Weekend 8pm jokbal dinner with free rice balls in Gwangju: Kkankkan

This place is so famous for jokbal (pig's trotter) that I've mostly ordered it for delivery at home — but this time I really wanted to try it fresh out of the kitchen, sliced right in the restaurant, so I headed over 😊 It's Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch (깐깐한족발 수완점), right on the Suwan district restaurant street!

We visited around 8 pm on a weekend. I was surprised at how many people were eating inside during weekend peak time, but even more than that — delivery riders kept coming and going nonstop, which really showed me why this place is such a popular restaurant!

Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch: address and the basics

Where to park and what the dining room feels like

Parking is a little inconvenient since there's no dedicated lot. You'll need to use the surrounding alleys or a public parking lot — I parked comfortably at the public lot across from Kkanjjok and walked over.

Since Kkanjjok is usually so busy with delivery orders, I expected the restaurant itself to be quiet — but once inside, there were plenty of customers eating in person too!

Once inside, there were plenty of tables and the space felt quite spacious, not cramped at all. The vibe was perfect for freshly sliced jokbal with a cold beer, and it looked like a great spot to have a casual get-together with friends and a few drinks 🍺

We sat where we had a view of the kitchen, so I kept catching glimpses of the fire show going on haha

What we ordered: Friend Set half-and-half, large, 58,000 won

Friend Set - Half-and-Half (₩58,000)

We went all out and ordered the Friend Set half-and-half in the large size! (The set came with a drink included too, so it felt really generous 👍🏻)

The side dishes, plus sundubu jjigae served in the pot

Once our order was in, the basic side dishes were set up.

• Fresh salad
• An assortment of dipping sauces
• Bubbling sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew)

I loved that the rich sundubu jjigae came served right in the pot as a basic side dish?!

While it was still bubbling away, they gave us a raw egg to crack in, and one spoonful in — this was seriously a great drinking snack all on its own 😂

Sipping the spicy sundubu jjigae broth with a beer before the jokbal even arrived was just perfect.

How does the old-style king jokbal taste?

While we chatted and waited, the glossy old-style king jokbal and cold jokbal arrived together!

We started with the most classic option, the king jokbal.

Just looking at it, the skin looked chewy and the meat looked tender and soft.

Dipping it lightly in salted shrimp sauce, one bite was chewy yet soft — really delicious! It's exactly the kind of good flavor that makes you crave a cold beer 🍺

Star of the night: cold jokbal with mustard sauce

Then we tried the cold jokbal I'd been most looking forward to. To cut straight to it — this was hands down the best dish of the meal! ❤️

We drizzled on the tangy, sharp mustard sauce, mixed it well with the vegetables, and gave it a taste.

It was loaded with crisp, fresh vegetables that cut right through the richness of the jokbal, leaving my mouth feeling really refreshed!

There was even crunchy jellyfish salad tucked inside, so the combo of 'chewy jokbal + crisp vegetables + crunchy jellyfish' was such a refreshing, top-tier trio!

The forgotten makguksu noodles and complimentary rice balls

Partway through the meal, a staff member checking our order noticed the makguksu (buckwheat noodles) that came with the set had been missed, and apologized sincerely. They kindly took the noodles off the bill and brought them out anyway as a complimentary dish!

We were already full, but I was so touched by the gesture that I mixed it up and dug in happily! The makguksu wasn't spicy at all — tangy and sweet — so it went down easily.

On top of that, they also brought out complimentary bite-sized, nutty rice balls, and even though we were stuffed, we finished every last bit 🤣

Free ice cream and coffee at the self-serve corner

On the way out after finishing our meal, there was a self-serve corner by the entrance with sweet ice cream and coffee! From the classic jokbal to the refreshing cold jokbal, spicy sundubu jjigae, makguksu, rice balls, and finally a cool ice cream to finish — it was such a satisfying outing to eat in the Suwan district haha

One-line verdict: who should eat at Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch

✅ One-line verdict: 4/5

• For anyone who wants to eat jokbal at the restaurant itself
• Recommended restaurant in the Suwan district
• A jokbal restaurant to know in Suwan

Ordering delivery at home is convenient and great, of course, but every once in a while it's a real treat to head to the restaurant and eat jokbal fresh out of the kitchen! Especially with the combo of the chewy king jokbal, the refreshing cold jokbal that cleanses the palate, and the complimentary sundubu jjigae, it's a place I'd love to come back to for get-togethers with friends.

If you're ever craving good jokbal with a beer in the Suwan district restaurant area, I definitely recommend stopping by Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch! 😊