Jokbal restaurant in Suwan, Gwangju: old-style king jokbal, Kkankkan

Where is Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch, and is there parking?

Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch (깐깐한족발 수완점) sits on the main street side of the Suwan food alley in Gwangju, so it's easy to spot and find. There's also a row of street parking spaces right in front, so driving here isn't much of a worry 🙌

I went for jokbal after a long while 🍖 It's one of those places that pops into my head whenever I'm craving bossam or jokbal in Suwan 😄 This time I skipped my usual and took on the old-style king jokbal, and I ordered it wondering what it would taste like 🤤

What are the interior and seating like at Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch?

The inside is very spacious. At the back there are tables that work for either floor or chair seating, and most of the other seats are chairs, which I liked. The tables are well spaced and the place is big, so it looks great for a family meal, a group gathering, a company dinner, or drinks with friends. 🍻✨

There's a large screen, so it's perfect for watching baseball. Lots of tables were full the day we visited too. I guess plenty of people come looking for jokbal in Suwan, haha

Kiosk ordering and the Naver receipt review event

You order easily at a kiosk. There are also new menu items, the level 2 Hotter Jokbal and the level 3 Insanely Spicy Jokbal, so it looks like a good place to blow off stress with spicy food and a drink, haha

They were also running a Naver receipt review event. Write a review via the QR code and show it to the staff, and you get a free mini spicy bossam, so keep that in mind 😊

What's on the menu at Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch?

The menu is built around jokbal and bossam (boiled pork wraps) 🐽 You can have jokbal in several styles, from charcoal-grilled and fire-grilled spicy to old-style king jokbal and Goheung raw garlic jokbal. Bossam comes in a similar lineup, including Goheung raw garlic bossam, charcoal-grilled bossam and fire-grilled spicy bossam 👍

• Jokbal: charcoal-grilled, fire-grilled spicy, old-style king, Goheung raw garlic, plus new level 2 Hotter and level 3 Insanely Spicy
• Bossam: Goheung raw garlic, charcoal-grilled, fire-grilled spicy
• Half jokbal, half bossam menu
• Sides: steamed egg (standard), flying fish roe rice ball, spicy makguksu (buckwheat noodles), cold noodle soup (mul-naengmyeon)
• Highballs: mini lemon, blue highball, 1L bulk-up option
• Limited menu: Sammi Bossam (gabrisal, hangjeongsal, pork belly)

There's a half-and-half menu too, so it's good for sharing several flavors when you come in a group. For sides there's the standard steamed egg, plus flying fish roe rice balls, spicy makguksu and cold noodle soup, haha

They have highballs too, so it's good for drinks. From the mini lemon and blue highball up to the 1L bulk-up option, they're light and sweet, perfect when you want something simple and tasty 🍋🍸

There's also a limited menu, Sammi Bossam, made of the trendy special cuts gabrisal, hangjeongsal and pork belly. Sadly it was sold out that day ㅠㅠ It must be popular ☺️

What side dishes and wrap vegetables come with the jokbal?

The side dishes are solid: salted shrimp, chili-vinegar sauce, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), sliced garlic, dried radish strips, ssam-mu (pickled radish wraps) and a sesame-dressing salad, all neatly served. Lettuce, perilla leaves and chili peppers come in generous amounts, so there's no shortage for wrapping jokbal or bossam.

The salad was great as a palate cleanser before the meal, and the wrap vegetables were cleanly washed and fresh, which I liked. The dried radish strips had a properly chewy yet crunchy texture, a must with jokbal or bossam, haha

Free sundubu jjigae with a raw egg

I liked that a spicy sundubu stew (soft tofu stew) came as a free service. They set it on a gas burner, so you can keep it boiling hot however you like. It works as a drinking snack and as a soup to sip between bites.

They also bring a raw egg separately, so you can stir it into the stew or leave it to cook whole, as you like. Having that spicy broth too made the meal even more filling, haha

What does Kkankkan Jjokbal's old-style king jokbal taste like?

The old-style king jokbal was well braised to a deep brown, exactly like the classic jokbal of the old days. Kkankkan Jjokbal is so famous for its charcoal-grilled menu that it's one of the first things I think of too, but today I ordered the "old-style king jokbal" for a change 💥

And wow..;; the look of it was seriously something, lol. You could tell at a glance it was chewy, king-sized jokbal, and I just wanted a piece right away 🤤

Wow.. isn't it something up close? The dark brown color and springy skin are textbook old-style king jokbal. It also came out much faster than I expected, which was nice. The shine and bounce of the skin come right through the photo.. 📸 The chewy skin comes with a good amount of mild lean meat, so the ratio is just right, true old-style king jokbal 👏

Picking through the different jokbal cuts

The old-style king jokbal has everything from parts with just mild lean meat to parts with thick, springy skin, so picking cuts to your taste was quite fun 🐖 The lean meat was clean, mild and hearty, and the parts with skin and fat were soft yet chewy, so good I kept reaching for more, haha 🍖

I thought the old-style king jokbal at Kkankkan Jjokbal is a really good menu item too. If you've only ever had the charcoal-grilled jokbal, give the old-style king jokbal a try this time 🤤

Steamed egg, lettuce wraps and sundubu jjigae with jokbal

The springy, milky-white steamed egg also comes free, and it's lovely alongside, soft and gentle, haha. I picked a bouncy piece of jokbal and put it on ssam-mu, or put dried radish strips, salted shrimp and ssamjang on fresh wrap vegetables and ate it in one bite, and the combination was really good. It's great for a light drink with friends after work or a hearty weekend family meal. Isn't this what real comfort looks like, haha 🍀

The spicy sundubu stew had soft tofu, enoki mushrooms and an egg in the middle, which made it good to eat together. A spoonful of the hot broth felt like it melted the chill from my body on a cool day, haha. Come to Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch for tasty jokbal and hot sundubu stew, and enjoy a comforting meal with good people 👐🙌

Who is Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch good for?

Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch has a wide range of jokbal and bossam, so it's easy to pick to your taste. The old-style king jokbal had mild lean meat and springy skin spread evenly, so choosing by cut was fun, and the free steamed egg and spicy sundubu stew made the meal feel even more filling. It suits family meals, drinks, friend gatherings and company dinners, so if you're looking for tasty jokbal or bossam in Suwan, how about Kkankkan Jjokbal?