Jeju Kitchen

The food was delicious and the portions were monstrous. I guess it was a very good value if you consider that there will be so many leftovers. Our party of four does not like to waste food, and just seeing these portions, while very tasty, felt quite daunting. My request to Jeju Kitchen is to offer both small and large portions on the menu, or downsize their portions & prices a bit. The "KFC" fried chicken was comically huge. Like 6 chicken breasts and two legs. This dish alone would have fed the four of us. The Poke bowl would have fed two people. I felt especially bad about wasting the last bits of the Poke bowl because it's a dish that won't keep very well as a leftover. Anyway, we did love this restaurant and the portion size was my only criticism.

Off the hook place. The initial thought was each thing that we order was going to be tiny portions. They were not. We ordered the Tuna Poke Plate. It full of poke and full of flavor. It was a little spicy for the person who ordered it but not for me. We also ordered the Korean Fried Chicken and it was quite of few pieces that came with it. It was crispy and cooked to perfection. Then lastly I ordered the kimchi dolsot bibimbap which came in a clay pot. It was served with Kimchi on the side but in the clay pot there was glass noodles, kimchi, spinach, and the rice formed a nice little crust on the bottom of the clay pot that mad this dish special. Our experience here was very good and I will be suggesting this place to many others. Too many things on the menu looked desirable.

This is the best Korean food I ever had! We got several plates for a party of 5, no kidding we all found it super delicious! My favorites are the spicy chicken, ribs, and dumpling soup. I'd give it 6 stars if I could!

We had an excellent meal at Jeju Kitchen in Carmel by the sea. We found it accidentally while walking around and wanted to try it out. We read the introduction at the entrance door and we're very intrigued by the menu and setting. We never saw a Korean restaurant in the mall and it was a fresh look to the multicultural restaurants in Carmel. We entered the restaurant and we were greeted by a friendly waiter. Looking at the menu we tried the Kimchi pancake, the Kalbi and Dolsot Bibimbap. All the dishes were nicely presented as you can see in the picture. The kimchi pancake in particular is very crispy, thin and without too much flower and the taste is excellent. Really something you would expect from a Korean restaurant in Korea. This place is a fusion between Korean and Italian flavor. Very unique and perfect location among the many different restaurants in the mall with Japanese, American, breakfast and lunch cafe style food, wine tasting and many more shops with their unique taste and flavors. Jeju Kitchen is also unique with their name as it reflects something like the flavors of Jeju island and relaxed atmosphere. They have outside patio seating with a fireplace, very cozy when it is cold or chilly weather in Carmel. Anyone who wishes to try Korean cuisine with a western influence should for sure try this unique restaurant. Very clean and pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant was pretty full even at the beginning of the week. It was a great experience and we will certainly be back on our next trip to Carmel by the Sea.

Love Korean food? This place is for you! Dumplings were steamed and tasty! Soup was hot and yummy! Inside is a little too loud, but they also have an outdoor seating with gas heaters.

I had an incredible experience at Jeju! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and Andrea, our amazing waitress, made it even better. She was exceptionally courteous, respectful, and attentive throughout our visit—truly one of the best servers I’ve encountered. The food was outstanding—beautifully balanced in flavor, with nothing overly salty or sour. Even the portions of protein and carbs were thoughtfully prepared. It’s rare to find a place where both the taste and the nutritional balance feel so right. To top it off, the prices are very reasonable—more affordable than many other spots in Carmel. I highly recommend Jeju to anyone looking for a modern Korean dining experience. Bring your friends, and don’t forget to ask for Andrea if you can—she’s awesome!

Soooo tasty! We ate our food so fast, due to its deliciousness! Only thing we did wrong was order spicy edamame - nah - stuck with salty only! Highly recommend this place, even if it is expensive!

I recently came here twice. The first time, I ordered the miso cacio e pepe with pork belly added on top. Pros: LOTS of flavor. Lovely, attentive staff. Cons: The sauce was a bit salty and kind of soupy (didn’t stick to the pasta). The pork belly was also tough and not tender at all. The second time, I ordered the chili crunch alfredo with prawns. Pros: Again, I adore the flavors of the dish. The prawns were cooked perfectly. The staff was WONDERFUL. Cons: The sauce was broken and soupy again. Honestly, 3 stars for the food but 5 stars for the staff. The menu is so creative and I really enjoy it. I’ll continue to come back. Soupy, salty sauce is not that big of a deal to me - those are easily correctable things that are unimportant if you order dishes other than the pastas!

