One of the Best Burgers in the World is on a Tiny Island in South Korea

I have a habit of doing something I refer to as "unicorning." Unicorning is the act of ascribing yet-to-be-justified superior qualities to an object or experience you've not yet attained, perhaps because the object or experience is particularly elusive or rare. This practice often inevitably results in a disappointing return-to-earth moment when that once-glorified object or experiences proves to be just eh, average, basic and not so unicorn-like after all. Once in a rare while, however, that unicorn lives up to its previously unearned status, meeting or even exceeding my lofty expectations.

One such validated unicorn is Ha Ha Ho Ho Cafe on Udo Island in South Korea. On a recent weekend getaway to the beloved South Korean vacation spot ,Jeju Island, I took the short ferry ride over to Udo. Upon arrival I dutifully joined the line of tourists waiting to rent a transportation contraption of their choice, hopped on my rented moped, and took off to explore the tiny island. My moped cruising came to an abrupt halt when I rounded a corner and saw a small mass gathering around an unassuming shack - the Ha Ha Ho Ho Cafe.

My nose, enticed by the wafts of garlic emanating from the shanty cafe, led us inside to investigate the cause of the commotion. We discovered that Ha Ha Ho Ho Cafe serves burgers, sandwiches and salads made from the highly coveted Jeju black pork meat with sauces made of Udo's locally grown roasted peanuts and garlic. After waiting in line behind several other eager diners-to-be, we learned that to our chagrin, this seaside shack produces a limited daily batch of its offerings and closes once it sells out (typically around 1:00-2:00 PM). Without even managing a sneak glimpse of a burger, severe disappointment set in and Ha Ha Ho Ho Cafe found its way to the top of my list of unicorns.

A few weeks later, partially fueled by my growing obsession with scoring a Ha Ha Ho Ho burger, but mostly out of a desire to show my mother (who was visiting from the SouthJersey Shore) the beauty of South Korea's islands, I booked a trip for my mom and I to Jeju Island. Upon landing, we quickly made our way via ferry to Udo and snagged ATVs to explore the island. Dreading a second bout of "sold-out" disappointment, I sped us to the Ha Ha Ho Ho and with a racing heart and pulsing taste buds, joined the line of hopeful and hungry customers.

After claiming a small rickety wood table overlooking the water, impatiently waiting 20 minutes for our order to be called, and getting a crash course in Ha Ha Ho Ho burger eating methods from an enthusiastic English-speaking employee, I returned to our table, the proud deliverer of two gigantic burgers. The peanut burger (₩10,000), with its umami balance of smoky and salty black pork meat and sweet and savory Udo peanut sauce was to my pleasant surprise, exactly what I hoped it would be. The garlic burger (₩10,000) proved equally delicious, featuring the same black pork patty smothered in a garlic cream sauce and fried garlic chips. Beyond satiated and on a temporary unicorn high from the delightful combination of grilled meat, sea water breeze, and crisp Hite beer, we sauntered back to our ATVs and enjoyed the rest of beautiful Udo.