Rainy-day jokbal and cheese potato pancake in Myeongdong: Miss Jokbal

Why I went back to Miss Jokbal near Euljiro 1-ga Station on a rainy evening

This Euljiro 1-ga dinner spot, Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch, surprised me twice. I'd been once before and loved it, so I went again!! It's in Myeongdong.

Do you go to Myeongdong often? I worked there for about 3 to 4 years and live nearby, so I come here a lot. It's a Seoul landmark with so many hot, varied restaurants. But you know that feeling, when you get there and can't decide where to go? This is a good place for exactly that. If you like jokbal, Miss Jokbal is a must-visit.

I remembered enjoying it the first time, so I came back. A real great restaurant isn't one you visit once and forget, it's one you return to when it crosses your mind. For me, Miss Jokbal is exactly that.

Since it's in Myeongdong, it's good for dinner after shopping or an outing, and fine for going with coworkers or friends too.

30-year jokbal tradition, boiled and sliced right at the entrance

They say Miss Jokbal is a master of jokbal with 30 years of tradition. Yes, I get it. A place that's popular and loved for so long has its reasons.

Right at the entrance you can see where the jokbal is boiled and where it's sliced. The staff work in sync, and everything runs smoothly.

It's cooked the same day and vacuum-packed hygienically, so you can imagine how good it is. Bouncy, juicy, bursting with flavor, you really feel those words. This is Miss Jokbal, a great dinner near Euljiro 1-ga Station.

First, I start with one piece. It's so good I can't just... haha.

Can't decide where to eat in Myeongdong?

I used to work in Myeongdong for 3 to 4 years, and it's fairly close to my home, so I still drop by now and then. Myeongdong is one of Seoul's signature tourist spots and landmarks, and it always feels lively. There's plenty of shopping, cafés, restaurants and things to see, so people come on weekdays and weekends alike.

But once you arrive, this worry kicks in.

“Where should we eat today?”

There are so many restaurants that the choice itself makes it hard to decide. Especially when you're with several people, deciding the menu is where the worrying begins. You might want Korean food, something filling, and a nice dinner mood too. Miss Jokbal was a good place for that.

It's worth a visit if you like jokbal, and I think it suits anyone looking for a hearty dinner in Myeongdong.

What to order at Miss Jokbal: Emperor Jokbal, steamed egg, rice balls and cheese potato pancake

We ordered Emperor Jokbal, steamed egg, rice balls and cheese potato pancake.

Free kimchi jjigae kalguksu before the jokbal arrives

Miss Jokbal gives kimchi jjigae kalguksu (knife-cut noodles in kimchi stew) as a free side. Boil it up before the jokbal comes out and it's just superb.

Spicy, refreshing, with chewy bouncy noodles. I missed this taste, so here I am again! It rained again that day, and when it rains, everything tastes good!

You can see the order to eat things in, like this haha.

What is the atmosphere like at Miss Jokbal Myeongdong?

I'd been once and remembered enjoying it, so I came back. Even if you like a restaurant the first time, you often don't return, so going again means I was quite satisfied.

After a while, Miss Jokbal still felt comfortable for a meal. Jokbal tastes better when several people sit around it rather than eating alone. With a generous spread in the middle and chatting, mealtime flies by. Unless someone really dislikes it, jokbal is a fairly safe pick when choosing a dinner spot, which I think is one of its strengths.

It's an easy choice for office workers near Euljiro 1-ga Station looking for a team dinner, friends' gathering or family meal.

Emperor Jokbal spread with a variety of sides

Emperor Jokbal, a real feast. Miss Jokbal's jokbal is tasty, and I like the variety of sides to go with it.

Haha, when it rains, I've got to eat a pancake. Nutty and chewy. Jokbal, potato pancake, rice balls, kimchi kalguksu, I couldn't ask for more haha.

How does Miss Jokbal's jokbal taste? Tender yet chewy

With jokbal, the texture of the meat matters most. Too tough is hard to eat, and too soft lacks that chewy charm. Miss Jokbal gives you both softness and chew, which I liked.

The gamey smell wasn't strong, so it wasn't heavy, and I kept reaching for more. It's good plain, and with the accompaniments you get a different taste. Eating a piece, adding a side, then wrapping it in a leaf, the flavor shifts depending on how you eat it, so it never got boring.

For dinner especially, I like something filling that several people can share. In that sense, Miss Jokbal was a good Myeongdong dinner choice.

Maybe because I was hungry, I was surprised once when the food came out and again when I tasted it. My memory of enjoying it before wasn't for nothing.

Crispy cheese potato pancake and jokbal eaten several ways

Can you feel the crunch in the photo? haha. It's a real potato pancake. Another charm of Miss Jokbal, and of jokbal in general, is that you can enjoy it in different ways.

Just the jokbal is nutty and chewy, but wrapped with vegetables it gets much fresher. Eating the accompaniments in between revived my appetite, so I enjoyed it to the very end.

When you come with several people, you each make your favorite combination and naturally chat. So a jokbal restaurant feels less like a place just to eat and more like a space for comfortable conversation.

Above all, seeing the table full makes it feel like a proper dinner. Some days you just grab a quick meal, but other days you want to sit with good food and take your time, right? This was a good Euljiro 1-ga dinner spot for those days.

An easy stop to fit into a Myeongdong day

I also liked that Miss Jokbal is in Myeongdong, which makes it easy to plan around other things. It's good for dinner after shopping or a café visit, and handy when you have plans near Euljiro 1-ga Station.

It's in central Seoul, so people coming from different areas often pick Myeongdong as a meeting spot. There's plenty to see and do before and after a meal. Myeongdong draws foreign tourists, people out for a Seoul day trip and nearby office workers, so it always feels lively.

That makes choosing a restaurant important. Rather than going in on atmosphere alone because it's a tourist area, I think it's more satisfying to remember a place you really enjoyed and return to it.