Bossam restaurant in Suwan, Gwangju: fall baseball with kids, Kkankkan

Kkankkan Jjokbal in Suwan district

Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch: jokbal and bossam in front of a baseball screen in fall

Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch is a jokbal and bossam restaurant at 44 Suwan-ro, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, with a big screen inside that's great for watching a fall evening baseball game while you eat. It's also a place that comes to mind for gul-bossam (oyster bossam) once winter arrives.

I was trying to figure out what to eat for dinner tonight and ended up here. I went to Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch, located at 44 Suwan-ro, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. This is a place I've gone to for jokbal every now and then, and now that the weather's getting chillier, there's a menu I start craving once winter hits — gul-bossam! Once winter oysters come into season, this place becomes a pretty solid spot for gul-bossam in the Suwan district, so anyone who loves oysters should keep it in mind.

But even before gul-bossam season properly arrives, fall has its own charm here. Watching baseball while eating jokbal or bossam! There's a big screen inside the restaurant, so it's great to sit down with the game on and eat.

Is it good for a family meal with kids?

Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch has spacious tables and ice cream for dessert, so it was comfortable taking the kids for a family meal. It's a relaxed atmosphere for having a drink while watching baseball, or for a family dinner.

If you're the type who keeps up with evening baseball games these days, it's a good place to watch the game with a drink, and also a comfortable spot to bring the family for a meal. I especially liked how spacious the tables were.

When you're eating out with kids, tight tables can get chaotic the moment even a few dishes show up, but here the tables were spacious so it was easy to eat. And there's a dessert the kids will like — ice cream! It was nice having the kids finish up with a cup of ice cream each after the meal. That kind of thing quietly matters a lot for a family meal, haha.

How does Kkankkan's bossam taste? No gamey smell, subtle smoky flavor

This time I ordered only bossam instead of jokbal, and Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch's bossam had almost no gamey pork smell and was smooth. Even though it's boiled bossam, the point is you can taste a subtle smoky flavor.

Today I went with bossam instead of jokbal. Honestly, whenever I come to Kkankkan I usually eat a lot of jokbal, so today I went bold and ordered only bossam.

I've had plenty of jokbal here already, so I figured today would be a bossam day, and it was indeed good. There was almost none of that particular gamey pork smell, and the meat was tender and easy to eat.

And one thing I really like about Kkankkan is the smoky flavor. Even in the bossam there's a subtle smokiness that made it feel more flavorful than just plain boiled bossam. Wrapped up with kimchi, bossam really is hard to get wrong. I'm particularly sensitive to gamey meat smell so that matters a lot to me, and once again I was satisfied today.

The review-event spicy bossam — how much did we get?

The spicy bossam I got through the review event at Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch came out more generous than I expected for a complimentary dish. The spicy sauce was great to alternate with the regular bossam, and even I, who can't handle much spice, could manage it.

And this turned out to be a bigger deal than I expected, haha. This was the spicy bossam I got through the review event, but seriously, why was there so much of it for something billed as a review-event dish? At first I figured it'd be just a small complimentary portion, but I was surprised at how generously it came out. And it wasn't just the quantity — the taste was good too. The spicy sauce went well with the bossam, so alternating between the regular bossam and the spicy one in between kept things from getting monotonous.

I can't handle super spicy food, but this level was manageable alongside the bossam. People who like spicy food will probably enjoy it even more.

Plus a complimentary sundubu egg stew

At Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch, a sundubu (soft tofu) egg stew came out free alongside the bossam. Having warm soup in between bites of meat made it even better for a family meal.

And there was the sundubu egg stew that came out with it. This is also a complimentary dish, but eating it warm alongside the meal was nice. When you're eating bossam or jokbal, having a soup like this on hand quietly comes in handy. Have a spoonful of soup in between the meat and you can basically start eating from scratch again, haha. Having them throw in a complimentary dish like this made it a good meal to have as a family too.

If you're wondering what to eat for dinner in the Suwan district

When you're not sure what to eat for dinner in the Suwan district, jokbal or bossam is a low-risk choice. This place in particular has a spacious dining room and roomy tables, so it works well for a family meal, and with the big screen it's also great for watching baseball while you eat.

In fall, this is the kind of place to watch baseball while eating jokbal or bossam, and once the weather gets a bit colder, it'll be time for gul-bossam. Personally, I'm planning to come back once winter oysters are properly in season and try the gul-bossam. If you're craving jokbal or bossam in the Suwan district, looking for a place to bring the kids, or want somewhere relaxed to eat dinner while watching baseball, it's worth a visit.

Today I had bossam instead of jokbal, and I was satisfied with that too. Next time I'll have to come back in time for gul-bossam season, haha.

• Business name: Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch
• Address: 44 Suwan-ro, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju