Gangneung Station gukbap cafe with a pork cutlet set: Pick Up To You

I went on a trip to Gangneung this past weekend, and while planning it out beforehand, one of the things I quietly stressed over was where to eat near Gangneung Station. For travelers who come by KTX instead of driving, location and distance really matter — but that doesn't mean you should have to give up on good food or a good menu!

Gangneung has so much good food — sundubu (soft tofu), jangkalguksu (noodle soup), mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), the coffee street — but right after stepping off the train, sometimes you just want something simple and filling near the station instead of traveling far. That's exactly when Gukbap Cafe Pick Up To You comes to mind!

Gukbap Cafe Pick Up To You is within easy walking distance of Gangneung Station, and true to its name, it's a place where you can enjoy a regular gukbap restaurant and a cafe in one space. It even has a menu that turns Gangneung's signature sundubu into gukbap, which made it feel like a pretty fun option for the first meal of a Gangneung trip.

How close is Pick Up To You to Gangneung Station?

The biggest advantage of Gukbap Cafe Pick Up To You is definitely the location. It's close to Gangneung Station, so it's easy to walk over for a meal right after arriving by train. The restaurant's own description lists it as a 2-3 minute walk from the station, which stood out to me as very convenient for travelers. For anyone dragging a suitcase or travel bag around, a restaurant near the station really matters.

A gukbap restaurant and a cafe in one: the Pick Up To You concept

Another unusual feature of this place! When I first saw the name, the most amusing part was definitely the 'gukbap cafe' bit. Normally a gukbap restaurant makes you think of a piping hot stone bowl with kimchi and kkakdugi (radish kimchi), but Pick Up To You adds a cafe element on top of that concept.

After eating gukbap, you can also enjoy coffee or other drinks, so you can handle your meal and dessert in one place. They also sell gift sets, so you can pick one up on your way to catch the train without any extra hassle~!

Looking at the actual menu, there's sundubu gukbap along with pork gukbap, sundae gukbap, and spicy hangover gukbap, plus cafe drinks sold alongside. Traveling around and having to find a separate cafe after eating can be a bit of a hassle, so being able to handle a meal and coffee in one spot is pretty appealing~

Chodang sundubu served as gukbap: the signature menu

The menu that especially caught my eye at Gukbap Cafe Pick Up To You was the sundubu-based gukbap. There's sundubu pork gukbap, sundubu sundae gukbap, and sundubu mala hangover gukbap. If you've come to Gangneung, you want to try sundubu at least once, and it's fun that you can enjoy it in a slightly different way than the usual sundubu jjigae (stew) or sundubu jeongol (hot pot).

It's a combination of soft sundubu and hot gukbap, so it's not too heavy even for breakfast, and it seems like a great fit when you want a filling meal on the first day of your trip. Especially if it's your first meal right after arriving in Gangneung, you tend to look for a local dish that makes you feel like 'I've made it to Gangneung' — and in that sense, enjoying sundubu as a gukbap is a fun point unique to this place.

Hangover gukbap for spicy soup lovers

If you prefer a spicy, punchy broth over the mild sundubu gukbap, the hangover gukbap varieties are worth a look too. There's spicy hangover gukbap and sundubu spicy hangover gukbap, plus a mala-based hangover gukbap, so this could suit those looking for something a bit different from an ordinary gukbap.

When you're traveling, there are days when you drank late the night before or your stomach feels empty from a long trip. In those moments, nothing feels as filling as a bowl of hot soup with rice mixed in.

Adding the Gangwon Handon handmade pork cutlet set

I also ordered the Gangwon Handon handmade pork cutlet set alongside my gukbap. Zero regrets. Freshly fried, crispy on the outside and moist and savory inside, the pork went really well with the gukbap.

From gukbap straight to coffee at the same table

And then, eat gukbap and get coffee, all in one place — Gukbap Cafe Pick Up To You!! Personally, my favorite part of the name Pick Up To You is exactly this: the flow from meal straight into coffee. After eating gukbap, you'd normally start wondering 'okay, which cafe now?' — but true to the gukbap cafe concept, you can use the coffee and drinks right there too.

Gangneung is such a famous cafe city that heading to a well-known cafe after your meal is also a great option, but on days with a tight travel schedule, handling both a meal and coffee in one spot like this is a pretty good method too~

Who Gukbap Cafe Pick Up To You suits best

If you're looking for a fast, filling, and delicious meal near Gangneung Station, I recommend Gukbap Cafe Pick Up To You. In particular, if you fall into any of these categories, it's worth stopping by once.

• Looking for a good restaurant near Gangneung Station
• Want to eat right after getting off the train
• Looking for a place to have breakfast
• Want to try sundubu in a different way
• Like a spicy hangover gukbap
• Want to handle a meal and coffee in one stop

Above all, in a Gangneung trip, it matters more to eat well somewhere close to your route than to travel far just to reach one famous restaurant. In that sense, Gukbap Cafe Pick Up To You, close to Gangneung Station, feels like a good restaurant to slot into the start or end of your trip.

When you get to Gangneung and think 'let's eat first!', or when you're about to catch your train after your trip and craving a warm bowl of soup, if you're looking for a gukbap place near Gangneung Station, remember Gukbap Cafe Pick Up To You, where you can enjoy gukbap and cafe in one visit. That first bowl of gukbap of your Gangneung trip, and a cup of coffee after — it makes for a pretty good start and finish to a trip, I think.