We like the salad and short ribs, KFC chicken and pork noodles are ok-level. Tables are clean, not packed, chilled, and good design. Service is provided, average level speaking where no outstanding/upset experiences can be recalled. Parking is hard on Sunday afternoon and wait time can be as long as 30mins depending on table size.

Good ambience. Good service. Korean pan cakes - were good but ok. Korean short ribs and Bibimbap were really good and the quantity was a lot too. 3 people could not finish the above. Definitely give this a try.

Added 20% Gratuity for my party of 5 We ordered the: - Korean Pancake - Creamy Miso Cacio E Pepe - Beef Stone-pot "Dolsot Bibimbap" Everything was delicious! But in our opinion overpriced, so that knocked down a star. Friendly service in a cute plaza.

We decided to stop in the area for a meal before heading to the beach since it was convenient. After reviewing our options and the menus, I thought Jeju Kitchen would be a solid pick. Two adults and two kiddos, we were offered a small booth or table, I mistakenly thought any booth but she said no, the others are for bigger parties. I chose the smaller booth anyway to be a bit more comfortable with the kids. We decided on the kids chicken tenders & fries, Korean fried chicken and chicken BLT sandwich. The kids' came out in a cute bento style stainless steel tray with a few slices of oranges which was a nice touch. However, the chicken tenders were soooo dry (the meat), my kids hardly ate them. The breading resembled katsu so think panko crusted. My husband enjoyed his sandwich. My Korean fried chicken was a more generous serving than I expected, about 8 pieces served with some radish (like bon chon). I was sad to see the soy garlic drizzle was like hardly anything. The chicken outside was super crunchy and light which was great but the meat inside was SO dry and bland, it tasted like it wasn't brined or seasoned, we had to ask for a side of the sauce so I could dip it. It was a pretty disappointing meal for me and my kids but at least my husband liked his sandwich. Also, they seated a party of 3 adults in one of the booths we were told we couldn't sit in so that irked me. Wish things were different bc this is such a cute area to stop by!

I'm so glad we decided to try out this little treasure! We were grabbing a late, mid-week lunch, before returning home. They were not too busy and we got seated right away. we tried the blood orange spritzer and it was really good. We ordered the coconut shrimp, Jeju salad and chili crunch alfredo. All were so yummy! The salad was no average salad. It had a mix of all my favorite things in an unexpected pallet of happiness. Hummus, fresh tangerine and avocado, kale and quinoa, roasted carrots and the yummiest pear dressing. The alfredo was comforting and unique and I would order it all again. The decor was clean and simple, comfortable and pleasant. The servers were friendly and helpful. I hope to get back to the area so I can come have another yummy meal!

Jeju may have a nice island but I would think twice before coming to its kitchen. Coming into Jeju kitchen, you are greeted by bright smiles from staff and ushered into an indoor or outdoor seating. The ambiance was very fitting for a Carmel restaurant. We ordered the miso cacio e pepe and tuna Poké bowl. Sadly, we were disappointed by the lack of flavor from the miso cacio e pepe. It lacked the oomph factor and flavor that we expected from a fusion dish. The plus was that the noodles were al dente. The tuna poke bowl was nothing special: decent flavor, lack of sauce, good portion size. As for bang for your buck, expect to spend a decent amount for a mediocre meal. Overall, likely won't return due to cost and lack of flavor from dishes :(

This meal was DELICIOUS! I've been following Jeju Kitchen on social media for some time and was super excited to finally visit! We were greeted by friendly staff with a nice big table. It was my birthday and my friend had sent us glasses of champagne by phone and they had it ready upon our arrival! I looked at this menu a few times before visiting and was stumped on what to order, it all sounded amazing. Here's where we went: Steamed Pork Dumpling & Juicy Dumpling - SO tasty, very hot, perfect start to the meal. Korean Pancake - delicious, light, not overcooked, I loved it. Korean Glass Noodles - I love japchae and this dish truly hit the spot. Korean Short Ribs - tender, perfectly seasoned, would 100% order again! Definitely ate these way past being full. Kimchi - fresh and delicious! Note - the portions are very, very generous! Next time would love to try the Kimchi Mac, Miso Cacio e Pepe, Chili Crunch Primavera, most of the burgers, Bibimbap! And the soups! They even sent us a complimentary dessert for my birthday - loved this restaurant!

Wait... so why was this actually really good. I was a very surprised to find amazing Korean food in Carmel By The Sea. We got the Creamy Miso Cacio E Pepe, Beef Stone Pot "Dolsot Bibimbap," and Kimchi Pork Belly Soup. All of them were so good. Perfect noodle texture. Flavorful beef. Rich soup. Cute indoor and outdoor space. Food ready relatively quickly. If I'm in the area again, I'd definitely come back to try more items on the menu.

