Ex-staffer's jokbal size guide in Yeonsinnae, Seoul: Gwihanjokbal

A former part-timer returns to Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae

Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae (귀한족발 연신내점) is a jokbal place in Yeonsinnae where the writer worked part-time a few years ago, and this is the first visit in ages since quitting. But this place is basically my turf, so no lies here. Of course, it's a review where I paid my own money too~

I ate here so often back then, and eating it again after so long, it's still insanely good. A taste you know is delicious just makes you so happy T_T

Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae hours and location

Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae is open Mon-Thu 15:00-24:00, Fri-Sat 14:00-01:00 and Sunday 14:00-22:00. It's near the main road of Yeonsinnae Rodeo Street, and only 2-3 minutes on foot from Yeonsinnae Station, so it's super close to the station too.

Inside Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae: seating and group dinners

The inside goes back deeper than you'd expect, and there are 9 tables! As always, the seats along the two sides are more comfortable than the ones in the middle, so the sides fill up first... ^^

It's also a great group drinking spot in Yeonsinnae. When I worked here, so many people came after hiking and so many came for group get-togethers that I was crying tears (of exhaustion).

What to order at Gwihanjokbal

The menu at Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae covers bossam (boiled pork wraps), jokbal, charcoal-grilled jokbal, fire jokbal (spicy jokbal) and cold-plate jokbal (naengchae jokbal). The only one I haven't tried is the Gwijokbaeng, which didn't exist back then? I really worked my way through the whole menu ^_^

The bossam and jokbal are delicious of course, but the fire jokbal and charcoal jokbal are sneakily the real kick!!!! The fire jokbal is definitely spicy, but it has a savory depth that keeps pulling you back~ The charcoal jokbal is the same meat as the fire jokbal, but grilled over charcoal and seasoned with pepper salt! The subtle charcoal aroma is the charm.

• Gwihan Jokbal (large) - ₩45,000
• Makguksu (buckwheat noodles) - ₩8,000
• Soju - ₩5,000
• Beer - ₩5,000

After raving about the fire jokbal and charcoal jokbal, I ordered plain jokbal. Well, plain jokbal is the original, after all haha

A spicy bean sprout soup for every person

At Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae, each person gets their own bean sprout soup. When I worked here, I once crawled in after heavy drinking the night before, and the first thing I had on arrival was this soup ^_^ hahahaha It's properly spicy and the broth itself is so good that you end up having several bowls.

The whole wooden tray set

What's special about Gwihanjokbal in Yeonsinnae is that it comes as one full spread?! They put an entire wooden tray on the customer's table, so when the food arrives you go "wow~" and the satisfaction naturally goes up.

Gwihanjokbal sizes: small, medium, large and extra-large

The easiest way to tell Gwihanjokbal's sizes apart is by the number of strips of meat with skin attached. Your former part-timer will explain haha

• Small: one strip of meat with skin
• Medium: one strip of meat with skin + one strip without skin
• Large: two strips of meat with skin, as in the photo
• Extra-large: three strips of meat with skin

Who would ever figure out this size difference... It's an insider tip only a former part-timer can share, so everyone remember it~~~

Wrap vegetables and kimchi in the Gwihanjokbal set

The Gwihanjokbal set comes with perilla leaves and lettuce, cucumber and carrot, garlic, ssamjang (wrap sauce), chojang (vinegar chili sauce), saeujeot (salted shrimp), plus napa cabbage kimchi, white kimchi and radish kimchi. It looks good, and since the sauces are lined up in two rows, one on each side, it's really easy to eat.

Personally I like less-sweet napa cabbage kimchi, and it was my first time seeing the white kimchi, which wasn't just sweet but had a definite tangy kick too, so it was delicious!

Jokbal with somaek, and lighting that suits drinking

Somaek (soju mixed with beer) after work, seriously... and somaek with Gwihanjokbal in Yeonsinnae, how do you resist... The lighting in Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae is neither too bright nor too dark, so the mood is just right for drinking T_T

How does the jokbal at Gwihanjokbal taste?

Gwihanjokbal is good even without kimchi, just with a piece of garlic dipped in ssamjang on top of the jokbal. The jokbal itself isn't too salty, and the herbal medicine scent typical of jokbal isn't too strong either! It feels like the textbook example of clean, tasty jokbal?

Is the makguksu at Gwihanjokbal a must-order?

The makguksu (₩8,000) at Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae is ⭐️not optional but a must⭐️ when you eat jokbal. And how good it is... When I worked here, I ate so much jokbal that I'd get sick of it and eat it less often, but this makguksu never got old and I kept eating it steadily T_T

Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae in Eunpyeong makes this makguksu really well. The sauce isn't too intense, yet it clings to your tongue...

The kick is that they pour on loads of the makguksu sauce, and the noodles are super soft while the seasoning is amazing. Does headquarters only hire Seoul National University grads?... Someone far from ordinary clearly made this sauce T_T

Why a former part-timer recommends Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae

For Eunpyeong jokbal, the delicious jokbal in Yeonsinnae is Gwihanjokbal, you know... Jokbal loses its appeal if the herbal flavor is strong, and also if it's too sweet, but Gwihanjokbal Yeonsinnae is just right in every way with no lean either way, which makes it tasty. The set looks great too, and it gives a clean impression, which is nice?

This is the pick of a former part-timer who has eaten a good 100 kilos of Gwihanjokbal alone, so go with confidence ^_^