Jeju has been making waves ever since it opened its doors just under a year ago in Mount Pleasant — just try to get a reservation at this place. So, when Michelin announced its 2026 restaurant selections for the Vancouver guide, we weren’t the least bit surprised that Jeju made the cut.
The restaurant is brought to us by Sungeun “Sung” Kim and Yunyoung “Dylan” Kim, who met in 2018 while working at a French Japanese fusion restaurant. Following that, the duo opened Jeju’s first location in Tofino back in 2021.
But the restaurant goes further than the duo, as Dylan’s mother (who worked as a professional chef for over 40 years) joined him as a chef while his father took over the dishwashing duties.
Additionally, when first developing the menu, the team realized that some of the dishes didn’t taste the same as they did back in Korea, and pinpointed this difference down to a few key ingredients. So, Sung reached out to her grandmother in Haenam, Korea, who owns a family farm, and began importing chilies, sesame seeds, and other must-have ingredients directly from the farm.
Interior of Jeju (Marco Ovies/Dished)
Speaking of the menu, Jeju has its dishes listed in a Venn diagram, with the left side featuring more classic Korean dishes “from mama julie” while the right has dishes “from her son dylan” which lean more modern. In the middle, the two sections overlap to include dishes like the restaurant’s signature dish: ‘The’ Galbi (more on that one in a second).
We stopped by Jeju on a Wednesday night and were immediately impressed by the moodily lit interior. This place oozes the sort of “if you know, you know” kind of vibe, solely based on its modest exterior featuring tinted windows, white brick, and large wooden doors with “Jeju” written over them. Aside from that, the restaurant had no additional signage and, from outside, gave no indication of how bustling the space was. The room buzzed with an excited energy of diners just happy to be in the room, and nearly every seat in the house was filled.
We were greeted and seated by Sung herself before being introduced to our waiter, who expertly walked us through the must-try dishes, one of which was the Spot Prawn.
Morsels of this spot prawn were drizzled with an orange vinaigrette and pieces of fruit and laid on top of a bed of garlic aioli. This dish was fresh, light, and had a taste that we can best describe as being creamy (and we meant that in the best possible way) — definitely a repeat order for us.
Spot Prawn (Marco Ovies/Dished)
Cocktails deserve a special mention as well, as the drink program was developed by Byungjin Lim of Bar Charm in Seoul, South Korea. Among the highlights, the Clarified Bloody Mary is a drink we’ll be returning for. The black pepper flavour from the infused vodka (which is also infused with basil) really came through, with the tomato essence and celery seed coming in afterwards.
The team also features rotating cocktails that correspond with the season. The Thanksgiving Milk Punch is another easy recommendation. This clarified cocktail (yes, we love a clarified cocktail; please don’t come for us) is milk-washed and made with Forty Creek Canadian Whisky, lemon, apple, and maple. The best way to describe it? Grown-up apple juice. In terms of other libations, Jeju also offers a selection of Korean liquors, sake, and non-alcoholic options too.
Thanksgiving Milk Punch (Marco Ovies/Dished)
Our drinks were quickly followed by Eggplant stuffed with prawns and deep-fried in a delicate squid ink batter that makes the dish resemble the stones on which they rest upon. This was both visually stunning to look at, but also absolutely delicious (especially with the dill aioli on the side for dipping). For every dish, our waiter helpfully guided us through the best way to dig in, and we were thankful when he told us to cut into the eggplant and to wait for it to cool a second before
But now onto the star of the show, the aforementioned galbi — a 35-day-aged prime short rib. We had been very impressed with everyone we had eaten thus far, but nothing prepared us for this.
Chef Dylan came out to present this dish and, just like our waiter, told us the optimal way to enjoy it. He instructed us to try the meat on its own first, then try a piece with some salt sprinkled on top, and then to try it in the lettuce wrap with a piece of ssam-mu (a paper-thin slice of pickled Korean radish) and ssamjang (a spicy paste consisting of fermented soybeans, red chili paste, and other goodies).
‘The’ Galbi (Marco Ovies/Dished)
First reactions? The meat melted like butter in our mouths. The sprinkle of salt just intensified its flavour, and then mixing it with the freshness of the assorted sides really balanced the whole meal. We delighted in the assortment of sides, including bok choy kimchi and pickled veggies, and gorged ourselves on the side of rice mixed in with the remaining sauce from the galbi.
To conclude our meal (because what meal isn’t made better by ending it with a little sweet treat), we were given bingsu with a side of assorted fruit and condensed milk to pour on top — a simple but effective dessert to round out our meal.
Overall, Dylan, Sung, and the whole Jeju team have truly carved out a special space in Vancouver’s culinary scene. We anticipate enjoying many more standout dining experiences courtesy of this team in the future.
Jeju
Address: 540 E. Broadway, Vancouver
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