Jokbal restaurant in Daejeon with bossam and rice balls: Jokbo

A Wolpyeong-dong jokbal restaurant tucked into an alley

Storefront

When I first arrived in front of the restaurant, it had the unmistakable presence of a genuinely great neighborhood spot that has quietly held down this alley for years. The sign is so visible from afar that it naturally drew me right in, haha.

Where should you park?

There is no separate parking lot, but the area around the restaurant has white solid-line parking spaces, so I recommend parking nearby, or parking at Traders and doing some shopping afterward! I parked at Traders myself before eating.

A clean, spacious interior

The interior was clean, pleasant, and clearly well maintained, so I loved the first impression. The tables were nicely spaced and there were plenty of seats, making it a good place for drinks with friends or a Wolpyeong-dong work dinner. Even though it was still early evening, lots of neighborhood regulars had already settled in and were tearing into the meat.

Ordering the small Jokbo Set and Jumeok Jokbap

Menu and what I ordered

There are many main dishes to choose from, including jokbal (braised pig's trotters), bossam (boiled pork wraps), cold jokbal salad, oyster-seasoned bossam, jokbaengi, and spicy jokbal, plus a whole lineup of sides—so order to your taste.

• Jokbo Set (small)
• Jumeok Jokbap

Alcohol and drinks are self-service. Terra, Kelly, and Terra Light were on promotion, so keep that in mind.

Side dishes that pair perfectly with the meat

We contacted them ahead of time before visiting, so the table was already partly set. Every single side dish was a perfect match for the meat.

There were wrap vegetables, refreshing bean sprout soup, bossam kimchi, seasoned dried radish strips, a special sauce, pickled onions, and...

They even serve beondegi (silkworm pupae) as a side, haha. I am a huge beondegi lover, so I was truly happy.

Before the jokbal and bossam arrived, I had some bean sprout soup to cleanse my palate. Wow... this is a flavor that keeps coming back to me, lol. It is lightly seasoned, but I just kept going back for more.

Restroom and Wi-Fi information

The restroom and Wi-Fi password information is shown in the photos.

The Jokbo Set loaded with warm jokbal and bossam

Jokbo Set, small

Even though this size has the friendly menu name “small guy,” the table was packed with food. The moment I saw it, I immediately understood why people call this a jokbal mecca and a great restaurant in Wolpyeong-dong, haha.

It was glistening so beautifully that just looking at it made my mouth water. With the warm jokbal, the chewy skin and tender meat wrapped around my mouth from the very first bite. There was no unpleasant odor, and the subtle herbal aroma and sweet-savory seasoning had soaked all the way through, making every chew deeply savory.

The bossam was full of moisture and sliced thinly to an easy-to-eat thickness, with an incredibly tender texture. The fat-to-lean ratio was fantastic, so it practically melted in my mouth. Add a heap of the dried radish strips from the sides, and this is absolute deliciousness!!!

Jumeok Jokbap with jokbal topping

It would be a shame to leave out carbs when eating jokbal, right? This is not just ordinary rice balls—it is rice balls with jokbal in them, no less, haha.

A whole aluminum pot was filled with rice, seaweed flakes, savory flying-fish roe, and plenty of chewy diced jokbal meat. Put on the plastic gloves, shape it into round balls, and eat it alongside the jokbal and bossam for an extra-filling meal.

The popping flying-fish roe and chewy meat came together beautifully—it was a true special treat among special treats.

A generous feast near Wolpyeong Station

Jokbo in Seo-gu, Daejeon is close to Wolpyeong Station, making it a great restaurant with easy access as well. If you are looking for jokbal near Wolpyeong Station, I recommend it.