빠루(129 reviews)Dinner・Visited 2023/02(1 visits)3.502Spicy pork tail with a drinkBugwang Jokbal (부광족발) is famous in Iksan Northern Market for its seasoned grilled pork tail. It’s gained word-of-mouth popularity among travelers, and branches have even opened in Jeonju and Gunsan. It wasn’t this popular back in the day, so it’s surprising how famous it’s become. Their signature dishes are the seasoned grilled jokbal and the seasoned grilled tail, but despite coming here often, I’ve never once ordered the jokbal. You don’t need anything else here—the seasoned grilled tail and a drink are enough. Compared to the price, the portion of the seasoned grilled tail is small, and since the structure is similar to chicken neck, there isn’t much meat on it. The tail meat is just pork, so there's no need to be put off by the idea of it being a 'special cut.' It tastes like tender pork with a spicy-sweet fire-jokbal sauce and pungent raw garlic. Since it’s a drinking snack, you should think of it as eating for the sauce flavor rather than the quantity. They serve a complimentary bowl of sulguk (alcohol-pairing soup), which is basically just broth with lots of seasoning. It’s an indistinct flavor, but the sharp, distinctive umami strangely makes you keep eating it as it masks the raw garlic taste to some extent. Naturally, a routine forms as you eat. Grab a piece of pork tail, have a drink, take a couple of spoonfuls of the soup, and go back to the pork tail. With the old-school vibe in the Northern Market alleyway, the atmosphere is pretty decent for sharing a drink. The location isn't far from the station either, so if you're traveling in Iksan, I recommend this place for a simple evening drink.