Controversy Over 'Fatty Samgyeopsal' at Famous Jeju Island BBQ Restaurant
"98% Fat... Staff Consistently Say 'No Problem'"
Netizens Criticize... "Tastes Like Grilled Cheese"
A famous barbecue restaurant located in Jeju Island is causing controversy for serving pork belly that is almost entirely fat to customers.
On the 29th, a post titled "I'm so angry I can't sleep. Don't go to Jeju Island" was uploaded on an online community. As of 2 PM on the 29th, the post had garnered 50,000 views and 1,000 recommendations, becoming a major topic of discussion. The author, Mr. A, who has been living in Jeju for a year, began by saying, "My younger sibling came to visit Jeju Island, and I took them to a barbecue restaurant in Jeju that celebrities often visit."
Mr. A said, "However, the restaurant engaged in deceptive practices towards consumers," and attached photos of the pork belly taken at the time. The photos revealed that over 98% of the pork belly on the grill was fat. Some pieces had no lean meat at all and were filled only with fat. It looked more suitable for wiping the grill than for eating as grilled pork belly.
Mr. A explained the situation, saying, "When I first received the fatty pork belly and raised the issue with the staff, they said, 'This amount of meat is actually quite a lot.' Later, after cutting the meat, they seemed to realize there was a problem and took it back to the kitchen, but returned it saying there was no issue." He continued, "Feeling upset, I ate three pieces and paid 147,000 won. I wanted to confront the owner, but was told the owner was not present." He criticized, "It's ridiculous to pay about 150,000 won for a lump of fat. There are several people who have had the same experience in actual reviews, but since the business is doing well and considering the nature of Jeju tourists who probably won't return once they visit, I think they are running their business so unscrupulously."
Mr. A asked, "What should be done to prevent such unscrupulous restaurants from deceiving consumers again?" He added, "As a powerless ordinary citizen, I know very well that posting such a message against a reputable restaurant visited by celebrities and featured on TV is like throwing eggs against a rock, but I want to seek advice. I am really pondering what to do."
Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "I wondered why they were so angry, but after seeing the photos, I understand," "They are serving what looks like something to wipe the grill with," "It looks more like pork intestines than pork belly," and "I thought it was cheese for grilling." A netizen, Mr. B, who runs a butcher shop in Jeju, said, "Jeju pork is eaten for its fat flavor. Compared to other pork, it has an overwhelmingly high fat content," and added, "If you don't like fat, you shouldn't be looking for Jeju black pork in the first place." In response, Mr. A rebutted, "I have been to three pork belly restaurants in Jeju, but I have never seen black pork with such a large lump of fat. I ordered four servings, and two pieces of pork belly with 98% fat came out. In my life, I have never seen pork belly with that much fat except for using it to grease the grill."
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