Myeongdong jokbal restaurant with a platter for four: Miss Jokbal

Glossy jokbal in Myeongdong at Miss Jokbal

If plain jokbal is coffee, this jokbal is the TOP...

The real charm of jokbal (braised pork hock) is that shiny, glossy skin and the chewy texture that clings to your mouth.

Bite into a piece and you feel the springy skin and tender meat at the same time — the more you chew, the more a subtle sweetness and umami spreads richly through your mouth, you know?

Add garlic, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), and a leaf of lettuce, and the deep flavor of the meat bursts together with a crisp crunch in one bite, you know?

Pair it with spicy-sour radish kimchi on top and all the greasiness disappears — your chopsticks just keep going. Great for a late-night snack, a drinking companion, or a dinner menu shared with a group!

Slurp... isn't there a good jokbal place in our neighborhood?

A trip back to Myeongdong after a long time

An outing to Myeongdong after a long while~ there were even more foreigners than I expected!

Warm jokbal sliced right after ordering — there's no way it isn't delicious... slurp...

How much is Emperor's Jokbal, and what comes free?

What should I eat? Don't overthink it!

Emperor's jokbal is ₩58,000. They say it's Myeongdong's most popular jokbal restaurant, boiled more than 6 times a day.

When jokbal alone feels like it needs company, there's plenty to add! It's stated that ordering jokbal or bossam (boiled pork wrap) comes with free kalguksu and salad, and that any size of jokbal or bossam order gets free kimchi kalguksu and salad.

Starting the meal with spicy kimchi kalguksu

What the kimchi kalguksu broth tastes like

With broth this spicy, you could eat even the driest cut of meat!

Three dipping sauces served with the jokbal

Salted shrimp, ssamjang, and spicy sauce — all three!

The Emperor's Jokbal platter on a round tray

Whoa... the emperor's jokbal makes its grand entrance on a round platter~!! Lettuce wraps, tofu kimchi, shrimp salad, keto gimbap, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), cheonsachae (shredded jellyfish-like noodles), radish pickle, and napa cabbage kimchi... every irresistible Korean flavor gathered in one place!!

Adding the kalguksu noodles to the kimchi broth

They add kalguksu noodles to the bubbling kimchi soup~!! Slurp!!

Wrapping the jokbal in lettuce with sauce

Now let's really dig into the jokbal? Wrapped in lettuce with radish pickle on top for one bite, with garlic for another, plain for another, with lettuce for another...

The side dishes that come with the platter

Even the side dishes are on another level. Ham-free keto gimbap, plump shrimp salad, crunchy cheonsachae, tofu kimchi that tastes like after a hike, cheongpomuk (mung bean jelly), japchae...

Certified Myeongdong jokbal restaurant? Yes, certified!

Down to the very last bite... I won't miss it!

Sooooo goooood!

I've learned that the true proof of a good restaurant is an empty bowl!!

How many people should share Emperor's Jokbal?

If two of you go, one bowl of emperor's jokbal will have leftovers... I'd recommend going as four! Takeout is also available.