Myeongnidan-gil jokbal restaurant, ₩49,000 large platter: Iseon Hwaduk

I love jokbal (braised pig's trotter) in general, but this time I had something a little special. Not the usual boiled kind, but wood-fired jokbal — cooked once more in a wood-fired oven. While looking for dinner near Myeongil Station, I found a good spot to eat jokbal outdoors in the cool breeze: Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam Myeongil Branch, a bossam restaurant near Myeongil Station.

Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam Myeongil Branch: hours and parking

• Hours: Daily 12:00 - 23:30 (checking before your visit is recommended)
• Address: 8 Yangjaedae-ro 147-gil, 101-ho, 1F, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Parking: Up to 3 cars in the lot out front, building basement parking also available, nearby public lots recommended if full

This post was written after being given a voucher by the business, but everything here is recorded exactly as I experienced it during my own visit.

Two to three minutes from Myeongil Station Exit 2: outdoor seats on Myeongnidan-gil

Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam Myeongil Branch sits close to Exit 2 of Myeongil Station, right in the dining alley. It's about a 2–3 minute walk from the exit, so it's convenient to reach by public transport. It's on the alley known as Myeongnidan-gil, so it's a nice spot for dinner too. There are outdoor tables in front of the store, and we sat outside that day. The weather wasn't too hot or too cold, so eating with a cool breeze felt exactly like a proper yajang (outdoor drinking spot) vibe haha. Jokbal with this kind of atmosphere — a great start.

Inside Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam: interior and seating

Walking inside, the space was bigger than expected. When we visited there were plenty of dine-in customers and delivery orders kept coming in too. With several tables set up, it looked like a good place for family meals or group gatherings and company dinners. There's also a baby chair. We sat by the window (still with that outdoor feel), and honestly I think sitting outside was the right call that day. Cool breeze plus warm jokbal — a great combo.

What to order: wood-fired front leg jokbal (large), 49,000 won

We ordered the front leg wood-fired jokbal (large) for ₩49,000. On top of the wood-fired jokbal, there's bossam, spicy jokbal, cold jokbal salad, and more varieties. There's also a half-and-half option to try two kinds together, which seems great for groups. We went with the restaurant's signature dish, the front leg wood-fired jokbal.

We had the wood-fired jokbal this time, but looking at the menu, the spicy jokbal caught my eye too. Next time I want to try wood-fired and spicy jokbal half-and-half. If you take part in the Naver receipt review event, you can choose a menu item like gorgonzola pizza or makguksu (buckwheat noodles). We picked the gorgonzola pizza.

Side dishes and the complimentary sundubu jjigae

The basic side dishes to go with the jokbal were neatly arranged too — chive salad, dried radish salad, kimchi, baek-kimchi (white kimchi), ssamjang (dipping sauce), salted shrimp, garlic, lettuce, and more, all pairing well with jokbal. The kimchi in particular was delicious.

It seemed freshly made, still crunchy, and went well with the jokbal. There was fun in trying each side dish one by one, and you could grab more from the self-serve bar if anything ran low. What I really liked here was that sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew) comes as a default item.

Halfway through eating jokbal you start craving something warm and soupy, so it was nice that sundubu jjigae came along without having to order it separately. Eating a warm spoonful now and then paired well with the jokbal, and even as a complimentary dish, it was tasty.

How the wood-fired jokbal tastes: charred outside, moist inside

Front leg wood-fired jokbal (large), ₩49,000.

The wood-fired jokbal finally arrived, and I loved the generous look of it right away — a full plate piled high. The jokbal had a nice sheen, with skin and meat mixed in just the right proportion, looking appetizing at first sight. Since it's cooked again in a wood-fired oven, I worried the meat might be a bit dry, but not at all. The outside had that slightly charred flavor from the wood fire while the inside stayed moist and tender — exactly that crispy-outside, tender-inside feeling. The skin especially kept a chewy texture, and the meat was soft, so eating them together felt great texture-wise.

The subtle smoky, wood-fired aroma that lingers the more you eat is also great. It has a different charm from regular jokbal, and I could see why they make wood-fired jokbal their signature dish. It's delicious plain, but also goes well with a bit of salted shrimp or kimchi on top. Wrapping a piece of jokbal in lettuce with garlic and ssamjang for one big bite was excellent too. Something about jokbal cooked in a wood-fired oven made me feel like it might be less fattening than regular jokbal haha haha. Of course that's just a feeling, but let's believe that eating happily is zero calories.

Gorgonzola pizza from the Naver receipt review event

This is the gorgonzola pizza I got from the receipt review event. Gorgonzola at a jokbal restaurant felt a little unexpected at first, but it turned out to be a decent side dish. The thin dough was cooked in the wood-fired oven, so even the edges were crispy. It was savory on its own, but of course gorgonzola pizza is best with honey. Dipping it in honey gave that savory-sweet, sweet-and-salty combo. It was also good to eat a slice here and there while working through the wood-fired jokbal.

Verdict: is Iseon Hwaduk worth it for jokbal near Myeongil Station?

Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam Myeongil Branch was a good choice for wanting slightly different jokbal near Myeongil Station. I worried the wood-fired cooking might dry out the meat, but instead the outside had a lightly charred flavor while the inside stayed tender and moist — genuinely delicious.

The basic side dishes were tidy, and having sundubu jjigae included by default made for a generously filled table. Best of all, eating at the outdoor tables that day in the cool breeze gave it a full yajang (outdoor drinking spot) atmosphere. The restaurant is spacious and busy, so it looks like a good fit for family dinners, company gatherings, or meetups. If you're looking for a bossam restaurant near Myeongil Station, this wood-fired jokbal, a bit different from the usual, is worth trying. Next time I'll have to try the half-and-half with wood-fired and spicy jokbal together haha.