What is meat jun?

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!

Found a MEAT CHUN restaurant

Cameron Gatrost (12.10.219.xxx) 2010-12-20 06:52:54

Its in Tempe near ASU. I'm waiting a call back from my wife. I'll post more when I find out.

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.

this is in correct

henru (67.49.133.xxx) 2010-09-04 08:39:07

I am unsure of where it all began but you can't give them credit to whom they don't deserve. Dong Yang Inn in wahiawa has bee around since the early 70's, and just as an FYI some people spell it out as meat jun or meat chun. If you ask people if know dong yang inn will reply meat chun.

Meat Jun: Truth

Paul (71.62.242.xxx) 2010-09-28 13:06:07

Hey, just to clear all the confusion, meat JUN is a traditional korean dish, that originated form the mainland. It can either be fish or beef or pork that has been tenderized, seasoned, dipped in flour, then in an egg batter then deep fried in shallow vegetable oil. The reason korean people often don't know what meat JUN is, is because usually, korean words sounded out in phoenetics always use the original word. I.E. KimBop (the little sushi like thing) is called Kim(seaweed) Bop (rice); INSTEAD OF KIMRice. Which is why koreans often cannot tell you much about it. We simply didn't think of you all changing the word Gogi(meat) into MEAT and using that in it's place. I hope this cleared up the confusion.

Meat Jun must be known as Korea's royal court cui

Sean (64.75.230.xxx) 2010-10-01 14:30:57

I've found the same food description in an online Korean encyclopedia which says 'Kogi Jun' (Kogi means meat in Korean) has been originated from 'Hwanhe-do' which is a part of North Korea, and called 'Jeonyuhwa' in Korea's royal court.
(Reference: Doosan Encyber
http://www.encyber.com/se arch_w/ctdetail.php?maste rno=850556&contentno=8505 56 )

Meat Jun Recipe

Kobey (68.185.70.xxx) 2010-10-10 06:06:13

I used to work in a korean restaurant and they made my fav meat jun.

The basic concept to make it takes about 24 hours.

You need:
thinly sliced rib eye
Teriyaki marinade
Extra sugar (add to marinade; should be very sweet)
flour
egg wash (beaten eggs with water)
vegetable oil

Mix the sugar into the marinade and allow meat to marinate for 3 hours or more. Next step is to coat the meat in flour. Layer the meat in a large container with extra flour between each piece. Allow to sit covered in the fridge for at least an hour before cooking. This allows the flour to absorb any moisture in the meat and *keeps the breading from separating from the meat*. Next, heat the vege oil in a pan and dip each piece of meat in the egg wash, immediately placing it in the hot oil.. keep checking for the "golden brown" color, and turn it once the first side is done. Pat dry on a paper towel or rack to allow excess oil to drain. Slice and serve.

The sauce is just one part white vinegar to two parts shoyu.

Hope this helps! (I always make this but don't have much use for measurements. You know us Hawaii people just eye-ball everything we make. haha.)

MEAT CHUN, JEON, JUN... ARIZONA LOCATION!!

CAMERON GATROST (12.10.219.xxx) 2010-12-20 06:57:47

Paradise Hawaiian BBQ
15 reviews Rating Details
Category: Tempe, United States Restaurants Hawaiian Hawaiian [Edit]

580 S. College Ave. #103
Tempe, AZ 85281

(480) 621-7373

Add Photos Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 9 pm

Good for Groups: No
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Parking: Street
Attire: Casual

Slight Difference

Grace (184.194.154.xxx) 2011-01-05 08:10:14

The Korean version of meat jun (you would have to ask for gogi-jun to have Koreans understand) is different. It's similar in taste but the Hawaiians use slices of meat whereas Koreans will generally use ground beef.

Here's a post on SF Food.
http://sffood.net/2 011/01/05/gogi-jun-meat-j un-meat-pancakes/

It exists in Korea

May (149.142.75.xxx) 2011-02-25 10:39:29

So I discovered this watching this korean show and the Kwangju region in Korea is known for the dish we call "meat jeon." In korean it's yukjeon (??), yuk meaning 'meat.' So it's not a local Hawaiian invention, but maybe some Korean from that region brought it over and revised it. I haven't tried the version in Korea so I can't compare.

So I have to disagree with the claims that it was invented in Hawaii or the mainland. From what I've told, there are no restaurants selling meat jeon in LA K-town either.

Chen ya!

Kt (74.171.71.xxx) 2011-05-12 15:19:53

I've heard it called chen ya...Moving to Cali and hope to find some there!

Phil (209.22.223.xxx) 2011-07-12 00:47:51

Meat Jun is proof that Hawaii has the best food in all the world. I've travelled all over the mainland, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and China...but Hawaii is da best!

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