This Is Like Jeju — Resembling Jeju, Capturing Jeju

This is like Jeju — Resembling Jeju, Capturing Jeju

Palm trees and evergreen shrubs, barley and garlic, volcanic scoria and rice straw. There is a place that gathers together scenes commonly seen in Jeju during childhood. INSMEAL, a café and cultural complex created by ten young people born and raised in Jeju, carries the sensibility of Jeju within it.

Words by Parc Jinmyoung
Interviewee Hyun Inhyeop (CEO of INSMEAL)

When people hear ‘Jeju,’ what comes to mind first differs from person to person. In the old days, most people would have mentioned tangerines, wind, stones, or the sea in common, but now Jeju holds such diverse content that it could be considered a massive brand in its own right. As the experiences of countless people have accumulated here, the advantage of diversity has certainly emerged, but perhaps what matters most is not losing that ‘Jeju-ness.’ There must surely be values that remain unchanged over time. Thinking carefully about what that might be, it seemed to be the story of nature that quietly holds its ground no matter what happens, and the people who live within it. INSMEAL was born from that very point. This is all the more true because it is a space completed by people who fully embody Jeju’s own sensibility. Led by Hyun Inyeop, who runs a food service business, along with Moon Seungji, a furniture designer recently recognized as one of the hottest names in the field, ¹ and the landscape studio Kkonetti, this space—made together by ten young people from Jeju—tells the story of Jeju in a way quite different from other cafés.

1 He became well known after ‘Four Brothers,’ four chairs made from a single sheet of plywood, were displayed in every COS store. Since then, his work centered on sustainable design has earned international acclaim.

📝 Note 1. Think industrial interiors are predictable?

What kind of place is INSMEAL?
There are so many beautiful spaces in Jeju, but very few are actually run by Jeju locals. We felt that locals weren’t managing to turn Jeju’s wonderful raw materials into real content. We wanted to show what genuine Jeju looks like through the eyes of natives—how to express Jeju in a way that is truly Jeju-like. We gathered friends from Jeju working in different fields—design, landscaping, ceramics—and started the ‘Jeju Mill Project.’ INSMEAL is part of that project.

I’m curious how you incorporated elements of Jeju, and in what way.
We started by renovating a building that had long served as a grain storehouse for local residents. In the yard, we expressed Jeju through volcanic scoria, cycads, palm trees, and barley straw. At the café, built around the concept of a ‘mill,’ we make drinks and desserts using ingredients grown in Jeju. Notably, we make a barley blend roasted together with leaves picked from tea fields, barley misutgaru (roasted grain powder), and barley scones, shining a new light on Jeju-grown barley. We’ve also used garlic grown in Daejeong-eup, where INSMEAL is located, to make ice cream and scones. Going forward, we plan to develop more café menu items using raw ingredients from Jeju.

What is the ‘Jeju-ness’ that only INSMEAL can express? If you had to define it in a sentence?
I think the most important part is that this is a space built through the sweat and passion of people native to Jeju coming together. The distinction isn’t so much in how it was put together, but in the fact that it’s expressed through a local perspective. It contains the story of where we were born and raised. That, I can confidently say, is the most ‘Jeju’ part of it.

📝 Note 2. Can youth-led businesses truly be sustainable?

What’s your favorite space within INSMEAL?
The building was originally an old storehouse, which we extended so it connects to a rooftop. I love every part of the space, but my favorite is watching the sunset on the rooftop, beneath the barley-straw roof. The reason is simple—it’s just so beautiful.

I think sustainability is really the key issue for youth-led businesses, especially village regeneration projects. What should INSMEAL focus on in order to be sustainable?
I think sustainability is the most important keyword for any project. For INSMEAL, sustainability means locality. Locality is connected to space, which is the most basic element that defines a locale. Space is the most fundamental representation of human life and experience. I believe INSMEAL can become a window through which people experience and connect with local culture. My hope is for it to remain a space where many people can enjoy and resonate with Jeju’s culture.

Is there a travel spot in Jeju that you’d recommend visitors to INSMEAL make sure to see?
I’d recommend walking Course 11 of the Olle Trail, which runs to Moseulbong and Mureung-ri. Geomunoreum, about an hour’s drive from INSMEAL, is also one of my favorite places. Since it operates on a reservation system and only allows small groups for trekking, you can enjoy Jeju’s nature quietly.

Is there a special experience that can only be had at INSMEAL?
You can savor food and drinks made from Jeju ingredients, served in ceramics made from Jeju clay by native craftspeople, all while looking out at Jeju’s nature unfolding beyond the window. Since the boundary between indoors and outdoors has been removed, you can also stroll along the vivid Jeju sea right before your eyes. If you’re lucky, you might even encounter dolphins. I hope people will experience, with all five senses, the ‘Jeju-ness’ interpreted by young people born and raised here.

What are your goals or plans going forward?
Right now, INSMEAL is putting a lot of energy into developing oat milk. Made purely from fresh ingredients grown in Jeju, it should be a great product for those who are lactose intolerant or lean toward a vegan lifestyle. Look forward to it. We also plan to make use of INSMEAL in various ways, such as curating exhibitions or performances by artists active in Jeju. Personally, I’m preparing several food service projects, so I think before long you’ll be able to encounter another side of Jeju through a new space.

📝 Note 3. Search for INSMEAL on social media, and you’ll find many reviews describing it as ‘an exotic café with a strong foreign feel.’ But in truth, that ‘foreign feel’ so many people mention is actually the essence of ‘Jeju-ness.’