Went here with our pup for lunch since they have a really lovely outdoor area with heaters and a firepit. They even have umbrellas to keep you in the shade. Service was excellent. We ordered the salmon burger with a side salad, the chili oil wontons and the caeser salad. The burger was excellent and plentiful. The salad was large, well dressed but rather under seasoned. The chili oil wontons were good. Prices are high but this is carmel so what can i expect. we actually over ordered. We could have shared two items instead of ordering the three. Bathroom was clean but always had a line..

calamari was nice! would recommend ordering this dish again flavor of the miso pasta was decent but a pretty heavy dish. would recommend getting a protein with this dish too since it's such a monotonous flavor steak dish was okay, but lacked seasoning, and was definitely heavy on the sesame oil flavor. steak was cooked well but this dish wasnt particularly exciting in any way overall, decent restaurant & service, with a comfy interior, but probably wouldnt revisit

Such a good Korean spot! About a half-hour wait but worth it for that cheesy, comforting miso cacio e pepe, their huge and healthy farmer's salad, and massive platter of kalbi beef. In a town with very few good restaurants, this is actually a good one.

I have to be honest... Jeju Kitchen was just OK for me. The standout dish was the Steamed Dumplings -- those were very good. But the Miso Carbonara that I was excited for unfortunately fell short of my expectations. It was excessively oily. I'm not sure if the egg didn't bind well with the cheese or what, but it lacked the qualities of a tasty, creamy, true carbonara.

traveling from Los Angeles to Monterey for a conference. We came here for lunch on a Wednesday around 12pm. the place was empty so we got to pick our own seats. initially we chose patio, but it was a little windy/chilly so we went inside. I ordered bibimbap, the hot stone pot on a cold day. hubby ordered beef short ribs. food tasted good, similar to where we're familiar with. but there's only couple kim chi side dishes, unlike other Korean restaurants where they serve several different kinds of side dishes. price was much more expensive, like 30% more than SoCal, where we thought was already very pricey.

Really great lunch option if you are in the area! Items Ordered: Jajangmyeon Noodles with Pork Belly Add On: The noodles were so good, had a beautiful coating of sauce and the pork belly was cooked perfectly crispy. Korean Glass Noodles: My friend enjoyed them and she cleared her whole plate! Side of House Fries: Super crispy. I would have liked a seasoning on them though to have them stand out. Service: Wait staff was friendly and professional. Ambiance: Modern style decor with warm tones and natural light during the day. There's an outdoor patio that offers both shaded and sun options. Overall: I really enjoyed this take on Asian Fusion and California flavors!

After visiting this place, I can confirm it's just over hyped. The miso cacio was really bad. It tasted so salty, and the flavor was overwhelming. I was only able to do two bites and then switch to my partners dish due to that aged/sour taste in my mouth. My partner ordered the glass noodles and those were actually lacking flavor. You're better off getting this at an authentic Korean spot. The service was decent, but I won't be returning. It was over 100 for two of us!!!

Uniqueness: Not very often (or ever) have I seen Korean Food in Carmel! Wait Time: [x][x][x][x][x] Food Quality: [x][x][x][x][x] Service: [x][x][x][x][x] Setting: [x][x][x][x][x] Cost: [x][x][x][x][ ] Recommendation? Highly recommend you get the Stone Pot Bibimbap for starters and the Korean pancake. Was back in Carmel exploring the town and was about to go get some pizza/burger in Carmel Plaza when I randomly noticed a new Korean spot opened up here. Korean? In Carmel? It couldn't be that good could it? After my experience coming here, I have the say for my first time visiting here that I was very satisfied and hit my expectations for a Korean/American fusion restaurant! I went here at what should be peak hour during lunch on a Sunday and was quite amazed that I was able to get a seat immediately (about an hour later though, then the crowds began to show up). Inside is clean and neat, staff were very friendly, and quick to get your order going. Decided to get the salmon burger, 8 piece soup & pork dumpling, Korean pancakes, and the Stone pot bibimbap. The salmon burger was pretty standard for a Salmon burger and the fries were perfectly crisp. The Korean pancake felt like it had sweet potato mixed in the batter potentially and there was no seafood but it was still good and crisp nonetheless. The dumplings--although not necessarily Korean when it came with soup dumplings--were surprisingly good! Savory, plump and well cooked, I would consider getting them again as an appetizer. The stone-pot bibimbap was the star of the show in my opinion. Although they didn't serve it with bulgogi style beef and opted for steak instead, the meat was still very good with the standard ingredients of onion, beansprouts, zuchinni, mushrooms, and a sunny side egg on the top. The rice was crisp to perfection from the stone pot and with the side of gochujang sauce on the side with kimchi as well--Exactly what I was expecting from a hot stone pot. Price-wise overall for this place is a bit pricier than typical Korean food but this place being located in Carmel, I'm not surprised at the general price increase. Jeju Kitchen is an unexpected good spot to eat at in Carmel if you give them a chance. Although I intentionally give a 4 stars, it's only because I want to come back again to see if they continue to serve great Korean food in the Carmel area. Well worth the try and a high recommendation from me for others to give it a try as well!

