Myeongdong jokbal with kimchi-broth noodles and gimbap: Miss Jokbal

I hadn't been to Myeongdong in a while, so I stopped by a jokbal (braised pig's trotter) place for a late lunch, and I was startled the moment I walked in. There were way more foreign visitors than Korean ones! Turns out they even have a branch in Hong Kong — it really drove home how far K-food's reputation has traveled. Let me give you an honest, no-frills review of the charm that's won over even foreign palates.

Where is Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch, and what is the restaurant like?

Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch is about a 3-minute walk from Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station. Every time I come to this neighborhood I see tourists dragging suitcases around, so the streets get a little chaotic! 🔥 Heads up 🔥

It was well past the usual lunch rush, but plenty of people were still eating. It felt like we were the only Koreans there... which makes sense given the location, and after eating I could kind of see why it's packed with foreign visitors. Also, since it stays open until 3am, it could be great as a late-night meal if you want a drink late or your Korea trip schedule runs late.

What comes with the 58,000 won Emperor Jokbal for two?

The two of us ordered the Emperor Jokbal for 58,000 won. Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch also has single-portion jokbal and bossam (boiled pork wraps), plus sets that include bossam, so you can order according to your taste. There's a wide variety of sides too, so it's a good spot to sample Korean food.

After ordering, kimchi broth and fresh noodles came out. Once the broth was boiling away, we dropped the noodles in to cook, and a generously loaded Emperor Jokbal spread arrived.

How much food is on the Emperor Jokbal table?

I knew it was called "Emperor" but I didn't expect it to be this loaded 😮 The table legs were basically holding on for dear life haha. The table filled up fast. The jokbal itself looked like the extra-large front-leg size.

With everything already on one spread, we didn't have to reach far, which was convenient. We ate spinning the table around haha.

The side dishes: a K-food sampler with gimbap and japchae

Miss Jokbal's Emperor Jokbal comes with a little bit of everything from K-food on one spread, so it's great for sampling. Tofu kimchi, japchae, gimbap (seaweed rice roll), shrimp salad, mukmuchim (seasoned acorn jelly), angel hair salad, geotjeori (fresh kimchi), mu-saengchae (seasoned radish), pickles and more — everything was honest and tasty. This place clearly knows how to boil jokbal well and make good side dishes 👍

One thing that bothered me: someone who seemed to be the owner was cursing while on the phone 😡. Maybe they got careless since most customers are foreign tourists, but it really didn't look good. That said, they were friendly to us as customers.

Is Miss Jokbal in Myeongdong worth a visit?

Doesn't it look moist and tender even in photos? That soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture — if you boil jokbal wrong it turns dry and tough, but the jokbal at Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch was soft, chewy, and moist, and we kept saying how good it was as we ate haha.

The gimbap was especially good, so I'm thinking of trying to recreate it myself 🤣 It's just egg and carrot in there — why is it so tasty? I honestly think they should sell the gimbap separately as a side. Go get some delicious jokbal this weekend.