Myeongdong jokbal with multilingual tablet ordering: Miss Jokbal

This time I visited Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch, right in Myeongdong.

Miss Jokbal Myeongdong: the outdoor menu board before you go in

It can feel awkward peering inside a restaurant before you've decided to go in, but Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch has plenty of menu boards and posters plastered outside, so you can scope things out before committing.

What Miss Jokbal looks like at 6pm on a weekday

Stepping inside, there were more seats than I expected, and even though it was only around 6pm on a weekday, people were already eating. Given Myeongdong's location, it's no surprise plenty of foreign visitors come through — in fact, half of the occupied tables were foreign guests!

I couldn't photograph the whole space, but what you see here is about a third of the interior — it looked like it could seat a group of around 10 at once.

Switching the T-Order tablet language and the suggested order for eating jokbal

That's a lot of menu items, haha. The T-Order tablet at Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch lets you switch the language for foreign guests, and above it there's even a guide showing the recommended order for eating jokbal. Browsing the menu, there's a wide range of jokbal, bossam, and other Korean dishes, so it seems like a great spot for travelers curious about Korean food.

Kimchi kalguksu boiled right at your table

While we were ordering the jokbal and chatting, the kimchi kalguksu (kimchi noodle soup) arrived first. It comes with a portable burner, broth, and fresh noodles so you can cook it yourself at the table. Once the broth boils — in go the noodles! Let it simmer a bit longer.

I loved being able to start the meal with a warm, bubbling bowl of broth before the main event. With the kimchi in there, the soup was clean and spicy-tangy, waking up the appetite right away. Officially ready for jokbal now.

Three sauces: ssamjang, salted shrimp and mala

Just as the instructions said, several sauces came out alongside the jokbal — ssamjang, salted shrimp sauce, and mala sauce, in that order. The ssamjang and salted shrimp sauce were the familiar, reliable choices for wraps, but the mala sauce was a distinctive touch I didn't expect.

Emperor Jokbal for 58,000 won: tender meat, chewy skin, no gamey smell

Wow wow! Here's the Emperor Jokbal (₩58,000) I'd been waiting for.

Just look at how soft and chewy this jokbal is. There was none of the gamey smell jokbal can sometimes have — the skin had that springy chew, and the meat itself was tender.

There were plenty of sides to eat alongside the jokbal — kimchi, vegetables, and salad — so between all of that, I never got tired of it.

And since I'm a kimchi lover, the fresh geotjeori (unfermented kimchi) and mu-saengchae (spicy radish salad) were both clean and delicious!

There's tofu kimchi too~ With all these jokbal, bossam, and other Korean dishes on offer, this really does seem like a great place for travelers curious about Korean food!

We ended up dipping and wrapping everything in all sorts of combinations, eating like there was no tomorrow, haha.

A bottle of Cheongha and the review-event rice ball

We ordered a bottle of cheonghaju (rice wine) to go with the jokbal — with so many great side dishes as anju (drinking snacks), it was hard to hold back, ㅜ,ㅜ

Ah! There's a review event where a coupon gets applied at reservation, letting you choose between one draft beer or a rice ball. I went with the rice ball, which turned out to be a great little side to eat alongside the jokbal!

Jokbal alone is already delicious, but since it's so rich in collagen, you inevitably start craving broth partway through — and that's exactly where the kimchi kalguksu, the sides, and the sauces came in. We left this meal completely stuffed and satisfied.

Is Miss Jokbal worth it for jokbal in Myeongdong?

Myeongdong has so many restaurants that it's genuinely hard to know where you'll end up saying you ate well. On a day when you're craving jokbal like this one, a place that serves up a full, generous spread alongside the jokbal — like Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch — seems like a solid choice, don't you think? Haha.

If you're visiting with a group, ordering just one platter still gives everyone plenty of sides to share, which makes it fun for a group meal. If you're looking for somewhere to eat after shopping or sightseeing, or you just want jokbal with a shot of soju, this place is worth keeping in mind!

• Hours: Daily 11:00–03:00 (last order 02:00)
• Parking: Not available