The food was super delicious and service with the waiters were A1. The owner was there and was being a team player. The presentation of each plate that came out. I was going to order a burger but I decided to keep it K-pop dinner have a BTS time

Service was great! Friendly staff! This restaurant was very over priced but my main complaint is the dumplings. I would call them potstickers not dumplings for one. But the most obvious thing was they were definitely store bought. If I had to bet, they are the Japanese Costco potstickers! The short ribs were expensive and not very tasty! I will not be going back.

This place was great. Loved the food, shareable plates. Great customer service. Nice ambiance. Definitely would go back

Looking for a spot to grab lunch, we stopped at Jeju Kitchen and we're glad we did. My wife had the Kimchi Mac and cheese and was a big fan. I on the other hand, had the bone in galbi. They were sauced really well and had an awesome sear to them. The kimchi served on the side was also pretty good. Service was great, as we were checked on a decent amount and cups were never empty. If we hadn't had dinner plans, we probably would have tried a few more items.

Saw some photos of the Korean fried chicken on their IG and made the trip to Carmel. It was busy but we were able to get a table outside despite the chilly night. There were plenty of heaters and a fire pit to keep us warm. We had soup dumplings and the Korean fried chicken. The service was prompt despite a busy night. This place definitely lives up to the hype. NOTE the place says Carmel Burger Bar on the sign. You're in the right place! So many people unfortunately walked by lost. We even stopped a couple leaving and informed them they were in the right place!!!

The restraunt is on the first floor and in the middle of the shopping center with tables outside. There is paid parking nearby that is easier to find a spot. The tables outside have heaters they turn on and a bondfire. The service is great and friendly. The food is tasty and the kids liked their grilled cheese and fries and the BBQ burger was made well. Definitely recommend them.

Dined at this restaurant several times. Food's always good. It gets extremely busy so the pace of the meal is challenging sometimes coming out of the kitchen. Really a cool vibe being on the patio. Definitely would recommend it. Just be prepared if they get extremely busy to be patient.

We tried the jajangmyeon, beef stone pot, and the dumpling egg soup. I really enjoyed the noodle texture of the jajangmyeon, though the black bean sauce could have been more flavorful. The hot stone bibimbap came with a yummy sauce and crispy rice on the bottom. Lastly, the dumpling egg soup was comforting and similar to bone broth. The food is fusion and the interior is nice, which explains the price point, but I still think it was overpriced. Service was amazing, our waiter gave us great recommendations and was very attentive. It's also located in a cute shopping center with many small business shops next door. Overall, the food was tasty though I'm not sure I would come back given the price.

We stopped by here for dinner since we were craving Asian food. It was a bit hard to find to be honest since it has a burger name outside but turns out they share the spot. The food was good! Galbi was perfectly flavored. The dumpling soups was delicious. They also had a pretty cool kids menu that my kids loved. We got the kids cheeseburger and chicken strips which was more panko crust than traditional chicken strips. Surprisingly they didn't have a booster seat or high chair which is weird since they had a kids menu. Had to deal with my kids jumping up and down in the booth the whole time.

While in the area, I ate at Jeju Kitchen because of all the great reviews. After being given a choice of eating indoors or outdoors, we were able to drool over the menu which consisted of starters, burgers, and Korean food. Our server made some great suggestions and we ordered some of her favorites: Coconut Prawns - huge prawns coated in coconut, well fried Kalbi Beef - tender, fatty, unctuous Jeju Salad - romaine, baby lettuces, roasted carrots, avocado, tomato, so good Watsonville Wildflower - 5.5 ABV, perfect for me Servers were helpful and friendly. Now I know why there are so many good reviews.

Off the hook place. The initial thought was each thing that we order was going to be tiny portions. They were not. We ordered the Tuna Poke Plate. It full of poke and full of flavor. It was a little spicy for the person who ordered it but not for me. We also ordered the Korean Fried Chicken and it was quite of few pieces that came with it. It was crispy and cooked to perfection. Then lastly I ordered the kimchi dolsot bibimbap which came in a clay pot. It was served with Kimchi on the side but in the clay pot there was glass noodles, kimchi, spinach, and the rice formed a nice little crust on the bottom of the clay pot that mad this dish special. Our experience here was very good and I will be suggesting this place to many others. Too many things on the menu looked desirable.

