Songpa Korean restaurant for late-night jokbal: Narae Jokbal

I recently visited the newly opened Narae Jokbal Songpa Direct Branch.

I went because I was craving jokbal (braised pig's trotters), and since it was a newly opened place, everything was so clean and pleasant overall. I loved that.

The building was really pretty, and the interior was genuinely nice. When I first saw the exterior, it did not look like a jokbal and bossam restaurant at all, so I actually peeked around wondering if this was the right place before going in.

It stood out because it looked neat even from outside, and other people walking by were looking at it before heading in too. The interior was more spacious than I expected.

There were lots of group tables, so it looked great for eating with several people. It seemed like a good choice for family meals, gatherings with friends, or company dinners too.

A small jokbal set with makgeolli

I ordered the small jokbal set and makgeolli (Korean rice wine).

Even though it was the smallest size, the included items were much more generous than I expected, so I had a really filling meal.

Sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew) and makguksu (buckwheat noodles) came as standard service, and they even gave us patbingsu (shaved ice with sweet red beans) for dessert. The small jokbal portion was larger than I expected, too.

It seemed like just the right amount for two people. Having hot sundubu-jjigae with the jokbal made the meal much more filling, and adding the makguksu made the whole spread feel truly generous.

Thanks to the packed service, it felt like excellent value, and everyone was so kind that it made for a lovely late-night meal.

Delicious jokbal with no off smell

The jokbal was so tasty: tender and pleasantly chewy, with none of that off smell.

I can only eat a few pieces when jokbal has an unpleasant smell, but this one had none, so I could enjoy it comfortably. The lean meat was tender and the skin was chewy, and they went so well together. I also really liked the selection of side dishes. The ssammu, pickled radish wraps, was especially delicious, so I got a refill.

I did not realize there was a self-service bar, but you could simply help yourself there without having to ask separately.

The meat was tasty and moist, so I had a glass of makgeolli too. It was honestly the perfect drinking snack.

To keep the meat from becoming too rich, I had bites of tangy makguksu and spicy sundubu-jjigae in between, and the drinks and food went down so easily.

Even patbingsu service for dessert

After properly finishing off the complimentary patbingsu for dessert, my mouth felt totally refreshed, and I even felt like I was sobering up a little.

The price was not higher than other jokbal places, but the spread was truly generous and there were so many included items.

A spacious, pleasant restaurant with kind staff

As you would expect from a newly opened restaurant, the entire space was extremely clean and comfortable, which made me very satisfied.

The restaurant was spacious and had many group tables, so there were quite a lot of customers ranging from solo diners and pairs to larger groups. The staff were kind too, so I could eat comfortably throughout.

At Narae Jokbal Songpa Direct Branch, I could enjoy delicious jokbal along with generous service dishes and dessert. If you want odor-free jokbal in a clean, spacious restaurant, definitely pay it a visit. When you order jokbal, sundubu-jjigae and makguksu are included, followed by patbingsu for dessert, so you can enjoy a truly hearty meal.

There were lots of customers getting takeout, and delivery drivers were constantly coming and going, so it was clearly a popular local restaurant. If you have not been yet, definitely give it a try!