Jongno Korean restaurant for crispy jokbal and cold buckwheat noodles

I went to Jonggak for jokbal (braised pig’s trotters), and four words on the menu completely grabbed me: fried. jokbal. I love jokbal and I love chicken, but they fried jokbal… isn’t that basically cheating?

This time, I visited Yeonnam Jokbal 1987 Jonggak Branch (연남족발1987 종각점). We ordered the Yeonnam Fried Jokbal Set for ₩49,000 and cold buckwheat noodles for ₩9,000, for a total of ₩58,000. And to give you the conclusion first: the portion was seriously generous.

Yeonnam Jokbal 1987 in an alley near Jonggak Station

The restaurant visible from the alley

The exterior with yellow roof tiles

Yeonnam Jokbal 1987 sign

Yeonnam Jokbal standing sign

Yeonnam Jokbal 1987 Jonggak Branch is on the first floor at 26 Samil-daero 15-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It is an easy walk from Jonggak Station, and once you enter the alley, the yellow roof tiles and vertical Yeonnam Jokbal sign make it easy to spot. Out front, large menu photos show not only jokbal but also fried jokbal, garlic jokbal, chilled jokbal, and bossam (boiled pork wraps).

Still, fried jokbal was the real attention-grabber. The restaurant’s sign said, “Delicious jokbal is delicious even when fried,” and I thought to myself: then I’ll verify that personally. Haha.

Inside: partitioned seating and long tables

Full view of the interior with partitioned seating

The interior has warm wood tones, with partitions between tables. Rather than feeling like the tables are completely pressed together as in a typical restaurant, there is some separation from neighboring diners, which was comfortable. There were more seats than I expected, plus long tables, so it looked worth noting for a Jonggak jokbal work dinner or a larger group gathering.

You order on the tablet at the table. With menu photos and prices right there, we did not need a long “What should we get?” meeting. Haha.

Notice on domestic fresh jokbal

The restaurant’s country-of-origin board listed both the front and hind pork trotters used for the jokbal as domestic Korean. The restaurant introduction says it selects unfrozen domestic fresh jokbal and simmers it for a long time with ingredients including licorice root, angelica root, clove, and star anise. It also says that jokbal cooked in several batches throughout the day is served.

Banchan arranged all around before the main arrived

The full spread of banchan (Korean side dishes)

Lettuce and peppers

Garlic and sauce

Gat kimchi (mustard-leaf kimchi)

Cabbage salad

Even before the main dish arrived, the side dishes came arranged all around a big round table. At first, the center was empty, so I thought, “This must be where the main goes.” And yes. Soon enough, that spot was absolutely packed with jokbal. 😂

And you should not overlook the side dishes here. Since the jokbal is fried, it can start to feel a little rich if you keep eating it, but the sides were exactly right for that. I personally really loved the gat kimchi, and the crisp cabbage salad was great for refreshing my palate between bites.

The sauce with lots of garlic was tasty too. Dip a piece of jokbal in it, and the savory meat gets an extra garlicky kick for a totally different feel! The bean sprout soup was not bland either; it had a slight spice that made it perfect for taking a spoonful between bites of fried jokbal. When the fried jokbal attacks, the side dishes take turns playing defense. Haha.

The Yeonnam Fried Jokbal Set was generous too

Here comes the fried jokbal

A close look at the fried jokbal

And finally, the Yeonnam Fried Jokbal Set, ₩49,000, arrived. The plate itself was huge, and the jokbal properly covered it. It looks plentiful in photos, but in person you say, “Wait… this is really a lot?”

One of the things I was most satisfied with that day was the quantity. These days, it is not easy to eat out and think, “This is generous for the price,” but “great value” was exactly the right phrase that day.

Crispy texture that makes you think of chicken

The biggest difference from regular jokbal is definitely the texture. The outside is crispy. The signature chewy part of jokbal is still there, but the exterior is fried, so as you chew, it strangely feels a little like eating chicken. After my first bite, I went, “Oh? This is jokbal, but it tastes like chicken too?” Haha.

If you like jokbal but want to try something a little different from the usual style, this seems like a fun choice. The crispy exterior made the textural difference from regular jokbal very clear.

Fried jokbal in lettuce wraps with garlic sauce

A fried jokbal lettuce wrap

It was delicious on its own, but I also put a piece of fried jokbal on lettuce with onion, garlic, and the accompaniments and wrapped it up. The crisp vegetables went really well with the crispy fried jokbal.

Add just a little garlic sauce, too… and after one piece, you reach for another. You are definitely full, but your chopsticks refuse to clock out.

Cold buckwheat noodles to refresh your palate

Cold buckwheat noodles

We also ordered cold buckwheat noodles for ₩9,000 with the fried jokbal.

I am glad we ordered this too. It was sweet and tangy, making it a great match for the fried jokbal. After a few pieces of fried jokbal, one bite of sweet-and-tangy noodles completely changes your palate. Back to jokbal. Back to noodles. And then jokbal again. That infinite loop begins. Haha. Fried food can start to feel a little heavy toward the end, and the cold buckwheat noodles do exactly what they need to do then.

My favorite combinations and the event during my visit

What I liked best after trying it was the unusual fried jokbal and the generous quantity. The outside was crispy with a chicken-like feel, while the inside retained jokbal’s distinctive texture, which made it fun. The side dishes also had much more presence than I expected.

• Fried jokbal → garlic sauce
• Fried jokbal → gat kimchi
• When it starts to feel rich → cabbage salad and bean sprout soup
• To finish → sweet-and-tangy cold buckwheat noodles

As of my visit on September 10, 2026, there was also a receipt-review event. The restaurant notice said that after paying, you could receive a receipt, write a review with a food photo, and show it to a staff member to receive a flying-fish-roe rice ball. Events can change, so please check the restaurant notice again when you visit.

Crispy fried jokbal somewhere between jokbal and chicken. With generous portions and great combinations of gat kimchi, garlic sauce, bean sprout soup, and cold buckwheat noodles, it was a Jonggak jokbal meal that left me properly full.