As fresh as it gets Okay, this place has a bit of an identity crisis. It is supposedly fusion but it's really a potpourri of Asian and American dishes. Nonetheless, the food is excellent. We went for their jeju garden salad and the tuna poke bowl. Both were generously portioned and very fresh. The quinoa, hummus, and sourdough were highlights of the salad. The tuna in the poke was excellent as well. A great dinner especially if you want something light after a day of heavy eating

I haven't had Korean food in a hot minute so while visiting Carmel by the Sea, I figured why not swing by here and grab some. If you can't find the shop, it's probably because the name on the mortar says burgers but if you look at the menu it says Jeju. I shared the steamed dumplings, tuna poke, and jjajangmyeon (aka black bean noodles). Our server let us know that we could do half and half dumpling styles for our steamed dumplings so we got the pork ones and the juicy ones. We were pleasantly surprised at how large everything was. It was definitely all very delicious! The tuna poke was like a tuna salad and felt super refreshing. The dumplings were definitely handmade and not frozen -- you can just tell by the way they looked! The noodles were also very delicious! I would have liked it to be a bit more earthy, but still very tasty! All the staff here are super friendly and made sure to consistently check up on us. We also grabbed their tropic beer and the red monkey makgeolli. The red monkey wasn't a favorite of ours, but that's just a personal preference. It was almost like an less cold version of a lightly sweetened raspberry smoothie with alcohol. The beer though was definitely a favorite! The restaurant itself is pretty spacious and you have the option of sitting indoors or outdoors. Overall, it hit the spot for my Korean food craving while visiting Carmel.

This restaurant was delicious. Service was very good as well. We sat outside and ordered the cacio e pepe + pork belly, farmer's market salad + salmon, and a blood orange mimosa. They had a bucket of crayons and a coloring sheet for my 3 year old as well, which kept him entertained. Food was delicious--cacio e pepe was creamy and indulgent as expected, and I was actually quite impressed with the grilled salmon. I don't usually order salmon at restaurants because I feel like I make it better lol but this one was really good. The mimosa was tasty and a generous portion as well. Would definitely come back when I'm in the area to try more of their entrees!

During our weekend trip to Carmel, we found ourselves struggling to find a table at someplace nice. On a quick search, we came across Jeju Kitchen. The place itself was hard to find as there was no prominent sign outside the place. Place was quite busy but we were seated right away as we chose to sit outside. The staff was very polite and accommodating. We ordered Jjangmeyon noodles and spicy bulgogi chicken sizzler. Both were amazing and the portions were generous. Food was very freshly prepared and delicious. I also had a strawberry aperol which was refreshing.

We enjoyed a delicious and relaxing dinner at Jeju Kitchen this past November. Located inside Carmel Plaza, we walked by it 3 times before realizing it was the restaurant due to the sign above reading "burgers" if my memory serves me correctly. That aside, everything about our dinner experience was excellent. We really enjoyed their vegetable dumplings which come with two different types, KFC (Korean Fried Chicken, yum), and Japchae. Service was friendly and efficient, and they even gave us a fruit kimchee to try. Pros: Delicious Korean food offerings, friendly staff Cons: Hard to find lol

I liked the airiness and open vibe of Jeju Kitchen--it felt comfortable, and we were seated quickly. That said, it was a little odd that no one was at the hostess stand when we walked in. Thankfully, our server Hector was great--super friendly and gave helpful insight into the menu. What We Ordered: Kimchi Pancake: Visually, it was crispy and well-presented, but the flavor leaned heavily on flour with not enough kick. I would've liked more ginger or spice to bring it to life. As a Korean myself, I know this dish can pack more depth. The ponzu was a nice idea, but the pancake was already salty--didn't need it. Hawaiian Burger: The pineapple was a fun touch, but it felt a little underwhelming. I was hoping for more boldness. Fries were --super crispy--but tasted like they were fried in the same oil as tempura, which gave them a unique (but slightly off) flavor. Spicy Bulgogi Chicken: Tasty and tender, though it leaned more toward spicy teriyaki than classic bulgogi. Not mind-blowing, but I'd probably order it again. Bibimbap: Solid and reliable. Good meat, and the radish kimchi on the side was a nice surprise. Nothing standout, but decent overall. Overall: Prices felt fair for the area, but the food didn't quite hit the mark for me. It's not bad, but there are definitely better Korean spots nearby. Still, shout-out to Hector for the great service!

