Sokcho restaurant with three sundubu styles compared: Jinsol Halmeoni

Why sundubu instead of sundaeguk in Sokcho: choosing Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu

Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu is a soft tofu stew (sundubu) restaurant on Wonam Haksapyeong-gil in Sokcho. With the weather turning chilly lately, this menu fits the mood so perfectly!

I went to Sokcho with my parents and kids after a while^^ We always ate sundaeguk (blood sausage soup) whenever we went to Sokcho, but... this time we decided to try something new, and after looking it up, apparently sundubu is amazing there!👀 So we went straight away haha

Parking and baby chairs at Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu

• Wide parking space!
• Baby chairs available!

Maybe because we went around lunchtime, a lot of people were already eating! The smell of food the moment we walked in was already screaming deliciousness. My mouth was watering before I even looked at the menu...!!

Can you swap the sundubu that comes with the grilled hwangtae set?

At Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu we ordered two servings of the grilled pollack (hwangtae) set and one jjamppong sundubu. We had already decided on the menu on the way, so we ordered right after sitting down.

🌟A great ordering tip: you can change the type of sundubu that comes with the set! The grilled pollack set also comes with sundubu, so we kept one as plain white sundubu and swapped the other for spicy sundubu^^ This way you get to try several kinds of sundubu stew all at once!

The food came out really quickly after we ordered!

What banchan (side dishes) come with the meal?

Buckwheat pancake, buckwheat crepe, acorn jelly, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), jangjorim (soy-braised beef), grilled tofu, and so many more side dishes packed the table full haha

The banchan were so full of effort, right? Hahaha every single one was delicious! And the portions were huge lol so I wondered, can we even finish all this? But despite that worry, by the time we were done we'd scraped every single banchan dish clean lol

Jjamppong sundubu vs spicy sundubu: how hot is each?

Sundubu, jjamppong sundubu, spicy sundubu. Just by looking, jjamppong and spicy sundubu seem like they'd taste similar, but no no, they each have a completely different charm!

Jjamppong sundubu isn't spicy from added chili powder — it gets its sharp heat from chili oil! So while it's sharp and a bit more spicy, spicy sundubu is more about a rich heat rather than sharpness, and it's milder than jjamppong, more mellow haha. Something deeper and more savory rises up in it.

My dad can't really handle spicy food and ordered the jjamppong, but he ended up swapping it with the spicy one I'd chosen lol

How was the grilled hwangtae?

Ta-da, can't skip the grilled pollack (hwangtae-gui)!

The portion was big and the flesh was thick and hearty, so a spoonful of rice with it was pure art — sweet and spicy at once! Then finishing it off with a bit of sundubu stew, ugh...! It warms you right up inside, no words needed ㅠㅠㅠ a taste I keep wanting again ㅜㅜㅜ

Is Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu good with kids?

The mild sundubu stew at Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu was, without fail, claimed entirely by our kids haha. It already had just the right amount of seasoning built in, so there was no need to add extra soy sauce! It was savory and soft, perfect for kids to eat!

The kids had been singing about being hungry, but once we got to the restaurant they ate soooo well lol. Especially our big eater of a daughter — even at 18 months, she tried and savored everything except the spicy banchan, and scraped her bowl completely clean lol

"Oh my, look at that baby, she really eats well" "Did you see? The baby really eats well"

The table behind us kept marveling at this the whole time...^^ Yep lol our little one might be a future Tzuyang (the famous mukbang eater), she eats that well... haha And especially with a sundubu stew that's exactly to her taste, she'll pick up the whole bowl and drink it down🤣

With such a variety of banchan and menu items that both kids and parents can eat without worry, this restaurant is especially great for family visits! The tables weren't crammed together either, they were spaced generously, which also made it good to visit with babies!

What we'd order on a return visit to Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu

If I visit Sokcho again, I think I'll come back for the spicy sundubu / jjamppong sundubu! Order sundubu for the kids haha, and my husband and I will each get a sharp, spicy sundubu — that's all the prep we need for exploring Sokcho!

Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu is located right at the entrance area heading into Sokcho. So a trip to Sokcho with the kids comes with excitement, but also that little feeling of "whew, today's going to be a workout"... right? lol This place is an energy station with hot broth to steel your resolve and fill your belly!!

If you're planning a trip to Sokcho, definitely check out Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu! It really has a charm that keeps coming to mind — I keep thinking about it haha