Gangdong jokbal with egg custard and rice balls: Iseon Hwaduk

Did you know that among people who regularly eat jokbal (pig's trotter), tastes split sharply between two camps depending on texture preference — those who love the chewiness of cooled skin, and those who prefer it warm and soft, melting in the mouth. Personally, I'm firmly in the second camp: I love it hot, freshly boiled, melting on the tongue. If your taste in jokbal texture matches mine, I highly recommend visiting the place I'm introducing today.

It's a well-known jokbal restaurant in Gangdong, Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam, located near Myeongil Station on Seoul Subway Line 5.

Walking to Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam from Myeongil Station, and where to park

Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam Myeongil Branch sits right by Myeongil Station, so you can get there within 5 minutes on foot from the exit — excellent accessibility. It's incredibly convenient if you're walking over after taking public transportation.

There's no dedicated parking building nearby, but according to the sign posted in front of the store, there's space for about 3 cars right out front, so if you're driving, keep that in mind.

What's on the menu at Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam, and how the half-and-half works

Once inside, I took my time going over the menu. The wood-fired jokbal, carefully roasted in a high-heat clay oven, stands as the signature main dish, alongside a varied lineup including a whole plated trotter, soft bossam (boiled pork wraps), mouth-watering spicy jokbal, and refreshing cold jokbal salad.

Best of all, there's a well-set-up half-and-half option that lets you enjoy two flavors at once, so you can freely order a combo that suits your taste. We picked the most popular half-and-half combo — wood-fired jokbal and spicy jokbal — and rounded it out with cozy egg custard and savory rice balls for the kid.

The wood oven in the dining room and the free sundubu jjigae

The dining hall inside is quite spacious and pleasantly laid out, more than I expected. It's already known around the neighborhood as a skilled jokbal restaurant, and true to that, delivery riders were constantly coming and going the whole time we ate, delivery orders flying out nonstop.

What really caught my eye was the surprising sight of a big wood-fired oven sitting right by the kitchen. Watching the slow-boiled jokbal go into the glowing-hot oven and come out roasted golden-brown was fascinating and fun to watch. I got increasingly curious about what kind of texture and flavor jokbal fresh from the oven would have.

The basic side dishes served were simple but satisfying. The crunchy radish salad and fragrant chive salad — arguably the most essential accompaniments at any jokbal restaurant — were seasoned with great umami and paired wonderfully with the meat.

On top of that, the sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew) that arrived bubbling away in a stone bowl, on the house, was excellent. The broth was spicy yet deep and rich, hard to stop spooning up, and it made the perfect drinking companion, practically begging for a cold beer or soju.

I was also a little worried the spicy fire jokbal might be too much heat, but as luck would have it, we got a whole sweet gorgonzola pizza on the house through a store event. Salty-spicy fire jokbal paired with sweet, crispy pizza — the combination looked amazing just to look at.

Crisp-outside wood-fired jokbal vs. sweet-and-spicy fire jokbal

Soon after, the star of the show — the half-and-half jokbal — arrived at the table. The meat's glossy sheen on the surface drew a genuine gasp. The wood-fired jokbal I tried first had its skin lightly charred by the oven flames, and it looked incredibly appetizing.

Taking a bite, thanks to the high heat of the wood oven, the outside was chewy yet crispy while the inside stayed moist and tender — a textbook example of crispy-outside, tender-inside texture.

These days, the jokbal scene has all sorts of creative twists — dipping in horse oil, pairing with exotic cilantro, and so on. But here, the meat and its preparation were so good on their own that even without any unusual sauces, a light dab of salted shrimp was enough to bring out an explosion of natural umami — very satisfying.

Next up was the spicy jokbal, its surface glossily coated in a spicy sauce, looking almost like crispy Korean fried chicken (dakgangjeong).

The spicy seasoning had really soaked all the way through to the meat, so every single bite was pure enjoyment.

It wasn't an aggressively harsh spiciness that burns your stomach — instead, it carried a gentle sweetness underneath, so it was very enjoyable to eat without getting tiring.

Does Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam work for a family dinner with a child?

The hearty rice balls and soft egg custard we ordered alongside gave the meal a solid backbone, letting even the little one finish a whole bowl without any spiciness getting in the way — a great choice for a family outing.

Jokbal is convenient to order for delivery, but it's always most delicious eaten fresh out of the oven, right there in the restaurant, piping hot — and this visit was truly satisfying for me personally. If you're near Myeongil Station and want a proper meal of crispy-outside, tender-inside meat done right, I highly recommend visiting Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam, a well-known jokbal specialist in Gangdong.