Jokbal set with bibim makguksu in Wolgye-dong, Gwangju: Kkankkanhan

I'm a real jokbal maniac! You've got to eat jokbal (braised pig's trotters) regularly, haha. It'd been a while, so I visited Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch, a well-known spot in Wolgye-dong.

Where is Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch in Gwangju?

Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch is a jokbal restaurant near Cheomdan, Wolgye-dong, in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. I didn't even know the main branch of Kkanjok was in Gwangju, haha. Such a famous place — and it's a Gwangju brand! I used to go to Cheomdan all the time and never realized the main branch was right there, ha.

Parking at Kkankkanhan Jokbal: the building lot

This Wolgye-dong favorite has its own building parking lot right there, so parking is super convenient. Plenty of spaces too. The main branch sits in Cheomdan.

Inside Kkankkanhan Jokbal: seating and the big screen

I always used to get jokbal delivered or take it home, so I'd barely eaten it inside a restaurant before, haha. But the place was bigger than I expected and packed with people. So many staff too — probably because they handle a ton of delivery and takeout orders. Yeah, jokbal really is a delivery-and-takeout kind of food. But still, plenty of people were eating in, ha.

There's a huge screen on one wall, so you could watch baseball right there, haha. During baseball or soccer season, this Wolgye-dong jokbal spot must be extra fun to eat at while watching the game!!!

Ordering the couple's set with charcoal-grilled jokbal

I'm not really into spicy food, so I ordered the couple's set and chose charcoal-grilled jokbal. I prefer warm jokbal over cold, haha. There was also a Naver review event running — join it and you get a flying fish roe rice ball as a free extra, so good, haha. It's simple, so it's quick to do, ha.

What comes with the set: doenjang jjigae and bean sprout soup

Before ordering more, the standard setting arrives first!! Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) placed right on the burner!!! And a cool bean sprout soup too. I had the cool bean sprout soup while my partner had the hot doenjang jjigae!!

When your throat feels a bit dry or you need something warm, there's the doenjang jjigae. It looks kind of pale and plain, but once it's simmered and you taste it, it makes you crave rice.

And then the soft, fluffy steamed egg too, haha. This kind of extra service is what makes eating in-store so worth it.

How many kinds of jokbal can you choose from?

And here comes the jokbal. Kkankkanhan Jokbal really has a huge lineup: half-and-half jokbal, charcoal-grilled jokbal, spicy jokbal, old-style king jokbal, and more.

Charcoal-grilled jokbal comes out in the basic, traditional style — warm jokbal. If you want it plain, cold, and chewy, there's a different option. And if you want it, you can order old-style king jokbal too, haha.

Bibim makguksu, tossed in the kitchen before serving

And then bibim makguksu (spicy cold buckwheat noodles) arrived. When I get it as takeout, the sauce just comes drizzled on top, but eating in-store, it comes already tossed with the sauce mixed all through. So much more convenient. I'd have really regretted it if I hadn't ordered the makguksu! It pairs perfectly with jokbal. And the bibim makguksu is loaded with vegetables, giving it a nice crunchy bite, ha.

The flying fish roe rice ball from the Naver review event

The flying fish roe rice ball I got from the Naver review event, haha. You should definitely leave a Naver review, haha. Rice really does make a meal feel complete. It looks like there's not much in it, but somehow that combo is surprisingly delicious. Pickled radish, flying fish roe, and a generous heap of seaweed flakes, ha.

Is the charcoal-grilled hind leg jokbal tender?

You can see how glossy it looks, right? Charcoal-grilled jokbal is made from hind leg meat rather than front leg, but even so, it's tender, and the fat and lean meat go together so well, haha. I love the skin — it's basically a block of collagen — chewy and pleasantly salty, so good.

Packing leftover jokbal to go at the kiosk

Honestly, what else is there to say about this jokbal — it's just that good, haha. Jokbal that's too salty or too sweet tends to get tiring, but this Wolgye-dong favorite, Kkankkanhan Jokbal, doesn't get old even after eating a lot of it. I packed up the leftovers neatly to take home, ha. Just tap the

pack up leftovers

option on the kiosk and staff come right over to pack it for you. A world where you barely need words!! So convenient for me. Kkankkanhan Jokbal, the jokbal spot to know in Cheomdan.