Cold jokbal and 10,000-won lunch sets in Sindorim, Seoul: The Jokbal

I got my freediving instructor certification and I'm now preparing for mermaid diving instructor training, haha. I did mermaid practice over the weekend, and after using my whole body underwater and burning through a ton of energy, every cell in my body was screaming "give me meat!" 😋

To recover from the diving and fill my stomach properly, I ran straight to a jokbal (pork trotter) restaurant I'd had my eye on — The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch!

Where is The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch, and is there parking?

The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch is on the first floor of the Sindorim 3-cha Prugio Apartment commercial building, 619-3 Gyeongin-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Take-out and delivery are both available, and they emphasize a distinctly refined taste from a Chosun Hotel chef and domestic fresh trotters boiled daily in a cast-iron cauldron.

It's near Sindorim Station so it's really convenient by public transit, and being on the ground floor along a main road means the shop is easy to spot at a glance! Parking is available too — I comfortably parked in the basement level and headed up.

The Jokbal at 3pm on a weekend, and why dinner needs a reservation

🕒 A 3pm weekend visit: quiet room, serious jokbal restaurant presence

We arrived at The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch around 3pm on a weekend, a slightly awkward off-hour right after finishing diving! Since it was outside the meal rush, the restaurant was quiet and relaxed, so we could settle into our seats easily.

But... while we sat there getting ready to eat, delivery riders kept coming in and out nonstop! Delivery order alarms kept going off, and phone calls for group dinner reservations kept coming in too. As staff tidied the tables and set up for dinner reservations, we realized every single table for the evening was already booked 😲

If we'd arrived even a little later, we might not have found a seat at all. If you're planning a weekend evening visit, I strongly recommend going early or booking ahead!

Lunch special menu and prices at The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch

Looking at the menu board and the sign out front, one thing really caught my eye — the incredibly good-value lunch menu! In this era of high prices, it's rare to find such a solid lineup at such reasonable prices.

• Spicy sundubu (soft tofu stew) set: ₩10,000
• Bossam set: ₩11,000
• Spicy Korean beef gukbap set: ₩11,000
• Jeyuk ssambap (spicy pork wraps): ₩12,000
• Grilled spicy jokbal set: ₩12,000
• Sundubu bossam set: ₩13,900

These days a single lunch can easily run over ₩10,000, so having a bossam set or a grilled spicy jokbal set at ₩11,000–12,000 is amazing value, don't you think? It seemed like a perfect spot for solo diners who want to enjoy jokbal or bossam as a set meal without much burden, or for office workers nearby looking for lunch. Next time I want to come at lunch and definitely try the grilled spicy jokbal set or the sundubu bossam set!

How the 51,000-won combo of three was chosen

The lunch menu was tempting, but since we'd come to eat big after exercising, we ordered the signature menu item at The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch: the "choose-your-own combo of 3" set! It's a system where you pick any 3 of 5 signature options — jokbal, bossam, spicy jokbal, cold jokbal, and soy garlic jokbal — and combine them however you like!

It's the perfect answer for when you're like us, going "I want this, but I also want that..." Here's the combo of 3 we chose on the table tablet!

• Combo bossam (200g)
• Combo cold jokbal
• Combo soy garlic (soy garlic jokbal)

The price was ₩51,000, letting us enjoy three flavors generously — excellent value for what you get.

🥬 The banchan side dishes served with the jokbal

As soon as we ordered, clean and fresh side dishes were set on the table. Crisp, sweet cabbage leaves and fresh lettuce and perilla leaves come as standard wrap greens. There's also spicy-sweet chive salad that pairs perfectly with jokbal, crunchy dried radish strips, garlic, ssamjang (dipping sauce), and salted shrimp, all generously arranged.

The cold bean sprout soup served in a yellow brass pot was especially satisfying! The broth was so refreshing that even though I hadn't been drinking, it felt exactly like a hangover cure 🍲

How the bossam, cold jokbal and soy garlic jokbal tasted

At last, the long-awaited combo of 3 set arrived, neatly plated on a wooden tray! The generous portions and vibrant presentation drew an audible gasp of admiration 🤤

1. Combo bossam: no gamey smell at all, the pork was tender and well-boiled. The ratio of lean meat to fat was just right, so the more you chewed, the more savoriness came through. Wrap a piece of meat in a fresh napa cabbage leaf with some spicy chive salad and dried radish strips, take a big bite... truly moving.

2. Combo cold jokbal: the tangy, sweet-and-sour mustard sauce is the highlight of this cold jokbal. Crisp cucumber, jellyfish, and egg garnish come together for a bite that refreshes your whole mouth! Perfect for winning back an appetite dulled after exercise.

3. Combo soy garlic (soy garlic jokbal): the definition of sweet-and-salty! Savory soy sauce seasoning with a punch of garlic aroma running through it — seriously addictive. Rice cake sticks and onions came mixed in too, making it fun to pick through.

The clean flavor of the bossam, the refreshing tang of the cold jokbal, the sweet-salty richness of the soy garlic jokbal! Alternating between all three, there was never a dull moment, and I ate down to the very last piece — so satisfying and filling 😋

Verdict and tips for visiting The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch

I came here exhausted after diving, and left having had a far better meal than expected at The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch!

• Want to enjoy several flavors at once? Highly recommend the choose-your-own combo of 3 set!
• Visiting for lunch? Go for the lunch set menu, unbeatable value!
• Dinner slots fill up and get fully reserved often, so booking ahead is a must!

If you're near Sindorim looking for a great jokbal and bossam restaurant, don't hesitate — definitely worth a visit! 💕