RD Eats: We Tried a Full Pot of Seafood and Live Lobster at Jeju Seafood Hotpot in Penang

It can be easy to miss with its nondescript signage, but take a closer look and you'll notice the neon blue signage of a ‘dol hareubang’, large stone statues symbolic of Jeju Island.

You won’t find any ‘haenyeos’, or female Korean divers serving up dishes here, but what you will find is fresh, good quality seafood and Korean food that gives you the bang for your buck at Jeju Seafood Hotpot.

The building has been converted from the former Indonesian embassy and décor is kept simple, but pleasant, with ample parking space in the compound and K-pop ballads as background music. Large groups can call ahead to book their private room which seats eight.

Their specialty is of course their namesake or ‘haemultang’ as it’s known in Korean, a spicy seafood stew with seafood. Those who can’t handle their spice can inform their server upon ordering. Their prices start at RM99 for two pax while their set including lobster starts at RM280.

We went for the latter and an abundant amount of seafood was served up including live abalone from Korea, scallops, mussels, shrimps, baby octopus, clams and ramyeon, all seasoned with ‘gochujang’, red pepper paste.

The pièce de resistance of this was their whole live lobster, which was imported from France. It varies according to season, but they also obtain their lobster from Boston, USA. The succulent meat fell off the shell easily ─ a sign of its freshness.

Their lobsters and abalones are kept in a tank in the restaurant and diners can choose for it to be served live should they wish.

The spicy and deep flavours of the soup complemented the refreshing taste of the seafood perfectly and could easily feed four despite being only for two.

Best to bring along some friends unless you’re a huge eater. Our only complaint was the kimchi side dish that wasn’t seasoned well enough. We also opted to add on shabu pork roll slices, premium Australian beef slices and premium New Zealand mutton slices that served to add on to the richness of the broth as the meal went on.

Wanting to feel ‘atas’, we ordered up their oysters, which are sashimi grade and imported from Japan. We found it to be affordable as it cost RM60 for half a dozen pieces. Despite its affordable price, it was plump and fresh. We added a spot of tabasco sauce and a squeeze of lemon for an extra zest of flavour which we slurped up in no time.

We also hesitated to order their fried items, but were pleasantly surprised by their fried calamari which tasted nice and springy without being rubbery. Their crispy karaage and luncheon meat were also fried well without being drenched in oil.

Those who have watched any K-dramas will know that Koreans love to drink with every meal and the restaurant has an extensive alcohol menu to supplement your meals including Soju Towers and Soju Bomb towers.

Their a la carte menu also includes jjampong, Korean Chinese seafood noodle soup; katsu curry rice and more. Despite being newly opened in April, we have no doubt this restaurant will be a go-to spot for Korean seafood in Penang.