Myeongdong Korean restaurant lunch with mala jokbal: Miss Jokbal

While looking up somewhere to eat in Myeongdong beforehand, I got curious about the menu called “Emperor Jokbal” at Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch. There are plenty of jokbal restaurants, but the name alone was anything but ordinary, so I wanted to see for myself how it would be served.

So I stopped by Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch at around 11:30 this morning, and even though lunchtime was only just beginning, quite a few people were already eating. I found myself wondering why there were so many customers so early. 😄😄

200% revisit

Easy to find near KEPCO’s Seoul Headquarters

Since it is in Myeongdong, I worried it might be hard to find, so I followed KakaoMap. Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch is near KEPCO’s Seoul Headquarters, which made it easy to get my bearings. Even in the Myeongdong alleyways, the large sign and menu board out front made it easy for someone directionally challenged like me to find on a first visit.

From jokbal to a variety of lunch set meals

As I ate the jokbal, I kept thinking, “Wow, this is really well braised.” But looking back at the photos while writing this post, I noticed the sign saying “a jokbal specialist with 30 years of tradition.” That texture clearly did not happen by accident. I guess the experience of a place that has handled jokbal for so long really is different. 👍👍👍

Their signature Emperor Jokbal was ₩58,000, while Emperor Jokbo, which lets you try both jokbal and bossam (boiled pork slices), was ₩66,000.

They also had a separate selection of lunch set meals. I saw what other diners were having, and they came out neatly and beautifully arranged.

Complimentary kimchi kalguksu

Kimchi kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) came as a complimentary dish. The portion was generous enough that it hardly felt like a freebie, and having the noodles alongside the jokbal made the meal feel much more substantial.

A platter piled high with Emperor Jokbal

Jokbal that was even better because it was not overly sweet

The first thing I noticed when the Emperor Jokbal arrived was the glossy jokbal surrounded by shrimp, salad, japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), tofu, kimchi, vegetables, and several other accompaniments, all on one platter. It was quite a generous spread with the jokbal. The Emperor Jokbal seemed like a good amount for three people.

The jokbal would have been good on its own, but with vegetables and seafood on the platter too, the table looked far more colorful. I usually cannot eat many pieces when I have jokbal alone, but eating it with the other accompaniments kept it from feeling greasy, which I loved.

Three sauces to suit your taste

The jokbal came with mala sauce, salted fermented shrimp, and ssamjang sauce. The mala sauce had a fragrant spice aroma and a lightly numbing kick, making it a fun new way to eat jokbal, while the salted shrimp went especially well with the clean-tasting lean meat.

Bossam kimchi that brought out the jokbal

Kimchi matters with jokbal or bossam, right? Especially with the skin-on jokbal, its chewy texture paired so well with the bossam kimchi. It was neither too salty nor too sweet, with just the right savory depth—I honestly wanted to buy some bossam kimchi to take home.

There was a reason it stayed busy even in restaurant-filled Myeongdong

What satisfied me most about the Emperor Jokbal was, of course, the jokbal itself. 👍👍 Having tried it, I could tell it was braised wonderfully: very chewy yet tender, with no off smell. With all the accompaniments and the kimchi kalguksu included in the Emperor Jokbal meal, it was a hearty spread. It made me think that even in Myeongdong, where there are so many restaurants, there is a reason customers keep coming back here.