Myeongdong Korean restaurant for jokbal after shopping: Miss Jokbal

A hearty Korean meal after shopping in Myeongdong with Mom

Not long ago, I had a Myeongdong date with Mom for the first time in ages 😆 There were seriously so many people on the streets of Myeongdong lately~ Especially international tourists—it felt like the neighborhood had gotten its old buzz back?! After making the rounds at Shinsegae and Lotte Department Store and shopping away, we were starving, so I went on a frantic search for somewhere substantial to eat haha. I didn't want somewhere that was only famous; since I was taking Mom, I wanted a place that was genuinely delicious! That's how we found Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch (미쓰족발 서울명동점), a Myeongdong favorite that is apparently hot with international visitors too. Hehe.

It's open late, so it's perfect for a late-night meal too! Sadly, parking isn't available ㅠㅠ I recommend using a nearby public parking lot or public transit!

The spacious, comfortable dining room

When we went in, it was much more spacious and comfortable than I expected. There were lots of couples out on dates, as well as plenty of people having family meals with their moms like I was. Since it's clearly a popular Myeongdong restaurant, there were really lots of international guests too!!

What comes with the Emperor Jokbal set?

As soon as we sat down, we looked over the whole menu~ We ordered the Emperor Jokbal, the house specialty!! Ordering several individual dishes can make it awkward to judge the right amount, but this was such a great set because it made a complete meal all on its own. It's really hard to find a set with this kind of value right in the middle of Myeongdong—the lineup for the price is totally amazing 💸

After we ordered, they set out the kimchi kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) to have alongside it~

We didn't order any of this separately—it all comes as part of the basic set 😲

This kimchi kalguksu... is seriously magical. Once it bubbles away and you slurp up a spoonful of broth, you feel instantly soothed!! You know how a warm spoonful of soup goes down endlessly when the meat starts to feel a little heavy in your throat, right? So darn good 🍜

An Emperor Jokbal feast loaded with sides

Finally, the main star, Emperor Jokbal, arrived!!! 🎉 True to its name, the array of side dishes was absolutely enormous!! Rather than just a big plate of jokbal (braised pig's trotters), the table came completely loaded with muk-muchim (seasoned acorn jelly), angel-hair mayo salad, napa cabbage kimchi, radish kimchi, yeolmu kimchi, wrap vegetables, shrimp salad, pickles, and tofu kimchi 😲

For the basic sauces, they brought salted shrimp, ssamjang (savory dipping paste), and a spicy sauce.

Miss Jokbal Myeongdong Branch boils its jokbal fresh every day, in batches of three to as many as five times!! That means the quality and texture stay consistently perfect whenever you visit 👏

The meat had absolutely no off smell, while the skin was springy and chewy~ and the meat inside was so tender it melted in my mouth 💛

Wrapping the tender meat with angel-hair mayo salad and extra radish kimchi was honestly a heavenly bite, no question. Hehe 🍖

The refreshing shrimp salad really woke up my appetite, and the muk-muchim and tofu kimchi were such good quality that they felt like separately ordered drinking snacks haha.

Picking at the yeolmu kimchi and pickles between bites freshened up my mouth, so we could eat until we were stuffed without getting tired of it, even without ordering a ton of extra dishes!!

Isn't that glossy, glistening look just insane? ㅠㅠ Looking at the photos makes me want to eat it again... drool.

A Myeongdong jokbal spot where you can focus on the meal

Mom was so happy too, saying it had been a while since she'd had jokbal with such a generous, well-put-together spread!! 💯 I left happily patting my very full belly too >< It didn't have that atmosphere where you feel forced to order alcohol; you can focus squarely on the meal itself, so it didn't feel intimidating at all as a place to eat!

• Anyone looking for a hearty Korean meal nearby after shopping at Lotte or Shinsegae
• Myeongdong late-night-food lovers craving a generous meat meal when hunger strikes
• Anyone seeking a complete table spread without having to order lots of different things
• Anyone who wants to show an international friend the real taste of Korea