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What is meat jun? Print E-mail
To be honest, I not quite sure what meat jun is and I couldn't find too much online about its origins either. So here's my best shot at describing this delicacy...

It's Korean...das right yeah? I pretty sure it's Korean. Anyways it's thinly sliced beef that seems to be marinated in some kind of sweet/salty shoyu sauce. The meat is usually ultra tender. Then the meat is dipped in some kind of egg batter then it's deep fried which transforms it in to the yellow meat jun goodness. Then they slice it up and serve it with a shoyu type dipping sauce. Sometimes you get the red Korean Koochujung sauce too for double dip action.

What I noticed over the years is that some places get a more soft eggy batter while others get a more crispy chewy batter. Both taste good, but just different.

As for the origins of this dish, I always thought it was a traditional Korean dish, but people on the mainland said the mainland Korean restaurants no serve meat jun. And if you ask the Korean servers for meat jun, they look at you funny kine. I think only recently it's popping up in Korean places on the mainland (LA, Vegas). I heard that it's a local Hawaii Korean thing. I not too sure how true that is, but check out A Passion For Food blog for her explanation of the origins of meat jun, http://apassionforfood.blogspot.com/2007/05/peppas-on-king-st.html, and some ono looking pics.  If you know more about the origins or how it's cooked, let us know so we can put this mystery to rest.
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Funny kine looks.
J. R. (32.97.110.xxx) 2009-08-22 18:36:31

"As for the origins of this dish, I always thought it was a traditional Korean dish, but people on the mainland said the mainland Korean restaurants no serve meat jun. And if you ask the Korean servers for meat jun, they look at you funny kine."

That is absolutely correct! I asked for meat jun @ Samwon Garden in Fort Worth, and the Korean lady was like WOT U SAY?
pakman (131.247.244.xxx) 2009-09-02 04:07:07

True it's an islands only thing. Most Koreans never heard of it. They don't got it in the mainland or in Korea. Some Hawaii inspired places on the west coast may carry it. Good luck.
noshitterz@yahoo
i love meat jun and im actuall (24.25.239.xxx) 2009-09-20 09:09:24

MEAT JUN
Yum
raya (72.253.70.xxx) 2009-11-19 02:31:10

All I got to say is thank goodness we had a genius local Korean who invented this!
Mean jun roots
Korean girl (168.105.169.xxx) 2010-01-04 04:51:04

Meat Jun started off as the authentic korean dish: "Fish Jun" which you can get in mainland and Korea.

then when it got to Hawaii, local tastes made it into a meat version. I was confused when I moved here, but tastes pretty awesome still!

keep it up! site is awesome
Meat Jun in Alaska
Mel (66.230.83.xxx) 2010-01-16 09:38:06

The first time I had this dish I had it in Alaska (Fairbanks) in this little hole-in-the-wall Hawaiian restaurant. Their description on the menu is something like "thin sliced teriyaki beef dipped in egg batter and fried". I love this stuff!
Meat Jun
Manoiki (98.177.234.xxx) 2010-01-23 08:00:44

I'm in Arizona right now, and at last years' Aloha Festival in Tempe, there was a Korean place ( http://www.yelp.com/biz/p aradise-hawaiian-bbq-temp e )that had Meat Jun at their food booth. I'd been in AZ for 4 years and the only time I had Meat Jun since moving here was when I went back home 3 times previously. My prayers were answered. Every year that I had gone to the Aloha Festival I would always look since the Korean Restaurants here don't serve it. Like the post says, it's a Hawaii dish. Never new that until I moved here.
Kim (98.155.129.xxx) 2010-02-22 15:54:23

I think the Korean spelling is Jeon, which means anything fried in an egg batter (veggies, different meats, whatever). Usually served as an appetizer. Gogi Jeon is meat jun. Though I have yet to find it at a mainland Korean restaurant either.
No Meat Jun in Seoul area
Boram (216.228.248.xxx) 2010-05-20 10:15:55

I heard in Busan area they have Meat Jun. That's right. It is pronounced more like Meat JEON. JEON means like pancake kine. I am native Korean from Korea but I am from Seoul area so never had Meat Jun until I moved to Hawaii
Meat Jun
Boram (216.228.248.xxx) 2010-05-20 10:17:34

I heard in Busan area has Meat Jun. I am from Seoul so never had Meat Jun until I moved to Hawaii. Even in seoul area we have similar food to Meat Jun. And Kim is right. It is pronounced meat JEON.
Where it all began
MJ (155.72.24.xxx) 2010-06-03 08:19:52

The first place to ever offer Meat Jun the way we know it is the Kim Chee #1 Restaurant in Kaneohe, Hawaii. The restaurant was opened in the late '70s. Before then, you won't hear of anyone knowing what this was. There is a traditional way of making this dish which was more like using ground beef to create small meatball like pieces that would be dipped in egg and pan fried. The local people will know of this place and will tell you about its origins in this restaurant.
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