Songpa jokbal restaurant with free sundubu-jjigae: Narae Jokbal

Narae Jokbal on a rainy day in Songridan-gil

We happened to visit on a rainy day, so it was the perfect weather for jokbal, and Narae Jokbal had such a lovely atmosphere too. Jokbal and makgeolli on a rainy day is basically the rule..

Narae Jokbal is very close to Songpanaru Station and sits in the popular Songridan-gil area, so it is easy to get to. It is a generous restaurant where ordering jokbal comes with sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew) and makguksu (buckwheat noodles). They also run a receipt-review event, so you can have fish roe rice balls too—such a great-value Songridan-gil spot.

To me, the interior felt like a jokbal restaurant, but also like a great bar for a date. The lighting was nice, the tables and chairs were neat, and the whole interior looked pretty. I am expecting my second baby (a sudden pregnancy announcement..♥), so no alcohol for me for a while, but normally, a jokbal place with this kind of atmosphere would absolutely call for soju~~!!

Medium jokbal and the included side dishes

Here is the Narae Jokbal menu. A small jokbal is ₩35,000 and a medium is ₩40,000. The jokbal portion itself is very generous, and it comes with sundubu-jjigae and makguksu, so where else in Songridan-gil can you have such delicious jokbal and all those sides at this price? Only Narae Jokbal!! They even give you patbingsu (red bean shaved ice) for dessert. It is too good a value to keep to myself, so jokbal lovers have to go to Narae Jokbal haha.

Since the service here is already so good, we simply ordered the medium jokbal. The basic side dishes arrived right after we ordered: kimchi, wrap vegetables, carrots, and cucumber—everything a jokbal restaurant should have. There is a self-service bar too, so just help yourself to more if you run short! And for Songridan-gil, having high chairs like this makes it an easy place for families to visit as well.

Tender, odor-free jokbal and included makguksu

Then came this glossy, gleaming Narae Jokbal spread..♥ I have morning sickness these days, so I cannot eat jokbal at all if it has even a little odor. But the jokbal at Narae Jokbal had absolutely no unpleasant smell, was tender and delicious, and I finally ate my fill for the first time in ages ^0^

And this sundubu-jjigae..♥ It was wonderfully spicy and packed with soft tofu and egg—why was it so delicious? Narae Jokbal is not just good at jokbal; every side dish is tasty too. For the single ₩40,000 jokbal price, you get a full course of stew, makguksu, and patbingsu, so I am definitely coming back.

After the sundubu-jjigae, the dish that really won me over was the sweet-and-tangy makguksu, full of moisture! These were not clumped-up noodles; they were moist, in excellent condition, and proved with every bite that a place good at jokbal can make great makguksu too.

I always make sure to order makguksu at jokbal restaurants, so I loved that it came as a basic included item at my favorite jokbal place, Narae Jokbal.

Rather than eating jokbal alone, adding all these assorted side dishes makes it the kind of meal you keep inhaling without even realizing how full you are.

Fish roe rice balls from the review event

Even the fish roe rice balls from the review event were this high-quality~_~ I used to love jokbal with soju, and carbs were always essential for me. I could not drink that day, but the fish roe rice balls were still just as delicious—TMI!

Old-fashioned patbingsu, available on request

When you are nearly finished, ask a staff member for dessert and they bring out this old-fashioned patbingsu. It is so good too. One jokbal order comes with so much, and every staff member was kind—but most importantly, the jokbal and everything else tasted amazing. Narae Jokbal is a Songridan-gil spot I will remember as my lifetime favorite jokbal! We truly enjoyed it ^0^