My wife and I are visiting Monterey and decided to stop by Jeju Kitchen. For drinks we ordered a Plum Soju and waters. For food we ordered the Dumplings (Half Pork/Half Veggie), Beef Short Ribs and Spicy Edamame. The dumplings and short ribs were very tender and both had great flavor. The spicy edamame was good but it was missing more flavor and spice. The staff was very friendly and attentive and recommended some items on the menu. Next time we visit Monterey we will definitely stop by Jeju Kitchen again.

3.5/5 - I ordered kimchi jigae, kbbq wings, and jajangmyun. The food was delicious! Though as someone who eats korean food often I wasn't blown away by anything particular. Ambiance was nice

Was honestly very let down by the food here. The reviews are great and the photos all look amazing, however the flavors just weren't there for me. I went with my boyfriend on a saturday evening around 4:45pm they said bar seating was all that is available for the rest of night so if you're going on a weekend, make reservations! We started with a grapefruit sake spritz-$15, We rated it an 8/10. It was simple, a grapefruit seltzer(from a can) with some garnish, nothing special for $15. For appetizers we ordered coconut prawns($20) and steamed dumplings($16). The coconut prawns were great it came with 5 large prawns and a sweet chili sauce. we both enjoyed these the best, rating them a 9.5/10. The steamed dumplings were okay, but I have had better elsewhere. They were very sticky and the pork inside was just okay, not bad but nothing special. We rated these a 7/10. For mains we had been seeing the Miso cacio pepe all over tiktok and it looked sooo yummy. this dish alone is why we came, however this was single-handedly the worst item we got. The sauce was not good, tasted like a burnt alfredo sauce with little to no actual flavor other than burnt. I only took one bite of this. My boyfriend ordered this and he is not one to waste, even if he doesn't like it he will try to eat it but he couldn't even finish half of the dish. Definitely not worth the $30+ we spent on it, this was a 2/10. I ordered the Kimchi mac and cheese, and again this dish was a let down. It was not cheesy at all, and had more of a vodka sauce flavor profile. This dish was actually edible so we rated it about a 5/10. It was not terrible just not something i would classify as mac and cheese. Our bill came out to $128 for the two of us. The food was below mid, the only thing we would actually return for is the coconut prawns however you can find those pretty much anywhere on the coast that are comparable in taste and price. none of the other dishes stood out to us. The service was just okay, we ordered a side of kimchi and never got it (they took it off the bill after we told them) and the dishes all came out at different times, which is not a huge deal for us but might be for a family. We found Jeju kitchen to be overly hyped, the food was mediocre if that with a hefty price tag for what you actually get. Do not recommend.

I would absolutely recommend Jeju! We're visiting from out of town and wanted to go somewhere for lunch and were pleasantly surprised! The dumplings were good but I probably wouldn't get them again, but the scallion pancake (not pictured) was SO GOOD! We loved the miso cacio e pepe but it was very thick so prepare yourself and the beef short ribs were so yummy. (dare I say the best I've ever had!) We got in during a weird hour so we didn't wait long but it was starting to get busy when we left. The outdoor seating looks like it would also be a great place to sit as well!

10/10 food, service, and environment! Everyone enjoyed their food so much, and our server gave great recommendations and was amazing.

Oh honey, you don't have to belabor the obvious, it's painfully obvious you don't have anyone advising you. You would take advice about as well as you take criticism. If you put half the effort you're putting into these silly responses into your business, you might provide a better experience for your customers. Successful businesses pay more attention to negative reviews in order to create a better product, but you do you. As for my "accusations," all I said was that the food was tasteless and uninspired. It's not an accusation, it's an observation and opinion that got under your thin skin. You fired back with rationalizations and excuses. This is not an industry for the overly sensitive. Focus on elevating your game. To quote others at my table, "they've just combined Korean with boring and called it 'fusion'." Other than that, you're just repeating yourself. You've mentioned TJ's rainbow carrots twice. You've mentioned someone else opening a restaurant so you can review them, twice. If the implication is that no one knows how hard it is to be a restaurant owner, get over yourself. You're serving tasteless food on tin plates like you're feeding dogs. So yes, you have the "right" to say whatever you want to say, but having a right and having good sense are two different things. Keep talking, Ashley. I'm sure your customers don't mind waiting for their food...

