
Sundays close early, at 3:00 PM — plan around it.