Jokbal restaurant by Sunae Station, rice instead of drinks: Wangchang

Sunae Station jokbal favorite

Why jokbal lovers eat in at Wangchang Jokbal

Wangchang Jokbal (왕창족발) near Sunae Station is a jokbal place where it's not just the jokbal but the handmade side dishes that shine, so its charm only fully comes alive when you eat in rather than take out. That's the verdict of someone who has already worked through all the "Top 4 jokbal" and "Top 5 jokbal" chains.

I really, truly love jokbal. Some people say they don't eat meat that's been boiled, but along with suyuk (boiled pork slices), jokbal is my favorite. Grilled meat honestly feels a little greasy to me... Even when I stop by a country traditional market, if I spot market jokbal I buy a pack and eat it at home. I like oh-hyang jangyuk (five-spice braised pork) too, and all the trendy stuff like fire jokbal and naengchae jokbal (cold jokbal salad). I love them all.

But my eternal disappointment with jokbal places is that the jokbal is tasty, yet almost none of them have decent side dishes. So I usually take jokbal home rather than eating in. At Wangchang Jokbal near Sunae Station, though, the skillfully made side dishes and relaxed atmosphere mean you only feel the full charm of the place when you eat there.

Where is Wangchang Jokbal, and where can you park?

Wangchang Jokbal is on a corner near Exit 1 of Sunae Station in Bundang, and for parking you can use the lot of the same building.

Wangchang Jokbal on a holiday evening: the atmosphere

Clean place, isn't it? It was a holiday evening so it wasn't packed, but everyone seemed to be in a good mood over jokbal and a glass of soju. My wife and I joined in the fun.

Always the large jokbal: front leg meat quality

We ordered the large jokbal at Wangchang Jokbal. Haha, it's always the large. That way you get to enjoy a whole tender front leg.

As you can see, the quality of the raw meat here is really good. A perfect balance of lean meat, skin and fat. Not greasy, not dry, that signature jokbal texture. Tender and moist, so good.

What side dishes come with jokbal at Wangchang Jokbal?

The star of the side dishes is the homemade eori-gul-jeot (어리굴젓, salted baby oysters). The seasoning is great and the oysters are high quality, so this alone could carry a bowl of rice. Put it on top of a piece of jokbal and, haha, it's insanely delicious. The seasoned radish salad and chive salad you see here are also perfectly seasoned.

If you run low on a side dish, the serving staff bring more right away. A soup is included too, so there's no need to order one separately. I was about to have a glass of soju but held back and ordered two bowls of rice instead. My stomach felt empty, haha.

Fluffy bomb steamed egg at Wangchang Jokbal

This is the steamed egg at Wangchang Jokbal. A very fluffy, puffed-up "bomb" steamed egg, and the seasoning is great too. I ate a whole bowl of rice with it, haha.

How we ate the jokbal at Wangchang Jokbal

Jokbal dipped in salted shrimp sauce

Let's try the jokbal. Whatever anyone says, the salted shrimp sauce has to be good with jokbal... and it is, haha. Jokbal dipped in salted shrimp is where the real flavor is.

Jokbal with seasoned radish salad

Now with the seasoned radish. Oh, this combo is good too. The quality of the side dishes at Wangchang Jokbal is really great. The radish is neither too sweet nor too salty, a high standard.

Jokbal topped with salted baby oysters

Now with the salted baby oysters. You can enjoy so many combinations that it keeps changing as you eat and never gets monotonous, which is why I like this Sunae Station jokbal place. My wife loves salted baby oysters so much that she said they were delicious and we should buy some to take home...

Jokbal wrapped in a leaf for one bite

Now wrapped in a leaf. Just a hint of ssamjang (wrap sauce) for aroma, and instead I added salted baby oysters, haha. So good. Wangchang Jokbal works for a meal and for drinking.

Favorite combo: salted shrimp, garlic and Cheongyang chili

This is my favorite way to eat jokbal. Salted shrimp, garlic and cheongyang chili (spicy green chili).

As you can see, this wasn't some throwaway freebie: it's a perfect bomb steamed egg, haha. Delicious. A glass of soju would have been nice, but I'd come by car, so I just inhaled the rice.

Is Wangchang Jokbal near Sunae Station worth a return visit?

So what do you think? Wangchang Jokbal near Sunae Station more than earns its place as another style of great jokbal restaurant. When you're craving jokbal, it seems like a good choice.