Joayo Joayo charcoal galbi, Jeju — 24,000 won a portion, and a notice on the wall saying they will not grill it for you

Choosing a grill restaurant on Jeju is more tiring than it sounds. There are so many black pork signs, and the line between places for tourists and places for locals is blurred.

Joayo Joayo charcoal galbi falls clearly on one side of that line. Samdo 2-dong in Jeju City, the ground floor of an old building beside a church. Not a tourist district but the middle of a working neighbourhood.

And this place has a notice on the wall. Five lines headed “Please read”, and reading them tells you almost everything about what kind of restaurant this is.

What follows is the order in which we sat and ate in August 2026, and what that wall says, as it says it.

The place — Samdo 2-dong, outside the tourist district

The address is 14-1 Samdo 2-dong, Jeju-si, Jeju-do. Under 15 minutes by car from Jeju airport, over towards the old centre of the city. The building is old and the sign is yellow. At night that yellow sign is the only bright thing.

• Hours Daily 11:00~22:00
• Phone 064-724-5404
• Budget per person 20,000~30,000 won (as listed on Google Maps)

There are several branches of the same name within Jeju City. Gunam branch, branch 4, branch 5 and others come up separately in searches, so it is worth opening a map and confirming which one you are heading for. This piece is about the Samdo 2-dong branch.

Joayo Joayo charcoal galbi at a glance (checked 2026-09-19)

Item	Details
Address	14-1 Samdo 2-dong, Jeju-si, Jeju-do
Hours	Daily 11:00~22:00
Phone	064-724-5404
Fresh galbi	150g per piece, 12,000 won / 300g per portion, 24,000 won
Marinated bone-in galbi	200g per piece, 12,000 won / 400g per portion, 24,000 won
Marinated boneless galbi	200g per piece, 12,000 won / 400g per portion, 24,000 won
Ordering rules	Minimum five pieces per table, two pieces per portion, meat once served cannot be exchanged
Rating	Google Maps ★4.1 from 202 reviews — rating below this site’s standard

A simple menu — three cuts, all 24,000 won per portion

The menu is short. There are three kinds of galbi and they all cost the same.

• Fresh galbi 150g per piece (12,000 won) · 300g per portion, 24,000 won
• Marinated bone-in galbi 200g per piece (12,000 won) · 400g per portion, 24,000 won
• Marinated boneless galbi 200g per piece (12,000 won) · 400g per portion, 24,000 won

The rules to watch are printed in bold under the menu. The minimum is five pieces per table, and one portion is two pieces. Which means that even two people have to order at least five. And once the meat has been brought to the table it cannot be exchanged.

At the same price, which to choose? The marinated cuts give you more weight (400g). The fresh galbi, on the other hand, is about the meat itself. For a first visit, two pieces of fresh and three marinated is a safe mix.

Side orders include grilled king prawns, pork skin, cold buckwheat noodles with sauce, cold noodles in broth, steamed egg and rice. To drink there is soju and beer, bokbunja, Cheongha and soft drinks. (Part of the price list was hidden behind an extractor pipe, so exact figures are not given here — check on site.)

Five lines on the wall — the notice that explains this place

On the glass by the entrance is a notice headed “Joayo Joayo, please read”. There are five items; rather than summarise, here is what each one says.

1. Meat that has been brought to the table cannot be exchanged, for hygiene reasons, so please say in advance when ordering. (For example: more lean, more fat — we will match it as far as we can.)
2. We are short-staffed and cannot grill the meat for you. We will make up for it with good meat instead. (Grilled meat to take away is possible with advance booking, from five pieces.)
3. Please wrap takeaway yourselves in foil. Vegetables left on the table cannot be packed up. (Packing vegetables costs an extra 2,000 won.)
4. Fresh and marinated galbi are prepared only in the day’s quantity, so they may sell out early.
5. We do not reuse food.

At the bottom there is one more line — that amid soaring prices and a shortage of staff they are trying to make honest, good galbi, and would ask for a kind eye.

Read this notice before you go and your expectations will be accurate. This is a place where you grill your own, and if you arrive late there may be no galbi left. If you are set on eating here in the evening, earlier is safer.

The meat — you do the grilling, but the condition is good

Order and the galbi comes heaped on a white plate. The quantity reaches you through the eyes first. Pieces on the bone are mixed with pieces of pure meat, and the colour is bright.

Since you are grilling yourself, a little technique helps. The charcoal is fierce, so it is better to give fresh galbi a short spell on one side and turn it straight away. Stand the part next to the bone on its edge and cook that side first and it will not burn.

Fresh galbi has a definite chew. With no marinade, the sweetness of the meat itself and the smell of the charcoal come through directly. Salt and sesame oil are enough.

Marinated galbi is a different character. The soy marinade has gone in sweet and salty, so the surface sets like caramel the moment it meets the heat. It burns easily, so move it to the edge of the charcoal and cook it slowly. Once it is done, rice or lettuce naturally follows.

The pork skin we ordered on the side was good too. It comes cut thick, so it takes a while to grill, but once it is through the outside is crisp and the inside springy. Putting one different texture in among the galbi keeps the table from getting monotonous.

Map and practicalities — getting there, how to order, the rating

Address 14-1 Samdo 2-dong, Jeju-si, Jeju-do
Hours Daily 11:00~22:00
Phone 064-724-5404
Budget 20,000~30,000 won per person (as listed on Google Maps)

Ordering, summarised.

• A minimum of five pieces per table, and one portion = two pieces. For two people, five is the floor.
• Requests such as more lean or more fat have to be made when you order. Once it is out, it cannot be exchanged.
• The daily quantity is fixed, so it may be sold out later in the evening.
• You grill it yourself. Rather than calling a member of staff, it is quicker if one person takes charge of the tongs and scissors.
• Wrap takeaway yourselves in foil; packing vegetables costs an extra 2,000 won.

The rating, honestly. Google Maps shows ★4.1 from 202 reviews. The review count is past this site’s threshold of 100, but it falls short of the ★4.5 rating standard. Not grilling for you, and setting a minimum order, also sets some diners up to be disappointed. That is why this piece reproduces the restaurant’s own wall notice in full, near the top. If you still want to go after reading it, the meat is worth the money.

FAQ

Do they grill the meat for you?

No. The restaurant states on the notice at its entrance that it is short-staffed and cannot grill for you. You grill your own here.

Can two of us go?

Yes. But the minimum is five pieces per table and one portion is two pieces, so for two people five is the floor.

What does it cost?

Fresh galbi, marinated bone-in galbi and marinated boneless galbi are all 24,000 won per portion, and 12,000 won per piece (from the menu board on site in August 2026).

Can I still eat if I arrive late?

They prepare only the day’s quantity, so it can sell out early. If you are set on eating here in the evening, an earlier hour is safer.

Can I get it to take away?

Yes. You wrap takeaway yourselves in foil, and vegetables left on the table cannot be packed up (packing vegetables costs an extra 2,000 won). Grilled meat to take away is possible with advance booking, from five pieces.