7am tofu restaurant in Sokcho for breakfast with parents: Yetgoeul

Whenever I visit Sokcho, I end up looking for a place that serves breakfast. And that naturally leads to Sokcho's famous sundubu (soft tofu stew) restaurants. This time, for breakfast, I visited Yetgoeul Sundubu (옛고을순두부).

What time does Yetgoeul Sundubu start serving breakfast?

Yetgoeul Sundubu is a Sokcho tofu restaurant that opens at 7am. Starting your morning with hot, filling Korean food is a wonderful thing.

The Ulsanbawi view from the front of the restaurant

Yetgoeul Sundubu is also a great spot for views of Ulsanbawi (the famous rock peaks). Park in front and you can see Ulsanbawi. On the way to this Sokcho sundubu place I kept going "wow" and taking photos like crazy. It was all for nothing. Everyone, just relax,, take your photo with Ulsanbawi in front of the restaurant,,

A tofu house that makes its own tofu and takes 200-person group bookings

Yetgoeul Sundubu is a Sokcho restaurant that makes its own sundubu and tofu. I think that's why it's so popular. When we arrived, every table was already set. I wondered if it was a group reservation, and they told us there was a booking for 200 people,, What an incredibly popular Sokcho restaurant,,

I'd never seen so many group reservations in one place, so I took photos because it was so amazing. We almost couldn't eat,, so glad we found this place, what a great restaurant.

What's on the menu at Yetgoeul Sundubu?

True to its reputation as a Sokcho sundubu restaurant, almost the whole menu is tofu. There's abalone jjamppong sundubu (spicy seafood noodle-style soft tofu), spicy sundubu, chodang sundubu (soft tofu made with seawater), dried pollack soup, and tricolor tofu hotpot. Even the dried pollack soup comes with their handmade tofu.

A Sokcho tofu restaurant where the side dishes come like a full set meal

The basic table setting includes about 6 side dishes, plus kongbiji jjigae (bean-curd stew), grilled tofu, and buckwheat pancake. Since they make their own sundubu, I had high expectations, but I thought we'd just get a few simple side dishes with the stew. Instead, the side dishes came out like a full set meal. A tofu restaurant in Sokcho with great value.

Since we'd come to Sokcho's sundubu village, we deliberately ordered three different menu items so the three of us could enjoy a variety of tofu dishes.

The side dishes are so good that this would work as a baekban (set meal) place in Sokcho too. The siraegi namul (dried radish-greens side) was tasty, and the hwangtae muchim (seasoned dried pollack), I think? It was sweet and delicious. The pickled chili peppers were just right too, and my parents loved them.

The side dishes are tasty and well presented, so Yetgoeul Sundubu is a good Sokcho restaurant to take your parents. I didn't expect this level of quality, but the side dishes are really good.

How were the dried pollack soup, spicy sundubu and chodang sundubu?

Dried pollack soup (hwangtae haejangguk) ₩15,000

Rather than a clear, refreshing dried pollack soup, this was a deep, rich, nutty haejangguk (hangover-style soup). Radish gives it a refreshing taste, and it was a slightly heavy bowl. My dad said it was better than the dried pollack soup he had somewhere else last time. The handmade tofu was delicious too, and the bean sprouts add a refreshing taste when you bite into them.

Spicy sundubu ₩16,000

Despite its name, the spicy sundubu wasn't very spicy. It has a lot of sundubu in it, so it feels slightly creamy. It wasn't too spicy or too hot, so it worked well as a Sokcho breakfast menu item.

Mussels and clams add a deep, refreshing flavor. The taste isn't harsh and is easy on the stomach, so it's a good menu item to eat in the morning. The seasoning wasn't strong either.

Chodang sundubu ₩14,000

The chodang sundubu is the white sundubu where you can taste the nutty flavor of the tofu. It lets you taste the natural flavor of their handmade tofu. It was clean and nutty. It was soft and lightly seasoned, so it was great for the morning. Because the tofu is so soft and fluffy, it felt easy on the stomach even when I was full.

Pot rice and nurungji tea made with new-harvest rice

Yetgoeul Sundubu serves solbap (pot rice), and the rice was seriously amazing. It was cooked with rice from this year's harvest. Rice made from new-harvest grain is strong and very sticky. The rice was so good that eating rice with the side dishes was fun. To use such good rice,, it was better than my home cooking.

Buckwheat pancake, grilled tofu and bean-curd stew

Yetgoeul Sundubu doesn't just give you simple side dishes; there are also more elaborate items like the buckwheat pancake and grilled tofu. The buckwheat pancake was slightly chewy, which made it even better, and the grilled tofu, dipped in soy sauce, was nutty and salty and delicious.

We each had our own soup dish, but we also ate the kongbiji (bean-curd stew) in the middle during the meal. It was lightly salty and nice to scoop up a little at a time.

Rice cooked from tasty grain makes much better sungnyung (nurungji tea, a scorched-rice drink) too. After finishing the sundubu stew, I put squid jeotgal (salted fermented squid) on the sungnyung. The nutty sungnyung with savory squid jeotgal,, a great combo. I ate well and built up the energy for a solid day of travel.

Yetgoeul Sundubu also sells dried pollack as gifts, and bujikkaengi (a traditional kindling-style snack item).

Who is Yetgoeul Sundubu recommended for?

Yetgoeul Sundubu, which I visited for a Sokcho breakfast, makes its own tofu. It's a Sokcho restaurant with nicely laid-out side dishes. If you're looking for a dog-friendly restaurant in Sokcho, I recommend it even more, because there's a separate private room for dogs.