Beer and jokbal in Yongbong-dong, Gwangju: Kkankkanhan Jokbal

Lately I've had a lot on my plate between prepping for the move and getting everything sorted afterward. Once I finally finished moving and got the place somewhat in order, all that built-up fatigue seemed to hit me at once, ugh.

On a weekday evening, after a whole day of moving cleanup, my mom suddenly said she was really craving a cold beer. We thought about just drinking at home, but wanted a good side dish to go with it, so we headed out to Yongbong-dong.

Where is Kkankkanhan Jokbal Yongbong Branch, and what are the hours?

Kkankkanhan Jokbal Yongbong Branch is a jokbal restaurant located at 82 Yongbongtaek-ji-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, near the Jeoncheolwoo intersection. Dine-in runs from 16:00 to 23:30, while takeout and delivery start from 11:30.

• Hours: 16:00 - 23:30
• Takeout/delivery from 11:30 / dine-in from 16:00

We figured we might as well eat something that goes well with beer, and that's exactly why we picked Kkankkanhan Jokbal Yongbong Branch! Jokbal makes a hearty meal on its own, but it really shines paired with beer, so it was the perfect choice for dinner that evening.

It's located near the Jeoncheolwoo intersection so it was easy to find, and that evening we properly ate and drank away all the fatigue that had piled up after the move.

Weekday evening at Kkankkanhan Jokbal: baseball on the big screen

On one side of Kkankkanhan Jokbal Yongbong Branch, there's a large screen set up so you can watch sports while eating. We visited on a weekday evening, and there were plenty of people out for dinner nearby, plus quite a few customers inside too.

Yongbong-dong is close to home, so I often come here when I have plans, and this wasn't my first visit to Kkanjok either. But whether it's a weekday or weekend, it's always packed with people, haha.

When we visited, a baseball game was playing, and honestly there were so many customers actually watching the game while eating.

What we ordered: charcoal-grilled jokbal and flying fish roe rice balls

At Kkankkanhan Jokbal Yongbong Branch, the charcoal-grilled jokbal and the half-and-half jokbal are apparently the popular menu items. There's a wide range of jokbal dishes, so even as jokbal lovers ourselves, we spent a while deciding while looking at the menu, and ended up going with the charcoal-grilled jokbal that day.

We also ordered the flying fish roe rice balls, which seemed like it would pair well as a beer side dish.

By the time we walked in, only two tables behind ours were still empty.

The side spread, fish cake soup and steamed egg that come with it

This is the basic side spread that comes out. Along with this, you also get fish cake soup and steamed egg. We forgot the steamed egg was already included and ordered an extra one, but the staff kindly told us it comes as a basic item, so to cancel the extra order first and add more later if we needed it.

Flying fish roe rice balls with jokbal: how the pairing works

The flying fish roe rice balls came out first. The flying fish roe was popped throughout, giving a savory flavor and a fun texture at the same time. Normally there's the fun of shaping them into little rounds yourself, but since it had been such a tiring day, we just decided to eat it straight with a spoon, haha.

Eating a piece of jokbal together with the rice ball was a really great combo — the chewy texture of the jokbal paired well with the light, savory flavor of the rice ball!!

One cheongyang pepper in the fish cake soup

The fish cake soup was the basic style, so I added one of the cheongyang peppers that came with the leafy greens for wrapping. That gave it a nice spicy kick, and I really enjoyed drinking the broth too.

How did the charcoal-grilled jokbal taste?

After a short wait, the charcoal-grilled jokbal we ordered arrived. Seeing it neatly arranged on the plate, glistening with shine, made my mouth water just looking at it. Unlike regular jokbal, this one is grilled over charcoal, so there was a subtle smoky aroma too. Adding that charcoal fragrance to the jokbal's signature chewy texture made the flavor feel even richer!!

Taking a bite, the skin part was chewy and the meat was tender, so the texture was great too. It's delicious on its own, but pairing it with the basic side dishes brought out a different flavor. Whether wrapped in a perilla leaf with a piece of jokbal, radish, and vinegar-chili sauce, or eaten plain, it was equally good.

Service at Kkankkanhan Jokbal and final thoughts

Throughout the meal, I was also very satisfied with the staff's friendly service. Whenever we needed something, they responded kindly, and overall it felt like they were paying close attention to make sure we could eat comfortably. The food was delicious, but the friendly service from the staff really helped us finish the meal in a great mood.

This was our first proper meal out after moving, and thanks to the delicious jokbal, we got to end the day on a happy note. If you're ever in Yongbong-dong craving jokbal with a cold beer, give this Yongbong-dong favorite, Kkankkanhan Jokbal Yongbong Branch, a try!