Weekend date jokbal in Myeongdong with anchovy rice balls: Miss Jokbal

Weekend Myeongdong date! I made it out to a somewhat different neighborhood for once haha. I usually hang around Magok, so being all the way in Myeongdong made me extra excited. Here's my review of Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch (미쓰족발 서울명동점), a Myeongdong jokbal spot packed with foreign visitors. Let's gooo!

Where is Miss Jokbal Myeongdong, and what are the hours and parking?

Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch is at 21 Myeongdong 3-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, and it's open from 11:00 until 03:00 the next morning. Naver Reservation is available.

• Address: 21 Myeongdong 3-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch)
• Hours: 11:00 to 03:00 the next day
• Naver Reservation available
• Parking: the Center Place parking lot near Euljiro 1-ga Station works (via Modu-ui Jucha); ₩5,000 for an all-day ticket if prepaid
• Dadong Park Public Parking Lot No. 4: about 15 minutes away, ₩2,400 per 30 minutes

First of all, the location is great! It's right in the heart of Myeongdong. If you're out in Myeongdong and can't decide where to eat, this is an easy one to search and walk into haha.

• Namdaemun Market: about 10 minutes by car
• Seoul City Hall: about 10 minutes by car
• N Seoul Tower on Namsan: about 10 to 15 minutes by car

It's near Myeongdong Cathedral and Euljiro 1-ga Station, so it fits nicely into a route of sightseeing, shopping and a meal!!

What are the seating and atmosphere like?

It seemed that parties of three or more get sent to the 2nd floor, while the ground floor is really only for two people. Here's the menu!

The inside was very spacious, and there were hardly any Koreans, just lots and lots of foreigners. The staff were all speaking foreign languages too, so the moment I walked in I wondered whether this was really Korea;; haha. If a jokbal place is this popular with foreigners, doesn't that feel kind of proven?! Even people not used to Korean food come here, so I figured the taste must be broadly good!

What did two people order, and how much was it?

At Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch, the two of us ordered half-and-half jokbal ₩49,000 + steamed egg ₩5,000 + anchovy rice balls ₩6,000. Take another look at the menu, everyone...

Half-and-half lets you enjoy two flavors at once, so that was an excellent choice haha. The menu has quite a lot of options and I agonized over it, but this is what I ended up with, and afterwards I was glad I'd ordered it all!

The free kimchi kalguksu and salad

Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch served kimchi kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) and salad as side dishes, and the kalguksu was nicely spicy and went really well with the jokbal! The kick of the broth cut through the richness of the meat, so alternating between them was the perfect combo.

The salad seemed to be given in place of ssam vegetables (leaves for wrapping), and there was plenty of it, enough to eat alongside the jokbal haha.

How to eat it, and the mala sauce

There's a guide on the table to eating it the tasty way, so have a look. Thanks to this kind of friendly guide, even first-timers can enjoy it without any trouble.

Mala sauce comes along too, but don't jokbal places usually not give that? haha lol. Honestly I think dipping in saeu-jeot (salted shrimp) or ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) is tastier than the mala sauce. The guide mentions corn paper at the climax, but I don't think that's served by default. Was it on the add-on menu..? I don't think I saw it, though..

How does the half-and-half jokbal taste? Is the spicy one very hot?

The half-and-half jokbal at Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch was tender, moist and delicious, and the spicy jokbal wasn't very hot. Finally, jokbal!! So good ㅠㅠ

Tough jokbal is a pain to eat, but this was boiled soft, so every single slice was satisfying haha. Ordering half-and-half meant alternating between two flavors, so I never got tired of it and enjoyed it to the end~~ The spicy one wasn't very hot either!! I figured this is the flavor that wins foreigners over and keeps them coming haha.

Are the steamed egg and anchovy rice balls worth adding?

The steamed egg (₩5,000) at Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch was perfect as a finisher: soft and savory, and a great balance with the jokbal. The anchovy rice balls (₩6,000) were easy to pick up one bite at a time, and the salty anchovy flavor was sneakily addictive haha.

Grabbing a rice ball every now and then between bites of jokbal left me nicely full~~~ I think there was also a menu with octopus, maybe the Emperor Jokbal (황제족발)?

Verdict: a jokbal meal on your Myeongdong sightseeing route

The conclusion~~ if you want to add a jokbal meal to your Myeongdong sightseeing route, I highly recommend Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch 😊 Great location, great jokbal quality, and ordering half-and-half meant two flavors at once, which made it even more satisfying~ Add kimchi kalguksu and steamed egg and it's a full spread that left us stuffed haha.

It's a great place to visit with foreign friends or family, and the location is perfect for when you're worn out from shopping in Myeongdong. I can confidently recommend it to foreigners trying Korean jokbal for the first time, or as a team-dinner spot near Euljiro 1-ga Station! I officially recognize it as a Myeongdong must-eat haha 😊