If I could give this restaurant 0 stars I would. I am writing to express my profound disappointment with my recent dining experience at this establishment. My party encountered several issues that significantly detracted from our visit, leading to a deeply unsatisfactory impression. Upon arrival, we were initially informed by the hostess that seating a party of eight was not possible. After suggesting a division into two parties of four, we were eventually accommodated. The hostess was rude and was consistently cutting us off. The wait time to have our orders taken was excessive, particularly when compared to the prompt service received by other older white people seated after us. Throughout our meal, our server, Ernestino C, failed to check on our table even once. The food quality did not justify the prices charged. The burger was notably flavorless and soggy, while the wontons were underwhelming in both size and taste. After all this it took us another 20 minutes to receive our check. I've worked in customer service for years and I will always leave a tip, but with the service we received we believed it wasn't necessary since we were having to ask to be helped. We were obligated to pay a 20% gratuity tip on both checks, since we were a party of 8 but we had asked to have 2 parties of 4. We now know why they suddenly wanted to seat us all together, to get the most out of tips which is insane if i'm being honest. Our party of Hispanic individuals aged 19-22, felt discriminated against due to our casual attire, we understand the restaurant was a nicer place than most, but we had just came from the beach. Not everyone should believe the stereotype that teens don't tip and can't afford nice things. If a group of people go to a nice restaurant it's because we can afford nice things. I cannot recommend this establishment save your money and go to Olive Garden.

Incredibly mid flavor on the bibimbap. Lacking in any salt at all. Looked beautiful, but did not deliver at all, don't bother coming here if you've had authentic Korean food somewhere like the bay.

I hate to be the one to complain but the service in this place has to be by far the worst i've ever seen and experienced. I Went with a group of 8 friends in total, after asking for a table and the lady in the front kept being unsure and telling us she couldn't get us in but then she would switch up and say she could, anyways we waited but somehow we were the second to last table to be seated in the restaurant. it took maybe a little over an hour to even get seated but anyways we were hungry and wanted to try the food. Once we finally got seated we sat there and didn't get a waiter or anyone to come offer us a drink or menu for at least 20 minutes, which was funny because after we got seated another table of 7 got seated next to us but somehow they got their drinks and orders done before us. I truly hate to play the victim game but i really think the reason we got treated this was was because of our age and the way we were dressed, we are all in our early 18-22 so we are somewhat young compared to the people there and also we had just came from the beach so our attire wasn't the most professional. anywho service was just pathetic throughout the whole day, once we finally ordered our food and drinks I don't think our server came to check on us once until he dropped off the food and appetizers for the whole table. food was alright, flavors were lacking and the chicken had no flavor but other than that the food did come out fresh so i will give them that. to go back to the whole waiter situation funny enough when we just sat down we actually heard 2 of the servers fighting for who would get our table which should've been our first sign we were gonna get this kind of service. Anyways when it came time to order the bill and they brought it back and said WE HAD TO PAY A MANDATORY 20% TIP, which i was furious about because even after the pathetic service I don't think we had the need to tip our guy which name is ERNESTINO C, when he confronted me about not wanting to leave a tip i asked to talk to manager and instead of being understanding the manager sided with the poor customer service and basically told us the rules are the rules. you would expect a lot better from a manager no?. anyways i still ended up leaving the tip, which to begin tipping wasn't the problem the problem was that we truly don't believe any tip was deserved by the way we got treated and served. overall just a very sad and pathetic experience. (PS to the waiters and people working there, if someone is gonna eat at the restaurant it's obviously because they can afford to eat , pay and tip just like everyone else, don't mistreat anyone just because of the looks and age).

Good Korean fusion restaurant in the middle of the outside shopping center in Carmel. We got the bi bim bap which was delicious. They are kid friendly and the outside seating is nice when there's live music in the courtyard.

What a great find! Jeju Kitchen has the friendliest service--everyone made us feel so welcome. The food was amazing: super fresh, full of flavor, and beautifully done. There's a great variety of options, and everything we tried was delicious. Can't wait to come back next time we're in Carmel!

Definitely one of the better places to eat and Carmel-by-the-Sea. Located in the plaza shopping mall they have great outdoor seating as well as indoor. The service is friendly and the interior is elegantly decorated. My favorite dishes are chicken Bulgogi, which is just perfectly spiced and the Korean fried chicken.

The service was excellent and the food was amazing! Our favs were the cacio e pepe and the short ribs! Definitely recommend coming here.

