Gwangju Korean restaurant for chilled pork jowl: Jumak Inho

I was wondering where to go today and felt like trying somewhere with a slightly different mood than usual, so I visited Jumak Inho. It has lots of fusion Korean dishes that put a distinctive spin on Korean food, and unlike a typical drinking spot, it is a nice place to enjoy with traditional drinks—great for a casual drink with a friend. The chilled pork jowl and gangdoenjang beef tartare I had that day were both so delicious that I wanted to come back for the food alone!!

• Address: 161-3 Geumnam-ro, 1st floor, Dong-gu, Gwangju, South Korea (광주광역시 동구 금남로 161-3 1층)
• Hours: 11:00 - 22:00
• Break time: 14:00 - 17:00
• Last order: 20:30

A tavern exterior with a modern feel

It is in the alley from Geumnamno 5-ga Station toward Lotte Department Store. There is no dedicated parking. The large wooden sign says “Inho,” so it was not hard to find, and the space was neatly decorated while keeping a traditional feel. It is not a loud, bustling pocha (Korean street-bar) kind of atmosphere; it felt well suited to a day when you want to have a drink while chatting with friends or on a date.

A neat, calm interior

We made a reservation and got in at 5 PM on a weekday with no wait!

Once inside, the wood-toned tables and lighting catch your eye first. The overall mood was warm, but the interior was clean rather than overdone, so it seemed good for a get-together too.

There are regular tables as well as bar-style seats, so it looked good whether you visit as a pair or with around four people.

When I visited, it also had just the kind of atmosphere that makes it easy to talk with a friend, which I really liked.

A menu for enjoying Korean food a little differently

Rather than serving familiar Korean food exactly as we know it, Inho has a wide range of fusion Korean drinking dishes with little twists. They also serve gukbap (rice soup) at lunch!

There were lots of combinations that make you curious just from their names, such as gangdoenjang beef tartare and chilled pork jowl, and the broad selection of traditional drinks made it fun to choose one to suit the food.

How the chilled pork jowl and gangdoenjang beef tartare tasted

• Gangdoenjang beef tartare ₩23,000
• Chilled pork jowl ₩17,000
• Nerd Basil Sparkling ₩15,000
• Nimome ₩11,000

Crisp yet tender chilled pork jowl

The chilled pork jowl was what I especially enjoyed that day.

It looks mild in the photo, but once I tried it, the rich, nutty flavor distinctive to pork jowl really came through.

Above all, the texture was great: it had a crisp bite, yet it was not tough and went down tenderly, which was memorable. Paired with the fragrant vegetables and sauce, it was not greasy at all, so I kept reaching for it with my traditional drink.

Gangdoenjang beef tartare that exceeded expectations

The gangdoenjang beef tartare exceeded my expectations too.

It came with plenty of scallions piled over the beef tartare and sheets of gim (roasted seaweed). Since it was gangdoenjang—a thick fermented soybean paste stew—I wondered whether it might be overly seasoned or salty.

But when I actually tried it, it was seasoned just right and the beef tartare was tender, making for a great combination. Putting the beef tartare and scallions together on gim brought out the savory depth, and it felt different from the red-seasoned beef tartare I usually eat—such a refreshing change! Even tastier than gochujang beef tartare!

The refrigerator was stocked with many kinds of traditional drinks, so it is fun to choose and try something you do not usually encounter. The basil sparkling had none of the usual makgeolli flavor and was my first time trying a makgeolli like it—highly recommended! Nimome had a fragrant fruity taste and went down smoothly. The alcohol aroma was not strong, so it was easy to drink! Recommended.

For a drink with friends in a nice atmosphere

What I liked most about Jumak Inho was being able to enjoy traditional Korean food with a slightly different, modern-style twist. It is not just a pretty drinking spot—the dishes we ordered were generally delicious, and the chilled pork jowl and gangdoenjang beef tartare in particular are dishes I want to have again. I would recommend it for a day when you want to enjoy delicious food and slowly have a drink with friends, at a gathering, or on a date. A place I want to visit again!!!