Jokbal and bossam cold set in Palyong-dong, Changwon: Songgane

I've been dying from cleaning up after moving these days haha 😂 I spent the whole day tidying the new place after the move and even my plantar fasciitis flared back up.

My husband was off at work and I'm currently unemployed, so being home alone all day killed my appetite — lunch was just a bit of fruit before more cleaning ㅠㅠ So I figured we should at least eat something hearty for dinner, and went out for jokbal (pig's trotters) and bossam (boiled pork wraps).

Where is Songgane Wang Jokbal Bossam in Palyong-dong, and is there parking?

Songgane Wang Jokbal Bossam Changwon Station Branch is at 13-12 Uichang-daero 54beon-gil, Uichang-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, 1st floor — as the name suggests, almost directly in front of Changwon Station. It's open from 14:00 to 24:00 (last order 23:00), closed on Sundays.

Apparently it's been running in the same spot in Palyong-dong since 1992.

There was space for about 3 cars to park in front of the restaurant. If it's full, there are two public parking lots about 2 minutes away on foot, and parking on the side streets near the shop is also possible according to the signage.

Since it's right by Changwon Station, there are plenty of lodgings nearby too. It seemed like a great spot for anyone visiting Changwon for business or travel to stop by in the evening, and if you'd rather eat comfortably back at your accommodation, takeout or delivery would work well too.

The interior felt cozy overall. The delicious smell hit me the moment I walked in!

Menu and what comes in the Songgane cold set

Songgane's menu includes jokbal, bossam, cold jokbal salad, spicy jokbal, and makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles), plus half-and-half set menus for the meat dishes.

My husband likes jokbal and I like bossam, so we ordered the half-and-half so we could both enjoy our pick. That day I was craving something refreshing, so instead of regular jokbal we went with the cold set, which comes with cold jokbal salad!

A little preview of our three jokbal brothers~

Side dishes, bossam kimchi and yagwanmun tea

The basic table setting. Since we ordered bossam, bossam kimchi came along with it too.

The lettuce and perilla leaves were super fresh. The peppers were big, so I assumed they'd be mild cucumber-type peppers and bit right in — got fooled again haha. Why are big peppers so spicy these days ㅠㅠ

The bossam kimchi tasted true to the basics — moderately sweet with a nice kick of spice. Even the color of the seasoning looked appetizing and got my appetite going.

Instead of plain water, they unusually served us yagwanmun tea (a Korean herbal tea).

That famous 'Open up~ Yagwanmun~' commercial with actor Kim Gwang-gyu popped into my head haha. Yagwanmun always brings to mind the image of a tea that's supposedly good for men — I'm a woman, is it really okay for me to drink this...? 😂

It had a savory, roasted flavor that went well with the food.

How was the bossam pork in the cold set?

After a little while, our cold set arrived.

The cold jokbal salad came in a slightly shallow bowl, while the bossam was placed on a brazier-like stand so it could stay warm longer.

The cold jokbal salad wasn't a small portion either, but the bossam dish was so much taller that in photos the cold jokbal salad ended up looking almost humble in comparison haha.

The bossam was moist, soft, and tender — in a word, absolutely delicious.

The bossam came with two different cuts of meat together. My husband said the piece on the left felt comparatively leaner and a bit drier than the one on the right. But I've always loved pork neck/shoulder meat regardless of what dish it's in haha, so I didn't find either piece dry at all — both were delicious to me. My husband tends to prefer fattier cuts, so as usual we had opposite tastes today~ 😊

Ugh, why is this the only photo I took ㅠㅠ

I piled dried radish strips and kimchi onto the bossam, dipped it in salted shrimp, and every single combination was delicious.

Naengchae jokbal: texture and mustard sauce

The cold jokbal salad was also plated colorfully and beautifully!

In particular, the jokbal used in the cold salad wasn't the soft, lean meat but rather a part with a satisfying chewy-crunchy texture, which paired even better with the cold salad style.

Grabbing a bite of jellyfish salad together with the vegetables — how good could that possibly be?

At first I barely noticed any spiciness from the mustard, and being a total spice wimp I happily thought 'mm, this is nice~' haha. My husband probably found it a bit bland at that point.

But it turned out we simply hadn't mixed it properly haha. Further down, where the sauce was properly mixed in, that familiar sharp mustard kick of cold jokbal salad came through loud and clear. It made my nose tingle, but it was so good I kept sniffling and inhaling it anyway haha.

Verdict: is Songgane worth it for jokbal in Palyong-dong?

Songgane Wang Jokbal Bossam felt less like a place chasing novel combinations or unusual menu items, and much more like a place devoted to nailing the fundamentals of jokbal and bossam.

The bossam was moist and tender, and the cold jokbal salad had great texture in the jokbal itself. The accompanying bossam kimchi and vegetables were clean and fresh too, making it fun to mix and match bites.

What stood out most was that it's been running in the same spot in Palyong-dong since 1992. Having tried it myself, I could see there's a reason a place manages to keep going in one location for so long haha. It stayed true to the basics of jokbal and bossam without any letdown in flavor.

It's also close to Changwon Station, so it's easy to get to, and with set menus that let you enjoy jokbal and bossam together, it's worth a visit if you're looking for a jokbal restaurant in Palyong-dong or trying to decide on dinner near Changwon Station.

• A jokbal and bossam restaurant that's been running in one spot in Palyong-dong since 1992
• Bossam that was moist and tender
• Cold jokbal salad with a satisfying chewy texture and a sharp sauce that paired well
• Half-and-half set menu letting you enjoy both jokbal and bossam together
• Easy to access, located right in front of Changwon Station