Gwanggyo jokbal spot: meaty fire jokbal & radish kimchi, Cheongdam

Want your jokbal mild but can't give up the spicy kick? I can't resist this combo!

Torn between jokbal and fire jokbal? Why I chose the set menu

I picked Set Menu 2 at Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch (청담족발 광교상현점) because I wanted mild jokbal and spicy fire jokbal in one go. You know the dilemma every time you visit a jokbal place, right? Plain jokbal, or spicy fire jokbal? I wanted the mild one and the spicy one, and choosing just one felt like a loss, but ordering both separately is too much food. So this time I ordered the set menu that lets you enjoy both flavors at once.

It's right near Sanghyeon Station! What we ate was Set Menu 2, tender jokbal and flame-grilled fire jokbal, medium size, ₩50,000. The short version: it was fun alternating between the mild jokbal and the spicy fire jokbal! The meat was tender with no gamey smell, and the skin was chewy. The fire jokbal had plenty of meat on it too, so there was a lot to eat. Let me go through it one by one.

What kind of place is Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch?

Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch is a good jokbal restaurant to visit when you want jokbal near Sanghyeon Station and Gwanggyo. According to the restaurant's introduction, it uses domestic fresh pig's trotters, boiled in the shop every day and sold the same day. It also has a varied menu, from warm jokbal to bossam (boiled pork wraps), fire jokbal and garlic jokbal, so you can choose by taste.

Parking and operating info near Sanghyeon Station

If you drive, you can use the building's basement parking, and I hear it gives 2 hours of free parking. What I liked most was the access and parking! Being near Sanghyeon Station and Gwanggyo, it's also a decent spot for meeting up.

• Address: 1F, 10 Gwanggyojungang-ro 296beon-gil, Suji-gu, Yongin
• Parking: building basement, 2 hours free
• Operation: no break time
• Hall perk: makguksu included with jokbal or bossam orders
• Takeout perk: ₩5,000 off takeout orders

If parking stresses you out, you're exhausted before you even eat, right? This is definitely a convenient plus. And with no break time, it should be easy to visit even when your mealtime is a bit awkward. Please check the exact hours and last order before you go.

Is the restaurant spacious? Is there an outdoor terrace?

The inside of Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch is roomier than I expected, and there's also an outdoor terrace for nice-weather days. It's good for a casual meal for two, but it also looked fine for bigger groups. It's worth considering for a family meal, a get-together with friends or a company dinner. And on a nice day, enjoying jokbal on the terrace seemed appealing.

A cool breeze, a bite of jokbal, then spicy fire jokbal! Doesn't a day like that make everything taste better than usual? 😆 If you're looking for somewhere near Sanghyeon Station with easy parking where a group can eat together, have a look at the atmosphere too.

What's in Set Menu 2, and how much is it?

Set Menu 2 at Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch comes with tender jokbal and fire jokbal together, and we had the medium size for ₩50,000.

• Menu: tender jokbal + fire jokbal
• Size: medium
• Price: ₩50,000

The good thing is that you don't have to pick between two dishes: you get both mild and spicy flavors at one table.

It also seemed like a good setup when someone who loves spicy food eats with someone who prefers mild. One side gentle, one side fiery! For people whose tastes swing back and forth, it's a pretty welcome combo.

Is the tender jokbal free of gamey smell?

The tender jokbal at Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch had no gamey smell, the lean meat was soft and the skin was chewy. With jokbal, if there's that characteristic smell, it's a letdown no matter how well the seasoning has soaked in, but here there was none, so I enjoyed it. Some people care about the skin texture as much as the meat, right? Eating soft meat and bouncy skin together, I liked feeling the difference in texture.

And with jokbal, side dishes matter, of course! The kimchi and radish kimchi that came with it were tasty and went well with the jokbal. A bite of meat with kimchi adds a crunchy texture and savory seasoning, which is a different charm from eating the meat alone. If you like mild jokbal, I'd recommend eating it with kimchi like this.

Does the fire jokbal have enough meat?

The fire jokbal here had plenty of meat on it, so there was a lot to eat. After the mild jokbal, it was the fire jokbal's turn! It's the same jokbal, but with spicy seasoning the mood changes completely. Fire jokbal can disappoint when the seasoning is strong but there's little meat to eat, and here there was no such letdown. The spiciness stimulates your appetite, so you go from mild jokbal to fire jokbal and then right back to the mild one.

Do you have to order makguksu separately?

I hear that if you order jokbal or bossam in the hall, Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch gives you makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles) by default. Jokbal feels incomplete without bibim makguksu (spicy mixed noodles), right? 😆 Adding the sweet and tangy noodles made it easy to alternate with the spicy fire jokbal and the mild jokbal. The chewy noodles with the sauce, eaten with a bite of meat, are just the right pairing! When you've been eating spicy fire jokbal, switching to noodles resets your palate and makes you crave meat again, like magic.

If you're planning a visit, note that makguksu is included with hall orders!

My kid ate it so well, and tucked into a wrap it's a total treat 👍

Want it spicier? Add Buldak sauce

Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch serves Buldak (fire chicken) sauce separately, so you can add heat to your taste. Hold your spice-tolerance pride for a moment! The regular fire jokbal is already pleasantly spicy, but adding the Buldak sauce turns the heat up further. That's welcome news for spice lovers. But if you pour in a lot of sauce from the start, it can get hotter than expected, so I recommend adding it little by little.

It would be a shame to show off your spice tolerance and end up drinking more water than eating jokbal, right? 😂 If you like alternating mild and spicy like me, eating the plain jokbal and then adding sauce to the fire jokbal is a good approach too.

How was the jokbal with kimchi and radish kimchi?

The kimchi and radish kimchi served at Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch went well with the jokbal and satisfied me. You'd think that if the jokbal is good, that's all that matters, but the kimchi you eat with it matters more than you'd expect. Kimchi with chewy jokbal adds a crunchy texture, and with spicy fire jokbal it blends with the seasoning for a richer taste. Eating only mild jokbal can get a bit monotonous, but alternating fire jokbal and kimchi let me enjoy it to the end. In the end, how you combine things matters with this kind of dish.

Our family's jokbal feast

I stuffed my mouth full with a wrap and love just welled up!

One bite for you, one bite for me! So good, right?

I made a wrap for my husband too, who was busy gaming~

Wrapping in face-sized perilla leaves, alternating makguksu and jokbal, before you know it only the bones are left.. *sob*

Who I'd recommend Set Menu 2 at Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch to

What I liked most about Set Menu 2 at Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch was being able to enjoy mild jokbal and spicy fire jokbal together. The meat was tender with no gamey smell, and the skin was chewy. The fire jokbal had plenty of meat so there was a lot to eat, and I liked that Buldak sauce can add more heat. It's especially worth a look if you're one of these people.

• Anyone who wants mild jokbal and spicy fire jokbal at once
• Anyone who likes chewy skin
• Anyone looking for a family dinner spot near Sanghyeon Station or Gwanggyo
• Anyone looking for a jokbal place with easy parking
• Anyone who needs a place for a group, like a company dinner or friends' get-together

On a day you crave jokbal near Sanghyeon Station and can't decide between mild and spicy, take a look at the set menu that lets you enjoy both. We had fun alternating tender jokbal and fire jokbal, and adding kimchi made it even better. Cheongdam Jokbal Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Branch also seems nice for a relaxed meal on the terrace on a sunny day! If jokbal is on your mind for tonight's dinner, give it a look. 😊