Jokbal restaurant in Suwan, Gwangju: medium size for two, Kkankkan

A jokbal (braised pork trotters) and bossam spot that people flock to both for dine-in and delivery — that's Kkankkan Jjokbal. I've been to other branches before, but this time I visited the Suwan branch, haha.

• 📍 44 Suwan-ro, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
• ⏰ Daily 12:00 - 23:30

Where is the Suwan food alley, and is there parking?

Kkankkan Jjokbal Suwan Branch sits right in the Suwan district food alley, on the main street, so it's easy to find, and there's quite a bit of parking space out front, which made driving there convenient.

Inside: a roomy hanok-style dining room in the evening

The interior was done up with a hanok (traditional Korean house) feel, and the place itself was spacious and clean. It's mostly 4-person tables, but with generous spacing between them, so it felt open rather than cramped. And true to a jokbal restaurant's reputation, when I visited in the evening the delivery orders were pouring in — staff were busy and delivery riders kept showing up. A good restaurant really does show it in delivery volume, haha.

Ordering was done conveniently through the tablet on the table. We ordered the charcoal-grilled jokbal that day. Not long after ordering, they quickly set the table for us.

The free side spread: steamed egg and sundubu jjigae

Fresh salad and lettuce wraps.

Pickled radish and dried radish strips, ssamjang, and garlic — all pair well with jokbal and come generously as basics.

A soft steamed egg also comes standard.

And one of the things I love about Kkankkan Jjokbal!! They give you sundubu jjigae for free as a basic. It's a decently sized portion, and it comes with a raw egg on the side.

Once it starts bubbling, you crack the raw egg in — the smell drives me crazy.

Jokbal is a dish that takes a bit of time to come out after ordering, right? But with the steamed egg and sundubu jjigae given while you wait, it's great to nibble on, and having a drink alongside the spicy sundubu jjigae while waiting was just perfect, haha.

The medium charcoal-grilled jokbal, 42,000 won

✨ Charcoal-grilled jokbal ✨ We ordered the medium size, priced at ₩42,000. Charcoal-grilled jokbal with a subtle smoky aroma rising off it — the look alone was on point.

Kkankkan Jjokbal says they boil the meat in-house, and maybe that's why the outside was chewy and the inside tender — the texture was great. The jokbal itself was seriously so chewy.

The meat part was also moist, and there was plenty of it, more than enough for two people. I already tend to like Kkankkan Jjokbal's jokbal, but eating it warm right in the restaurant definitely tasted better than delivery, haha.

Put the jokbal on a lettuce leaf, add garlic and dried radish strips, and wrap it up properly! With the subtle smoky aroma added to the jokbal, it was delicious eaten plain or wrapped — either way, absolutely amazing. And with the sides being so generous, once the jokbal arrived the table was nearly full, lol. If you order a set menu, the table would probably be completely packed.

Two bottles of soju, then ice cream

That day we knocked back two bottles of soju while eating the jokbal, haha. With warm jokbal and sundubu jjigae on the table, it was a proper drinking pairing.

And on the way out, you can help yourself to coffee and ice cream for dessert. That kind of thing is honestly nice, haha. Finishing a meal with an ice cream cone makes it perfect!

Is it worth ordering the medium size for two?

True to Kkankkan Jjokbal's reputation as a famous jokbal restaurant, the jokbal itself was chewy and moist and delicious, and being charcoal-grilled added a subtle smoky flavor that made it even better. With the free steamed egg and the sizable sundubu jjigae, it was great to munch on while waiting for the jokbal, and very satisfying as a drinking snack too, haha. The restaurant is spacious and clean, so it's good for a family meal out or drinks with friends, and if you've only had it delivered before, I'd recommend trying it warm in the dining room at least once. I had a really delicious meal that day 💛