Gangdong jokbal restaurant for daytime drinks: Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam

A wood-fired jokbal restaurant on Myeongridan-gil’s Winter Road

Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam Myeongil Branch is where I sometimes go when I want daytime drinks around Myeongil-dong on a weekend. I’ve been three or four times now, and only just realized it isn’t a person called Iseonhwa—it’s Iseon wood-fired jokbal and bossam. I thought it was Iseonhwa Wood-Fired Jokbal this whole time. Anyway, let the attack on this pretty solid wood-fired jokbal spot for daytime drinking in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong begin.

Myeongridan-gil Spring-to-Winter Roads

I’ve walked around Myeongridan-gil often and had no idea it had Spring Road, Summer Road, Autumn Road, and Winter Road.

Starting with Spring Road and going all the way to Winter Road, haha. Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam is on Winter Road.

There is room for about two cars in front, so this Gangdong jokbal restaurant is doable even if you drive.

The banner announcing the daytime-drinks deal is a little more faded than it was a few months ago, but it is still here. The restaurant has a terrace, so when I came a few months ago it was wonderful to enjoy it like an outdoor drinking spot in summer; now that it is cool, we went inside. When I first came, I fell for this crazy value: ₩1,000 soju and ₩3,000 draft beer, hahaha. Now only the soju has gone up to ₩2,000, while draft beer remains ₩3,000. A daytime-drinks deal until 5 p.m.—such generous value. At this price, it is perfect for daytime drinking in Gangdong.

Takeout also gets a ₩3,000 discount, and they even have wood-fired pizza. Oh?

It looks like they have added an octopus menu this time, too. This was my first time seeing it—would the octopus be roasted in the wood-fired oven?

It also looks like they installed a beam projector in the dining room. I think it had only been about a month since my last visit, but quite a lot had changed. The atmosphere feels more alive, which I like even better.

A jokbal lover’s wood-fired half-and-half

If I had to pick favorite foods, raw fish, sushi, jokbal, and dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) always seem to hover in my top one to three. I am actually a little more of a boiled-jokbal person than a wood-fired-jokbal person, but sometimes I crave this version, roasted once more so it is crisp outside and moist inside. It is relatively less greasy too, so maybe it is a lump of collagen that is good for dieting? Not that it gets absorbed, haha.

The weather was nice, so sitting by the window to catch even a little view of the sky felt so good. I will come back next summer and enjoy the outdoor terrace again.

Such a neat table setting, haha. The shredded radish salad was especially good, so I have come to prefer it with wood-fired jokbal. But alcohol cannot be left out, right? Looking around, draft beer was the answer. You have to start with nama biru—draft beer—no question.

Time to go at that cold Cass draft beer. That is what makes it the weekend. Absolutely, absolutely.

We started with Cass draft beer served in a Terra glass.

Menu and order

This Myeongil Station favorite does have bossam, but we came for jokbal today, so jokbal it was. For a first visit, I recommend the extra-large wood-fired jokbal at ₩59,000, large front trotter at ₩49,000, medium rear trotter at ₩44,000, or small jokbal at ₩39,000. But even people who cannot handle much spice can eat this restaurant’s spicy jokbal easily, so this time we ordered the medium half wood-fired, half spicy jokbal for ₩49,000. ₩49,000 for a medium is perhaps a little above the neighborhood average, though?

For a jokbal restaurant, they also surprisingly have Yantai, Peach Tree, and Bombay highballs, hahaha. The highballs are on the inexpensive side at ₩6,000–₩6,500.

First came bubbling sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew). It tastes a bit like ramen, but with soju or beer, it makes just the right drinking snack.

Finally, today’s feast: medium wood-fired half-and-half jokbal, ₩49,000. The regular jokbal here is delicious too, but I think I enjoy the spicy jokbal even more. It is neither wildly spicy nor sweet—just the right gentle heat.

The ₩5,000 rice balls come in a generous amount and are an essential friend for calming the spice, so order them too.

Personally, rather than the lean meat...

What is truly the best is picking meat off the bone, with the skin clinging to it and that distinctive chewy texture, hahaha. The bones are big, and there are plenty of little trotters too. Since it is wood-fired jokbal, the meaty aroma arrives later as you chew; it feels somehow more layered than boiled jokbal. I love the touch of smoky flavor sweeping across the tip of the tongue.

The lean meat is not dry at all—it has shed some fat while gaining a clean savoriness. Dip it in ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), and it is a wonderful combination, right? The bouncy skin and the grain of the meat crunch along in different rhythms; it is like they are doing a dance party in your mouth. That is its own strange charm. Still, the number-one champion is the little trotters and picking at the big bones.

And around this point, ₩4,000 makgeolli. No Jipyeong Makgeolli, but Seoul Jangsu Makgeolli gives us some lactic-acid-bacteria replenishment! It is a surprisingly great pairing with jokbal. So-maek, a soju-and-beer mix, is good too, but sometimes makgeolli calls your name.

Roll the rice balls into nice little bites and eat them with the spicy jokbal; it is not just spicy—the wood-fire aroma gives it that layered flavor, I guess? Hahahahaha. Spicy flavor soaking right into the collagen-rich skin singed by the high heat of the wood-fired oven. Half-and-half is, as always, the supreme choice.

The generous side dishes can be refilled anytime, and the shredded radish salad and seasoned chive pickle go especially well with the jokbal. They season them so well!

It seems they also serve wood-fired pizza through a review event. Despite spending all day in a kitchen with a high-heat wood-fired oven, the male owner always welcomes guests with a kind smile—he is genuinely so friendly. Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam Myeongil Branch feels like a sanctuary for middle-aged guys wanting jokbal and a daytime drink near Myeongil Station in Gangdong. It is true that the price range is a little higher than other jokbal places. But because the drinks are cheap, drinkers should go before 17:00 and experience that weighty jokbal, seared by the wood-fired oven, whose flavor temperature seems to rise the more you chew.