Sports bar in Cheomdan, Gwangju with charcoal jokbal: Kkankkanhan

The jokbal (pig's trotter) place we ordered from most at home growing up, hands down number one — Kkanjok! Once I started eating jokbal, there was never any question about where to order from; it was always Kkankkanhan Jokbal, and it still is :)

Kkanjok has that unmatched charcoal flavor that nothing else quite pulls off, and that's what I love about it. This time I wanted to watch baseball on a big screen and eat jokbal, so I visited the Cheomdan hotspot, Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch!

Where is Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch, and is there parking?

• Address: 46 Cheomdanjungang-ro 116beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 16:00–23:30
• Parking: Private lot behind the restaurant

Kkankkanhan Jokbal, the Cheomdan hotspot located in the food alley, across from Chopilsal Dwaeji Gui! Parking around here is really hard to find, but this Cheomdan hotspot has its own private lot right behind the store, so I parked easily and went in.

I've always loved Kkanjok, so I was curious about the main branch — finally got to visit ;)

Booth tables and the big screen: why Kkankkanhan works as a Cheomdan sports bar

Inside, Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch is divided into spacious booth-style tables, so the tables are big and you can eat comfortably without worrying about the next table over.

And this screen deserves a mention! There's a genuinely huge screen up front, perfect for watching baseball or other sports games on a big screen while eating jokbal.

Kkankkanhan Jokbal menu and takeout discounts

From set menus to single dishes, Kkankkanhan Jokbal has a wide range! There are set menus you can choose by headcount — couple set, friends set, family set, and jokbo set — plus a variety of jokbal menu items like half-and-half jokbal, charcoal-grilled jokbal, extra spicy jokbal, super spicy jokbal, old-style royal jokbal, and cold jokbal, as well as bossam,

This is the takeout-only menu board, with separate discounted prices listed. It's much cheaper than eating in or getting delivery, so it seems like more people use takeout than I expected!

What I ordered today was the medium charcoal-grilled jokbal! I briefly considered a set menu like the friends set, but since I wanted just jokbal rather than a noodle dish like naengmyeon, I went with the single order.

Free sides: cold bean sprout soup, doenjang soup and steamed egg

Not long after ordering, the standard side dishes were laid out. Lettuce wraps, perilla leaves, cheongyang peppers, pickled radish, and ssammu (radish wraps) — everything you'd want alongside jokbal. There was also a salad with sesame dressing and cold bean sprout soup. The sesame dressing salad was tasty of course, but this cold bean sprout soup was unexpectedly amazing. Super refreshing, spicy-tangy yet subtly sweet — I was basically drinking it straight from the bowl before the jokbal even arrived haha.

And that's not all — this spicy, hot doenjang (soybean paste) soup comes standard too,

and this fluffy steamed egg comes standard as well. No reason not to eat in here..! Just with these dishes alone, this place could easily work as a drinking spot. Kkankkanhan Jokbal is also great as a Cheomdan bar :)

How did the medium charcoal-grilled jokbal taste?

And finally, my medium charcoal-grilled jokbal arrived!

Once the main dish, jokbal, showed up, even this genuinely huge 4-person table was completely full.

This jokbal — it's been so long since I had that signature Kkankkanhan aroma, I really wanted it. Sprinkled with sesame seeds, it was glossy even before I took a bite.

The skin part is chewy and the meat part is mild and tender..! There's a clear texture difference by part, and grilled over charcoal, it still had zero gamey smell — that same flavor as always. This taste, different from other jokbal places, you really have to try it to know..!

I have this quirky habit of eating the skin on its own to enjoy its chewiness, and the meat part wrapped with various vegetables for a more varied flavor. Eating it this way doubles the deliciousness, hehe.

Spicy bossam from the receipt review event

This was the spicy bossam I got through the receipt review event — and it turned out to be a total plot-twist cheat code.

Kkankkanhan Jokbal is already famous for its delicious spicy sauce, and this bossam (boiled pork wrap) was tossed in that sauce, grilled over charcoal, and topped with a sweet, savory mayo and a heap of shredded perilla leaves. Spicy-sweet plus savory, all in one bowl. This was genuinely great — an umami-packed flavor that should please pretty much everyone, perfect as a side for rice or as a drinking snack. Definitely something I want to order separately again next time ;)

Reheating the jokbal with the flame under the dish

Another great thing about the Cheomdan hotspot Kkankkanhan Jokbal is that there's a flame under the jokbal plate, so if it cools down while you're eating, you can turn on the flame and heat it right back up! Jokbal is a dish where the flavor really changes a lot between hot and cooled — so even if it cools just a little, I highly recommend reheating it. It's still good cold, but hot is even better haha.

What's the best part of jokbal? It's this final bone section right here,,,, I sometimes order just the mini trotter because I love the mini foot and skin parts so much, and the skin and meat on the bone this time were noticeably even more delicious than usual,,? No need to gnaw at the bone with your teeth — the skin and meat pulled off soft and chewy with ease! With the jokbal reheated hot again and the skin turned tender, I really did pick it clean to the bone all the way through ;)

And to top it off, my baseball team won that day too ~.~ Between the baseball and picking at the jokbal, I completely lost track of time.

Who should visit Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch

• Looking for a jokbal restaurant with a big screen in Cheomdan Wolgye-dong
• Wanting genuinely delicious charcoal jokbal with a drink
• Wanting to eat jokbal with family
• Wanting a hearty, protein-packed meal with both jokbal and bossam

Recommending Kkankkanhan Jokbal, a Cheomdan Wolgye-dong favorite!