
Address and Contact Information
Address: 626 SE Main St, Portland, OR 97214
Phone: (503) 502-2038
Website: https://jejupdx.com/
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Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.com
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JEJU PDX
Jeju Restaurant (@jeju.pdx) • Instagram photos and videos
Jeju Restaurant – Portland, OR | OpenTable
Reviews
You’ll love the atmosphere and the best seats are at the counter in front of the open kitchen. The service is fast and friendly.
Also, the name of the restaurant evoked notions of Jeju Island with wonderful seafood… You will not experience this.
Set your expectations properly and you’ll have a great experience.
The only thing the people at my table didn’t enjoy was the steak, I didn’t try it myself because I don’t eat red meat, but they said it was undercooked and too bloody.
All the other dishes were amazing, and the cocktails were very good.
I definitely recommend this place!
Highlight of the meal was dessert though, that was delicious !
The meat platter was the only thing that wasn’t too disappointing. If not for that, this meal would’ve been a complete rip-off.
Cocktails were top notch and we did indulge multiple times. With so many options out there, first impressions are super important and we’re not sure we’d return unless we hear about a bolder approach to the flavor profiles.
That said, I want to applaud JEJU’s commitment to whole animal butchery, sustainable sourcing, and zero-waste practices. Their whole animal program is commendable, and it’s no surprise they have a strong support base in Portland.
The banchan was underwhelming (radish-heavy kimchi, overcooked egg drop soup, flavorless green beans), though the soft tofu stood out. The pan-fried mandu was chewy but saved by the broth. Kampachi crudo lacked seasoning, and the Ssam meats were tough. Highlight of the night? The JeJu Sundae was easily the best dish.
The space is gorgeous with high ceilings, cool plants, and a private room with karaoke (limited song choices). Restrooms need TLC, no seat covers, and the decor feels like an afterthought.
Limited lot parking (~12 spaces), but free street and Kitty App parking nearby.
All in all: Excellent service, admirable values, but uneven execution on the plate. I’ll give them another shot down the line.
Although we informed the waiter that this was our first time in we didn’t receive any additional information regarding the menu, options, or recommendations.
We opted for the tasting menu as we wanted to try various different meats given we were a party of two.
I felt that while the banchan was just okay ~ the mandu and fish courses were amazing.
We received the meats for the ssam course and felt the portion received was very small.
To make matters worse – we waited for the dessert for over 15mins after they cleared the ssam course and brought our utensils for the dessert. We were left wondering if our dessert had been forgotten especially as others seated around us received their dessert courses… and then their checks… and then left….
Overall, perhaps we misunderstood that the tasting menu was not meant to be a full meal… but the large portion sizes for the remainder of the meats on the menu did not allow for additional cuts and experimentation at this point. We also did not receive much attention from the waitstaff to be able to order additional cuts, if wanted.
Overall, I cannot give an overwhelmingly positive review as I felt the service was lacking for the price point. I believe that better service from the start of our meal could have directed us better on options and expectations.
while i was excited to enjoy the contemporary style and concept of the dining experience, i missed much of the familiar bites and overall dining format of an average korean meal that typically doesn’t require an upcharge. specific examples are the additional charges for a single set of banchan and ssam fixings (greens and dips) that weren’t refillable for our party of 5 since we ordered à la carte instead of prefixed. we knew this ahead of time, but there was much to be desired (i.e. a unique execution of flavors) that might have made me overlook the added cost.
we got the steak and bulgolgi but they were too tough to actually bite through as a lettuce wrap, which was disappointing since their ssam was positioned as a premium item on the menu (re: upcharge). maybe if you ate with a fork and knife, the meats would have been chewable.
the kimchi jiggae was also much saltier (even with rice) than preferred with not much broth to go around. HOWEVER, their fried chicken was perfectly sweet and crunchy, and the tastiest bite was actually the humble sausage, which we almost passed but i thought was the most intriguing.
all in all, nice concept but the execution of the experience can be refined especially for the cost.
what we ordered (à la carte):
banhchan
kanpachi crudo
mandu
soy garlic wings (5)
ny steak, bulgolgi, sausage + ssam set
kimchi jiggae
soju + beers