Udo Jeonbokjuk 우도전복죽

Udo Jeonbokjuk is an abalone restaurant at 54 Nosangongwon-gil near the Samcheonpo coast in Sacheon, serving abalone porridge and abalone mulhoe. The porridge cooks abalone innards with rice, producing a yellow tone and concentrated nuttiness. Rather than hiding minced shellfish throughout the bowl, the kitchen places large sliced abalone pieces on top. A first spoonful of porridge alone establishes the density created by rice and innards. The next spoonful with an abalone piece adds a resilient chew against the soft grains. Seasoning remains restrained, keeping the shellfish and innards ahead of salt or side dishes. The porridge flows more loosely while very hot, then displays clearer grain and concentration as it cools, creating another texture change within one bowl. Abalone mulhoe puts thin abalone, octopus, and sea snail into a chilled sweet-and-sour broth. Abalone supplies firm elasticity, octopus a softer bounce, and sea snail a more pronounced crunch. Tasting seafood and broth before loosening the somyeon keeps the noodles from absorbing all of the liquid at once. Adding the noodles in portions preserves more broth for the shellfish and turns the later part into a cold noodle meal. The mulhoe is cool, acidic, and gently sweet at the finish, making it the temperature and seasoning opposite of warm, mild porridge. One diner can choose between a comforting hot bowl and a cold, tangy seafood course. Two or more diners can share both, comparing abalone simmered with rice against sliced abalone in chilled broth. The side dishes do not overwhelm the table with quantity; kimchi and vegetable accompaniments support the two main preparations without covering their restrained seasoning. The bright, orderly room in the newer building suits either a slow bowl of porridge or a shared mulhoe with several shellfish textures and somyeon. The core decision is direct: cooked innards and rice for warmth and density, or sliced seafood and sour broth for coolness and chew.