Sanggye-dong jokbal restaurant, weekend lunch platter: Gwihan Jokbal

Today I visited 'Gwihan Jokbal,' a place known for being clean and having top-notch taste, for an early weekend lunch 🙈💓

The inside was so spacious and comfortable, with such a nice atmosphere, that it would work great as a lunch date spot, but also for an evening dinner out or a company dinner with drinks — so let me introduce it right away! ✨

What Gwihan Jokbal Nowon Branch looks like inside and out

Gwihan Jokbal Nowon Branch is located at 18-6 Nohae-ro 83-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul, 1st floor. The exterior was clean and dark-toned, giving it a fancy feel!

Right by the entrance there's a pretty standing menu board where you can preview the menu, so I was already excited about what to order before even going in 🤭💓

As soon as I opened the door and walked in, the tidy, cozy interior caught my eye! The place was spacious and comfortable, and the tables were spaced out generously, so there was no cramped feeling at all!

On one side, aprons were hygienically set out too, which was a nice touch ••☘️ I came during an early weekend lunch and the atmosphere was great, so it would be perfect for a date, and also really good for an evening group dinner or a drink with friends. Let me show you the full menu board too! 📖✨

What we ordered and the prices: half-and-half jokbal, makguksu, flying fish roe rice balls

This is what came out first as the basic table setting!

🍴 Today's menu & honest taste review 🤭

• Half-and-half jokbal (₩45,000): a menu where you can enjoy jokbal and bossam at the same time! The meat was so tender and thick that the chewy texture was amazing. The kimchi that comes with it has a fresh geotjeori (freshly seasoned kimchi) feel and is sweet, and the pickled radish strips are also just sweet enough that wrapping everything together makes the umami explode
• Makguksu (free! ₩8,000 if ordered separately): this free makguksu was incredible! Even though it's free, the portion was generous and the seasoning was so good — wrapping the tender meat with it is the best 🎁✨
• Flying fish roe rice balls (₩3,000): full of popping flying fish roe with lots of savory flavor, it pairs really well with jokbal and bossam and is so delicious!

Not long after ordering, a huge, neatly arranged table setting appeared all at once! 🍀

The visual alone made me gasp ••🥹💓 Lettuce, perilla leaves, seasoned chili, salted shrimp, garlic, ssamjang, and even a hot, spicy bean sprout soup were all perfectly arranged on the tray — it totally felt like being treated well!

How is the half-and-half jokbal meat and the side dishes?

The half-and-half jokbal at Gwihan Jokbal Nowon Branch had meat that was so tender and thick, the chewy texture was the best! The outside was chewy and the inside held moisture, so it was savory with no gamy smell at all 🙈💓

The kimchi and pickled radish strips served as side dishes were especially amazing! The kimchi had a slightly fresh geotjeori feel and was sweet, which paired so well with the meat, and the pickled radish strips were also just sweet enough that putting meat on lettuce and wrapping it made my mouth full of happiness 🤤👍🏻

Free makguksu with flying fish roe rice balls: how they go together

And here's what really touched me ••!! The makguksu came out for free 🎁✨ Being free didn't mean it was thrown together carelessly — the portion was generous and the sweet-spicy seasoning was genuinely delicious! Rolling the makguksu together with the tender meat and eating it gives you an instant, genuine smile of satisfaction ••🩵

On top of that, adding the flying fish roe rice balls, packed full of popping roe, went so well with the meat and made for a really filling meal! 🍙✨

Is Gwihan Jokbal Nowon Branch worth a visit? Final verdict

• ✔️ Spacious, comfortable dining room: clean interior, works for dates, evening dinners, or group dinners!
• ✔️ Thick, tender meat: both jokbal and bossam had great quality with no gamy smell, totally satisfying!
• ✔️ Sweet geotjeori kimchi & pickled radish strips: the best pairing for wrapping with meat!
• ✔️ Free makguksu & flying fish roe rice balls: go great with the meat and are truly delicious ••✨

I think I'll definitely be back whenever I want jokbal or bossam in Nowon! If you want a filling, delicious meal, be sure to visit 'Gwihan Jokbal'! 🏃‍♀️💨