Grilled jokbal restaurant in Nowon, Seoul: charcoal vs spicy, Gwihan

I was looking for a good jokbal (braised pig's trotters) place in Nowon and found Gwihan Jokbal Nowon Branch (귀한족발 노원점), so I went to try it~ Chewy jokbal plus tasty side dishes, so I was really looking forward to it! If you're searching for good jokbal in Nowon, have a look 💛 Today I'm sharing my review of what I actually ate here!

Where is Gwihan Jokbal Nowon, and what are the hours?

• Location: 1F, 18-6 Nohae-ro 83-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: daily 11:00 to 02:00 the next day
• 2-minute walk from Nowon Station

Getting there from Nowon Station

Gwihan Jokbal Nowon is only a 2-minute walk from Nowon Station, so it was very close~ It's in an easy-to-find spot in Nowon, so getting there was convenient. The clean, eye-catching exterior means even first-timers can find it easily. In the evening in particular, the place felt lively with customers coming for jokbal. It's a good spot to eat jokbal in Nowon, so I think it suits anyone looking for a company dinner or group gathering place too!

Is the restaurant good for company dinners and group gatherings?

The restaurant has plenty of tables, so it's nice for visiting with a group. Inside, it was clean and comfortable.

From meals with friends to company dinners with coworkers in Nowon, it was an easy space to enjoy~ The overall mood is relaxed and unfussy, so it's perfect for chatting over jokbal and a glass of soju 👍🏻

Gwihan Jokbal Nowon menu

At Gwihan Jokbal Nowon, jokbal is the main event, with a variety of other dishes too. I liked that you can pick jokbal options by taste, with both the chewy texture and tender meat. Jokbal is great for sharing with several people, so it suited a Nowon company dinner or gathering well. Sitting down to a generously laid-out table together made it even more enjoyable~

What comes by default when you order jokbal?

When you order jokbal here, the table is neatly set with side dishes and warm bean sprout soup. There was a nice variety of sides that go well with jokbal, which made the meal even more generous. I especially loved that warm bean sprout soup came too! The cool, clean broth went well with the jokbal, and it's perfect as a drinking snack as well. A bite of jokbal, then side dishes, then the soup: a combination I kept reaching for!

Spicy fire-grilled vs charcoal fire-grilled jokbal: how does the half-and-half taste?

This time I ordered the half-and-half jokbal, which lets you try the spicy fire-grilled jokbal and the charcoal fire-grilled jokbal in one go! Enjoying two flavors together made it fun to pick by taste.

Spicy fire-grilled jokbal

The spicy fire-grilled jokbal has the spicy seasoning soaked nicely into the meat, so I'd recommend it to anyone who likes heat. The chewy jokbal texture and the spicy sauce go well together, and I kept reaching for more.

Charcoal fire-grilled jokbal

The charcoal fire-grilled jokbal has a subtle charcoal aroma, so it was especially delicious for me, since I love that smoky flavor 🔥 Chewy yet tender jokbal with the charcoal flavor added really brought out the taste.

You can try both fire-grilled jokbal at once and add makguksu too, so it's a generous choice for a Nowon company dinner or gathering 💕

Free makguksu at Gwihan Jokbal Nowon

Makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles) came free too! Jokbal and makguksu are a pairing you can't skip 😋 Eating the tangy noodles with jokbal cut the richness and cleansed the palate, so everything tasted even better.

Shall we add a flying fish roe rice ball as a side?

I ordered the flying fish roe rice ball with the jokbal! Nutty rice with popping roe made the texture fun, and it went well with the jokbal 😋 Eating it between bites of the spicy fire-grilled jokbal softened the heat a bit, which was nice. You shape the balls yourself, which is fun, and it makes a good side to order for a Nowon company dinner or gathering 💕