Fried jokbal near Bucheon Station with Simgok-dong parking tips

Kkalkkali Jokbal Bucheon Branch, a jokbal favorite near Bucheon Station

Today I'm introducing Kkalkkali Jokbal, a jokbal (pig's trotter) restaurant favorite in Bucheon. It's apparently already famous around Bucheon University, and sure enough, several couples were visiting when we were there too.

Hours and location

• Daily 16:00–04:00
• No parking available
• 520m from Bucheon Station Exit 3

It's 520m from Bucheon Station Exit 3, and super close to Bucheon University!

Where to park? Simgok-dong public underground lot

I drove there and used the Simgok-dong public underground lot. There was a lot of illegal parking near the restaurant, but I figured it's better than risking a ticket. The rate is very cheap and the lot is spacious, so I'd recommend it! It's about an 8-minute walk from there to Kkalkkali Jokbal Bucheon.

₩600 an hour! And if you drive a low-emission vehicle, you get 50% off, so parking all day only costs about ₩2,000 — no burden at all. Whenever I have plans near Bucheon Station, I park at the Simgok-dong public underground lot.

First anniversary event and outdoor seating

We arrived at Kkalkkali Jokbal, the jokbal favorite near Bucheon Station! They're running a first anniversary event so fruit-mixed cold noodles are provided free. In the cool autumn weather they'd also set up outdoor seating, which is great news if you tend to overheat indoors!

It's not huge, but from the floor tiles to the tables to the interior overall, it felt really solid as a restaurant. Older neighborhood jokbal places often have greasy floors and tables that smell musty, but Kkalkkali Jokbal Bucheon Branch was clean.

What we ordered as a couple, and the prices

There's no kiosk — you press the bell and order with staff. Prices are on the affordable side, and considering that ordering jokbal even gets you free fruit-mixed cold noodles, it doesn't feel expensive at all. We ordered three items: fried jokbal + spicy jokbal (medium), flying fish roe rice balls, and a Cider (Korean lemon-lime soda). This post covers the amount for two adults!

First, the water, bowls, and wet wipes that came out right away.

The complimentary bean sprout soup. A lot of places just give you bland broth, but here the broth had a nice sharp, spicy kick with good seasoning — it seemed like it'd go great with soju. I drove again today though, so I passed on it 🥲

The side dishes to go with the jokbal. The lineup is similar to other places, but the vegetables were really fresh with nothing spoiled. The dried radish strips and chive salad in particular stood out.

Flying fish roe rice balls, ₩5,000

📌Flying fish roe rice balls, ₩5,000. These came out first. As a light dish, the price is reasonable. And when my wife's touch is added, the taste doubles!

They didn't half-ass it just for blog photos — they shaped it properly and nicely, which helped a lot for the post.

Shaped like a perfect 100-point score — topping the rice balls with salted shrimp and dried radish strips gave a salty harmony that had us eating quickly while we waited for the jokbal. Since it's fried jokbal rather than regular jokbal, it does take a bit longer.

Fried jokbal + spicy jokbal, ₩42,000 — was the fried part tough?

📌Fried jokbal + spicy jokbal, ₩42,000. The jokbal arrived after about 15 minutes. I know this style was trendy for a while, but if the frying time isn't calculated right, it turns out really tough and loses its flavor — at Kkalkkali Jokbal Bucheon, though, it was fried for just the right amount of time, with no toughness at all. As for the spicy jokbal, I didn't even notice the spice at first, but it built up subtly the more we ate, and that addictive quality kept us going. When it got a bit greasy, the Cider and the bean sprout soup's sharpness cut through it, resetting our palate so we could keep eating.

Complimentary fruit-mixed cold noodles

The fruit-mixed cold noodles (mak-guksu) that come free with a jokbal order. Other jokbal places usually just sell regular mak-guksu, but I could tell Kkalkkali Jokbal really puts its heart into the sauce. Betting your life on jokbal — well, that's how you succeed at anything in life, right? I've spent half my life exercising like my life depends on it, so I guess that's a bit different from my friends too.

My wife's touch, her skill at mixing the noodles, is also amazing. I'm personally not great at mixing, so I always ask her to do it. But when it comes to cooking at home, I'm a level above, so I'm in charge of cooking every weekend.

The best combination

We drew out the maximum flavor combos using the side dishes and jokbal we had. The pairing with the mak-guksu was my personal best. Since the noodles have fruit mixed in rather than a regular sauce, the tanginess was different from other places, giving it an addictive quality that kept me eating even when full! My wife said wrapping it in chives made for a combo that felt clean and never got tiring. Everyone has their own preference, so we should respect that!

After we finished eating, I checked the country-of-origin labels, and aside from the bossam pork, most of the other ingredients were listed as domestic Korean products. With prices so high these days, it must be hard to use only domestic ingredients — I hope the economy recovers soon so everyone can do well.

Next time, on the outdoor seating

Next visit, I plan to eat at the outdoor seating. There aren't many places that serve fried jokbal, and it's close to home for me! The food was delicious, but I was especially touched by how kind the female staff member was, asking if the food suited our taste! Of course, she wasn't only kind to our table but smiled warmly at everyone and even switched the TV channel for us — it made for such a grateful way to end the day! Since they treated us so well, I'll definitely come back with the kids next time.