Gwangju Cheomdan jokbal restaurant with cold naengmyeon: Kkankkanhan

These days as the evenings get cooler, I've been looking for places to have dinner and a light drink with my boyfriend, so this time we went to Kkankkanhan Jokbal, located in the Cheomdan bar street.

Kkankkanhan Jokbal is such a famous place that I've been to other branches in Gwangju, but this was my first time at the main branch. So I visited this time with a bit of anticipation about what the atmosphere would be like.

Is parking easy on the Cheomdan bar street?

Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch has a really large parking lot right next to the shop. And honestly, this was the part I liked best. Cheomdan's bar street is a really hard place to park, so bringing a car usually means some parking stress.

Kkankkanhan Jokbal has a huge parking lot right next to the shop, so we could go in comfortably without worrying about parking.

If you've hesitated to visit Cheomdan because of parking, I think this is a pretty solid advantage.

Inside Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch: atmosphere and private rooms

The inside of Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch was more spacious and pleasant than I expected. The spacing between tables was also wide, so there was no cramped feeling of being right up against the next table.

There were also rooms available, so it looked good for gatherings or company dinners with several people. Above all, the tables themselves were wide, so there was plenty of room to lay out food even if you ordered several menu items.

Included side dishes and what the couple ordered

At Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch, once you sit down, a basic side spread comes out — doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and steamed egg come as standard. Having hot doenjang jjigae as a default was also nice for having a drink while waiting for the jokbal.

✨️ What we ordered ✨️

• Charcoal-grilled jokbal (large) ₩47,000
• New menu water naengmyeon ₩5,900 (promotional price)
• Flying fish roe rice ball ₩4,000

I wanted rice and my boyfriend wanted noodles, so we each picked a side menu.

How was the large charcoal-grilled jokbal at 47,000 won?

Between the old-style king jokbal and the charcoal-grilled version, we went with the charcoal-grilled, the signature menu.

The jokbal had a subtle smoky char flavor and the meat was tender, so it was delicious.

Since they used the front leg cut in particular, the lean meat had a nice texture. The seasoning was spot on too, so it was good to eat plain without dipping it in anything else.

Sometimes you get a little tired of jokbal after a while, but here it was the kind of flavor that kept my hand reaching back for more — also good as a drinking snack.

Flying fish roe rice balls, 4,000 won

I'm glad we also ordered the flying fish roe rice ball. Flying fish roe rice balls are surprisingly hard to season right, but the one here was genuinely delicious.

The seasoning wasn't too strong and was just right, so I kept eating it. Overall, Kkankkanhan Jokbal really nails their seasoning.

It also went well eaten together with the jokbal, and it was exactly what I was in the mood for since I wanted rice.

New cold water naengmyeon, 5,900 won

The new water naengmyeon my boyfriend picked seemed to use noodles more like the kind used in milmyeon (wheat noodles) rather than typical naengmyeon noodles. If you ask staff, they'll bring vinegar and mustard so you can add them to your taste.

After eating jokbal, having a tangy bite of water naengmyeon cleaned up the palate nicely and made a great palate cleanser. Eating jokbal with rice and noodles together, the combination of menus was quite satisfying.

Final verdict and the receipt review event

With easy parking, a spacious restaurant, and delicious jokbal on top, this was overall a satisfying place. The wide parking lot in Cheomdan, where parking is usually so hard, was the biggest plus for me.

If you do the receipt review event you get a flying fish roe rice ball, but we found out about it after ordering, so... unfortunately we just paid for ours and ate it. Next time I'll definitely make sure to get it through the review event!!!!

If you're looking for a Cheomdan bar spot good for jokbal and drinks, or a spacious restaurant to visit with a group, Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch seems like a good option. This was my first visit to the main branch, and it was a quite satisfying meal. If you're looking for a Cheomdan bar spot with easy parking, I think it's worth checking out.

Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch: address, hours and parking

• Name: Kkankkanhan Jokbal Main Branch
• Address: 46 Cheomdanjungang-ro 116beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 16:00–23:30 (last order 23:20)
• Parking: Available
• Notes: Gwangju Sangsaeng Card accepted, Onnuri gift certificates accepted, separate men's and women's restrooms