Gwangju jokbal restaurant for a charcoal-grilled dinner: Kkankkanhan

Smoky jokbal found in Yongbong-dong

The autumn weather has been so cool and lovely lately. After lazing around on Sunday, I started craving jokbal, so I tried Kkankkanhan Jokbal Yongbong Branch (깐깐한족발 용봉점), a Yongbong-dong favorite for jokbal. Unlike regular boiled jokbal, this has a charcoal aroma, so the meat has that lovely smoky flavor without feeling greasy; you get both the chewy pork skin and the clean-tasting lean meat too~~

Kkankkanhan Jokbal Yongbong Branch is across the road from Angel-in-us near Jeon Cheol-woo Intersection in Yongbong-dong. There was a parking spot right on the road in front of the restaurant—yes! haha. If there isn't a spot, you can park farther into the alley behind it~~

The dining room is spacious and clean, and it even has a huge screen, so it seems like a great place to watch baseball these days. It is close to Kia Champions Field, so it would be nice to come here for jokbal and a beer after a game.

On days when cooking at home feels like too much, eating out is the answer. We visited around 6 p.m., and it wasn't full yet. It had been a while since my last visit, and somehow the place felt even cleaner.

Restaurant services I noticed before ordering

One unusual thing was that the aprons were kept inside cases. I thought that was a more hygienic way to do it. They also use CESCO pest-control services, which made the place feel extra trustworthy. There is a ₩3,000 discount for takeaway orders placed by phone or in person, too, so you can enjoy it at a good value.

It was so convenient to order from the tablet at each table. Since there were two of us, we ordered an individual portion, flipping through the menu before settling on the signature charcoal-grilled jokbal. I was torn between that and the garlic one, but my sibling said they hate garlic, haha.

The cabbage salad with black sesame dressing was delicious, so we got a refill. I also really love the dried shredded radish that comes with jokbal.

Once we ordered, the basic side dishes arrived, including fish cake soup served in its whole pot. It created exactly the kind of mood where you feel like you absolutely have to order soju, haha. I had drinks the day before, though, so I boldly passed~~

The steamed egg was like pudding~~~ Even while eating it, I kept wondering, how do they make it like this? I was amazed the whole time, haha.

Charcoal-grilled jokbal ₩42,000

Chewy charcoal-grilled jokbal

It had been such a long time since I last saw jokbal, and wow, it looked so glossy. It comes sliced into easy-to-eat pieces, which makes it convenient too. Maybe because it is jokbal grilled one more time over Jirisan charcoal, the wonderfully chewy texture was really there. The lean meat was not dry either, and eating it with the skin made the charcoal flavor bloom in my mouth.

If you normally enjoy smoky flavors or grilled meat with your jokbal, Kkankkanhan Jokbal's charcoal-grilled jokbal is worth trying alongside regular jokbal. The staff were so kind too~~ At Kkankkanhan Jokbal, a Yongbong-dong jokbal spot, you can have warm, tender jokbal boiled that day, without any off smell.

As someone who loves perilla leaves, I made a wrap with a perilla leaf and dried shredded radish, then tried it dipped in chojang (sweet-tangy red chili sauce) too. The aroma of the perilla leaf was so good. We refilled the lettuce and perilla leaves twice~~ Every way of eating it was delicious, haha. They say only people from Jeolla eat chojang like this!

A filling dinner, finished without leftovers

Kkankkanhan Jokbal also has a receipt review event, where you can choose one of three freebies: rice balls, charcoal, or mini jokbal. I was already full from the jokbal, so I couldn't do the review ㅠㅠ

With regular jokbal, I get tired of it quickly because it becomes greasy after just a little. But thanks to the charcoal aroma and chewy texture, we finished every bit of the charcoal-grilled jokbal. I can see why this Yongbong-dong jokbal favorite has stayed in the same spot for such a long time~ I recommend Kkankkanhan Jokbal Yongbong Branch for a day when you're craving jokbal~~