Sindorim jokbal restaurant: beer & makguksu with my son, The Jokbal

On a weekend evening, my son and I went on a little date to Sindorim. It struck me, with a bit of pride, that he's now old enough to sit across from me and share a beer. I was craving good jokbal (braised pork trotters), so we headed to The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch (더족발 신도림본점), known as a Guro Station favorite and a go-to for company dinners in Sindorim.

Where is The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch, and what does it look like outside?

The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch is on the ground floor of the Sindorim 3-cha Prugio apartment shops, near Guro Station and Sindorim Station. There's a standard wait on weekends.

It sits on a building corner, so the sign is easy to spot from far away, and big photos of the jokbal and bossam (boiled pork wraps) stand out front, so you can check the menu before you even go in. It has a friendly, longtime neighborhood jokbal joint feel, and yes, there's a weekend wait... a true Guro Station favorite!!! I'd recommend it as a great family-dinner spot to visit in Sindorim.

Atmosphere inside The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch

Inside, it's clean and calm, with wooden tables, gray walls and black lighting. It was busy on Saturday evening, but still a comfortable place to eat.

The interior is tidy and relaxed. Wooden tables and chairs feel warm, while the gray walls and black lighting give a calm impression overall. The lights hanging over the tables make the food look extra appetizing, and the jokbal and bossam photos on the walls stir the appetite too. It was crowded on Saturday evening, but even with the buzz it was easy to settle in and eat. You can get it delivered, but eating in the restaurant has its own charm, I think..

Menu at The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch

The menu is varied: jokbal, bossam, half-and-half jokbal, cold jokbal (naengchae jokbal), makguksu, rice balls, steamed egg, mung bean pancake and more. Jokbal comes as front leg, rear leg or fire-grilled spicy, and bossam comes in large, medium and small, so it's easy to order for your group size.

The tray makguksu also comes in large and small and pairs well with jokbal, and the rice balls suit visits with kids especially well. There are set menus too, a handy way to enjoy jokbal, bossam and makguksu in one go.

What are the side dishes like at The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch?

This time we ordered jokbal, makguksu and rice balls together. The side dishes were generously laid out even before the mains arrived. A stone pot of soybean paste soup was bubbling away, and the warm broth settled my stomach before we even started eating.

A generous plate of wrap vegetables came for wrapping up jokbal, along with neatly prepared garlic, onion, ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste) and salted shrimp.

Jeju winter radish kimchi served as bossam kimchi

The most memorable side dish was the Jeju winter radish kimchi served as bossam kimchi. It's said to be made from fresh winter radishes grown on Jeju Island, then cold-aged for 48 hours. You get the crunch first, then a spicy-sweet seasoning follows. It went really well with the chewy, nutty jokbal. The chive kimchi was fragrant and spicy too, cutting through the richness of the jokbal nicely.

Free cold jokbal on the house

The cold jokbal that came as a free service was great too. Thinly sliced jokbal came with yellow egg strips, cucumber, jellyfish and mustard sauce, for a clean, refreshing taste. The mustard's sharp kick woke up my appetite without being too strong, so it was easy to eat. It felt like a palate cleanser before the real jokbal began.

Rice balls if you're with kids

If you visit with kids, the rice balls at The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch are a must-order. A big bowl comes with plenty of rice and seaweed flakes, and before the mains arrive there's the fun of rolling the balls yourself. Kids don't get bored while waiting because they can make their own, and it's filling alongside jokbal or makguksu too. Nutty seaweed flakes and rice make an easy side for everyone.

It was Saturday night, so my son and I had a beer each. A light cheers with ice-cold beer really set the weekend dinner mood.

How was the jokbal at The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch?

The jokbal had chewy skin, tender meat and a clean taste with no gamey smell. When it arrived, it was obviously generous. The plate was piled high and glossy, with skin and meat nicely mixed. The chewy skin got nuttier the more I chewed, and the meat was tender, not dry. With no off smell, it was great wrapped in vegetables and also good with salted shrimp or bossam kimchi.

The restaurant says it hand-selects domestic grade-1 raw trotters every day. As the description about using 15 fresh, premium ingredients for a deep, refined flavor suggests, the jokbal tasted clean and well put together overall. It didn't feel like jokbal that's just big on quantity; you could tell care went into everything from the side dishes to the main.

The Sindorim main branch is said to be the country's first hotel-style jokbal restaurant, created by a Chosun Hotel chef with 30 years of experience who reinterpreted the traditional dish in a hotel style. Maybe that's why the spread felt tidier than at an ordinary jokbal place, and the flavor wasn't overly strong, so it was easy to enjoy.

Makguksu alongside the jokbal

The makguksu (buckwheat noodles) was completely satisfying too. Sweet-and-sour seasoning, chewy noodles and crunchy vegetables went well with the jokbal. A bite of jokbal with makguksu cut the greasiness and made my mouth feel fresh again.

Jokbal wrap combos I recommend

The jokbal at The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch tasted best in a napa cabbage wrap topped with Jeju winter radish kimchi and chive kimchi. It's good on its own, but wrapped, it really shines. The chewy skin, tender meat, crunchy kimchi and fragrant chives came together in one bite. The kimchi cut the richness and the wrap vegetables added nuttiness, so I kept reaching for more.

One plate of jokbal alone filled the table quite generously. With makguksu, rice balls, soybean paste soup and all the side dishes laid out, it was a hearty spread just to look at. The jokbal portion was ample and easy to share among several people, and with makguksu I could enjoy it to the end without feeling heavy. The rice balls are good for kids and a light add-on for adults too.

Up close, the jokbal was properly glossy. The skin looked plump and chewy, and the meat was cooked moist. Picking up a piece, the skin-to-meat ratio was good and made it satisfying to chew. With no gamey smell and a mild flavor, it was tasty with just a dab of salted shrimp, and with kimchi the savory depth grew richer.

The perilla leaf wrap combo was good too. Put jokbal, radish kimchi and chive kimchi on a perilla leaf and fold it into a bite-size wrap: the fragrance comes first, then the nuttiness of the jokbal. If the cabbage wrap was about crisp, cool flavor, the perilla leaf added aroma and felt a bit cleaner. Mixing and matching different wrap vegetables and side dishes was fun, so the jokbal spread never got boring to the very end.

Is The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch good for a family dinner?

Hearty jokbal, spicy makguksu, nutty rice balls and cold beer made this a thoroughly satisfying Saturday-evening meal at a Guro Station favorite. If you're looking for a family dinner or a get-together spot in Sindorim, The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch is worth a visit at least once as a date with your family.