As I am scrolling through all these 5 stars reviews, I don't know what to think of this. I have never had Korean food without any flavors and spices! Their BBQ wings ( appetizer) is at most very basic, I barely could taste any bbq on these wings and no spice at all! But you know someone will like it! Now main dish: Jajangmyeon noodles with pork! It was waste of pork and noodles! First of all, their pork definitely is not prime grade, It's hard and not juicy at all, almost like a rubber. Maybe refrigerated for weeks. Their sauce in noodle is completely flavorless! I have never experienced anything like that! There is a lot of sauce and it's oily as fudge! But there is barely any flavor of spice, or soy or pepper! I needed salt to enhance some flavor! Forget about tangy spice..... it doesn't exist. Basically they are tourist trap and food hassle. Charging more than 20$ per noodle and deliver monstrosity! Don't fall for this trap at all! Avoid!

When passersby were gawking at the Jajangmyeon we were eating, I wanted to say loudly, "Mmmm, these worms are BOMB!" We're Asian so I'm sure they would have believed it. Don't let the color deter you, Jajangmyeon is Korean-Chinese noodle dish that gets his black hue from black beans and Jeju Kitchen makes a pretty delicious rendition for the area. I read about the opening of Jeju Kitchen (shared space with Carmel Burger Bar) in Edible Monterey Bay so made a point to visit when we were staying in Carmel. They opened in December 2023 and is Carmel's only Korean resto. Otherwise, you'll have to drive to Marina or Pacific Grove...pickings are still very slim and personally, I didn't have a good experience at those restos (flavors didn't hit). They're open for takeout, indoor dining, and dog-friendly outdoor dining. Visited two months ago for lunch on a Friday. No wait and it was we had the patio to ourselves for until we were getting ready to leave. M E N U Traditional Korean Fare but IMO tailored to the American palate. Probably best for those new to Korean food and/or sensitive to strong seasoning and spices. Small menu with staples like mandu (dumplings), pajeon (pancake), dolsot bibimbap (sizzling mixed rice), jjijae (stew), japchae (glass noodles), KFC (fried chicken), and BBQ. They have several fusion dishes like kimchi arancini, kimchi mac & cheese, and miso cacio e pepe. Beer & wine available. They charge $2 for fountain drink refills. Link to menu: https://tinyurl.com/4y5p4y2d Since it's a shared space with Carmel Burgers, you can also a burger(s). Apparently, they also have a dog menu but we weren't provided one. Bummer because I always order something off one for my dog. F O O D * Jajangmyeon: Korean Black Bean Noodles w/ onion, zucchini, potato, carrots, cucumber, sesame seeds, truffle oil ($18) // 4 stars: https://tinyurl.com/39dtjy8p --Add pork belly (+$6) Jajangmyeon is a dish that originated from Chinese immigrants in Korea. It's made with a fermented black bean sauce and usually contains pork belly but they leave it our here so it's vegetarian friendly. Great noodle texture - perfectly QQ with a bouncy, elastic chew. It was already mixed so each noodle is coated with the rich, savory-sweet, and glossy fermented black bean sauce for easy eating. Hearty bits of potatoes, zucchini, and onions and nice refreshing crisp from the cucumbers. The fermented black bean sauce wasn't as robust than what I'm used to but that was expected for the area. The addition of pork belly made for a complete meal but had no flavor, like it was unseasoned. Wish they included a side of yellow pickled radish for acid and texture. Noodle pull: https://tinyurl.com/ypcfbky9 * Kalbi: Korean Beef Short Ribs w/ rice, banchan ($40) // 3 stars: https://tinyurl.com/3fpvvwt2 Mostly tender, well-marbled LA cut short ribs (3 slabs) but the marinade needs work. If I was blindfolded, I wouldn't have known this was Kalbi. It was one note: sweet. And, the bottom pieces had no char/grill marks. We had to eat it with a bite of the kimchi radish and kimchi scallions for flavor (tangy with a mild spice). Rice was properly cooked. S E R V I C E Friendly staff with leisurely food service. A M B I A N C E Casual modern with a mix of regular tables and booths. There's also a bar with a TV for watching the game. Great patio seating in the courtyard with firepits and succulents. P A R K I N G Underground parking garage ($7/hour). Overall, Jeju Kitchen is a decent option if you're staying in Carmel and feral for Korean food. Just don't expect strong Korean flavors/seasoning and you're good. I 100% expected this so there was no disappointment.

On the outside it says Carmel Burger Bar so look for that when trying to find the restaurant. I was recommended here by one of my old coworkers who is friends with the owners! I love a good asian fusion spot. That mango pineapple juice was so good, I wish I ordered another glass. Their burgers are big and juicy, that is for sure! My favorite would be the Hawaiian burger with the pineapple and jalapeno. The onion rings did cost extra as a side and I didn't get as many as I hoped. But, the fries are super crispy so maybe I will stick with those next time. Our server was really nice and came by pretty fast. Plus the wait for food was not long at all. I definitely will be coming back!