A Korean classic street food, jokbal or braised pig trotter is sold everywhere and is a representative food loved by Koreans. This restaurant is a jokbal specialty restaurant located near City Hall Station in Seoul.
This Omokjip 오목집 branch is located at Bukchangdong 北倉洞, a popular district near the City Hall that was once notorious for something else. But these days, Bukchangdong has transformed to become a delicious district of small bars, eateries to KBBQ restaurants and other delectable cuisines.
The place is packed like crazy during meal times. The empty seats are people smoking outside the restaurant on the street. Thankfully Seoul government has passed strict laws on smoking indoors. If not it would be packed and smoky.
The place sells only one thing, jokbal 족발 (braised pig trotters) and its variation, maeungjokbal 매웅족발, the spicy version. There’s also bossam 보쌈 (boiled pork wrap), which is just pork boiled in a aromatic broth without soy sauce in case you are gluten intolerant.
Every order of the jokbal comes with a serving of Korean fish cake hotpot. The fish cakes were delicious, but I didn’t know how to order more.
Maneul Jokbal 마늘 족발 Garlic Pig Trotters 蒜蓉醬紅燒豬蹄
Jokbal 족발 is a rich, savoury dish made by braising pig’s trotters in seasonings over hours until they totally absorb the flavours and are soft, shiny, and glazed with the meat falling off the bone. It is usually braised in a combination of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and rice wine. Additional ingredients used can include onion, leeks, garlic, cinnamon, and black pepper. And every ajumma will swear by her own secret recipe.
In Korea, jokbal is considered drinking food or anju 안주 and shared with several people in a restaurant or a bar with soju, beer or makgeolli. On the wall is a very old poster (1998) of Lee Young-ae 李英爱 as the poster girl for Jinro 真露 soju. She is regarded as the first goddess of soju in Korea. At that time, Lee Young-ae was the number one goddess in the TV circle. After endorsing Jinro Soju, in just one year, Jinro’s sales have soared four times! But I digress….
While most tourists would order the standard jokbal, those in the know would add maneul seusal 마늘소스 or minced garlic sauce to the braised pig trotters for that extra kick. Not for the faint-hearteds, there are enough garlic to fend off a vampire.
A pig has four legs, and therefore, four trotters. Everyone has their favourite part of the pig trotter. The back trotter has large thigh that is used for the leg bacon. When braised and then sliced, they are very delicious and moist, just like the dark meat of the chicken. Omokjip has perfected the braising timing; the skin is soft and full of flavour, yet remains intact and does not disintegrate to touch.
Normally, nobody eats the hoofs. But the skin on the bones just above the back hoofs is so rich in collagen they are often used in making stock. And the skin of the front hoofs has a nice crunchy texture, making them sought after as an anju. And maeungjokbal 매웅족발, the spicy version, showcases these front hoofs perfectly. The delectable and addictive sauce with the bite and crunch of the skin, they are great.
Ssam 쌈, which literally means “wrapped” in Korean, refers to dishes in Korean cuisine where some food is wrapped in other food. Often, ssam consists of meat such as pork wrapped in leafy vegetables. It is often accompanied by a condiment known as ssamjang and can also be topped with raw or cooked garlic, onion, green pepper, or a banchan (small side dish) such as kimchi.
We often eat jokbal as ssam, wrapped in lettuce leaves with ssamjang, sliced raw garlic, green chilli pepper and usually with saeujeot (salted fermented shrimp). Or you can scoop a generous helping of the minced garlic for that extra kick. Just don’t kiss your girlfriend afterwards.
The humble jumeokbap 주먹밥 or Korean rice balls, literally means “rice held in the fist,” especially go well with spicy foods as a banchan. Korean rice balls don’t show up often in Korean media compared to other Korean dishes (e.g. Korean fried chicken, instant noodles, or tteokbokki). And when they do, it’s usually to express the misfortunes of war or the struggles of a lower-class person in the historical drama because they could be made with inexpensive ingredients like rice and various leftovers..
There are many jokbal restaurants in Korea, and most are mom-and-pop stores in wet markets. This one is a chain restaurant and has many certifications, which means that it is consistent and hygienic. While it is not as prestigious as Manjok (which is nearby too), it is definitely more affordable. And the taste is not too bad.
Omokjip City Hall 오목집 시청점
38 Namdaemun-ro 1-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea
서울특별시 중구 남대문로1길 38
Tel : +82 2-3789-6882
Visited Sep 2024
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