Just off the southern coast of South Korea is the magical Jeju Island. I spent two months living on this volcanic island, and now that I have had time to reminisce about this special place, I’ll be sharing my experiences on the island, starting with the delicious food.

While on the island, I tried a variety of different seafood dishes. As someone who grew up in Massachusetts, I thought I was a seafood aficionado because of my love for lobster rolls, clam chowder, calamari, shrimp, oysters, and clams. I didn’t realize that there were many more dishes on this island that would quickly broaden my appetite for seafood.

One of the unique dishes I tried was haemul-tang (“seafood stew”). In a big pot filled with bubbling broth, haemul-tang includes everything from fresh octopus to abalone, clams, oysters, mussels, mushrooms, leafy greens, onions, and scallions. The warm broth was perfect for the (several) windy, chilly days. Some restaurants I went to also include large shrimp and glass noodles. I was a bit hesitant to try haemul-tang when I saw it for the first time because I had never seen so much seafood being cooked in a pot all at once. But after the first bite, this dish became one of my favorites during my stay.

In order to support local businesses during a ten-year project, a chef from Shilla Hotel went to struggling local restaurants and worked with the owners to turn their restaurants into successful businesses. Namkoong Namkoong (“big tree”) was one of the restaurants that received support from this project. Since then, it has become a popular spot among both locals and tourists. Namkoong Namkoong serves one set menu of Jeju black pork seafood stew. After enjoying the stew, the server made fried rice in the pot, topped with cheese that I watched him melt with a kitchen torch.

Hwe (“raw fish”) was another type of seafood I ate often during my time on Jeju Island. One of the restaurants specializing in hwe, Hoetjip Hakkaeron, was a ten-minute drive from where I was staying, and it was unique from the other hwe places I had previously visited because the server provided a sheet of paper with a diagram of a yellowtail that included the names of the different cuts along with a picture of the yellowtail assortment I ordered, with names of the designated cuts next to each part of the fish. The paper also included directions for the best way to enjoy the meal with the other side dishes that came with the yellowtail. Hoetjip Hakkaeron was so good that I ended up ordering yellowtail for takeout to enjoy at home while watching the second season of Squid Game.

On days that I wasn’t up for seafood, I would head over to one of the many K-BBQ restaurants around the island. One in particular stands out: Gogisori. Jeju, being famous for its black pork, meant I had to order it here. The black pork was full of flavor and a bit chewier than regular pork. The restaurant has a sleek interior design with black walls and a bar with a lighted display of its liquors. The atmosphere reminded me of a New York City speakeasy. The best part about Gogisori, apart from the food, is the service. The server grilled the meat for me from start to finish, explaining which sauces and seasonings out of the five that each cut of meat paired well with (my favorite was the pesto sauce). Gogisori’s other dishes, including the fried rice with two sunny side up eggs, doenjang-jigae (“soybean paste stew”), and salad, were also delicious and went well with the black pork.

While staying in Jeju, I also spent a lot of time exploring cafes. My favorite spot was the dog-friendly FINS Cafe, not only because of its beautiful view of the sky meeting the water, but also because you can catch dolphins from afar diving in and out of the water (at no extra cost). I found myself coming back to this cafe, ordering a carrot cake or a hallabong drink (hallabong is a type of sweet and sour citrus fruit), and gazing at the dolphins making a splash as the sun was setting.

For sweet treats, there was a bakery called Bakeshop Sniff that sold cinnamon buns just a few minutes from where I was staying. I always made sure to go in the morning or early afternoon because the cinnamon buns would sell out very quickly and close by late afternoon. The cinnamon buns are freshly baked every day, and they’re a popular spot for locals—there was even a notice above the glass display case with a limit for each customer.

There are several different flavors of cinnamon buns, and the owner had the ingredients displayed above the trays: Canadian western red spring wheat, organic flour, Sri Lankan fair-trade Ceylon cinnamon, Vietnamese organic cinnamon, organic unrefined sugar, non-antibiotic eggs from local farms, and premium quality dairy. Nothing better to treat yourself with on a rainy day.

Jeju Island is renowned for its mandarins, and there is no other fruit that compares to the sweet, flavorful taste of the mandarins I ate during my time on the island. I often passed by mandarin fields during my drives, and I noticed many homes had their own private mandarin fields in their backyards. I visited one of the mandarin farms where customers could pick mandarins of their choosing. The owner handed me a basket and a pair of small clippers, explaining that rather than pulling the mandarins off the branches by hand, it is essential to use the clippers and leave enough room when cutting away from the stem. Otherwise, the mandarins won’t grow back. I left with bags full of juicy, ripe mandarins. Throughout my stay, they became my go-to snack.

Although this is only a snapshot of all the food I enjoyed during my time on Jeju Island, the dishes and places I’ve mentioned are all those I’d recommend to travelers if they’re planning an upcoming trip. These are places I will be returning to the next time I visit this lovely island. Until then, I will cherish memories of the scrumptious food, diving dolphins, and scenic mandarin fields.