Gangneung tofu restaurant with in-laws, two sets each: Jeong Eunsuk

Chodang sundubu (soft tofu) is one of those dishes you just have to eat whenever you visit Gangneung. This time I went with my husband's family, and while looking for somewhere everyone could eat together, we ended up at Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu.

Since it was a family meal with a baby too, the taste of the food mattered, but so did whether it would be comfortable to eat there with a little one. Luckily the restaurant had a baby chair ready, so it was easy to bring the baby along. If you're looking for a place where the whole family can eat together, this might be worth keeping in mind.

A Gangneung soft tofu restaurant for the whole in-law family

This time it wasn't just my husband and me — my in-laws came along too. With so many of us eating together, we wanted a place where we could order a variety of dishes to share. That's how we ended up at Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu.

A lot of families want to eat chodang sundubu when they come to Gangneung, and here there are side dishes to go with the sundubu too, which made it easy to order for a bigger group.

Especially when eating with a baby, having a baby chair really matters, and having one made things much more comfortable for us. If you're planning a Gangneung trip with a baby, this might be worth checking on too.

Ordering two Chodang tofu table sets and two Chodang deluxe sets

That day, so the whole family could eat together, we ordered 2 chodang tofu table sets + 2 chodang deluxe table sets. With several of us there, it's nicer to order different sets and share a variety of dishes than to just order one menu item. The chodang deluxe table set especially came with added kodari (dried pollock), and I was excited waiting for it.

To cut to the chase — out of everything the family ate that day, the kodari was what really stuck with me.

The kodari that turned out better than expected

I've had kodari before now and then, but the kodari here was way better than any I'd had elsewhere. Above all, the seasoning had really soaked in. It was evenly worked into the flesh, so you could taste the seasoning right from the first bite, and it went perfectly with rice.

Kodari can sometimes end up with the seasoning just sitting on the surface, or taste too sharp and strong, but this one had the seasoning soaked in nicely while still being easy to eat with rice.

Best of all, even my mother-in-law, who's quite picky about taste, tried it and said this place was genuinely delicious. She tends to judge food pretty carefully when our family eats together, so hearing that made me quietly proud, haha. The bossam (boiled pork) that came with it was also really good!

When eating with family, it's a bit of a letdown if even one person doesn't like something, but this time everyone enjoyed it, which made me happy.

Clean, seafood-based chodang sundubu

And of course, since we'd made it all the way to Gangneung, we had to properly try the sundubu too. The sundubu at Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu is made with a seafood-based broth, so it felt clean and light. The soft texture of the tofu itself paired with a broth that wasn't too heavy made it easy to eat without feeling weighed down.

Personally, I also like strongly seasoned dishes like sundubu jjigae, but when I come to Gangneung, I like having the mild, clean flavor that's unique to chodang sundubu.

Maybe thanks to the seafood-based broth, it had a savory depth while still tasting clean, which I liked. Eating the soft tofu together with the broth felt warm and comforting — a dish that worked really well for eating together with family.

How easy is a family meal here with a baby?

One thing I personally liked about this visit was how easy it was to bring the baby along. Since our baby is still young, whenever we eat out I always check first whether there's a baby chair, and Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu had one ready, so I could use it comfortably throughout the meal.

Since it was a meal with the whole in-law family, I also had to look after the baby at the same time, and having the baby chair made things noticeably easier. If you're planning a Gangneung trip and looking for a place to eat with parents or in-laws, this is worth keeping in mind.

Worth another visit on the next Gangneung trip

Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu, where we visited this time with my husband's family, was a great spot for a whole family to eat together. We ordered the chodang tofu table set and the chodang deluxe table set, and the sundubu was clean and tasty, but the kodari that came with the deluxe set was especially memorable.

The seasoning felt much better soaked in than kodari I've had elsewhere, so it went great with rice, and even my picky mother-in-law said it was delicious, so the whole family had a satisfying meal. Best of all, we visited with our baby and there was a baby chair, which made things easy, and it was also a good place to share different table sets since we came as a bigger group.

Whenever you go to Gangneung, chodang sundubu is something you end up eating at least once, and this time, visiting with family made the meal even more memorable. If my family visits Gangneung again, we plan to come back to Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu 🤍

If you're looking for a good sundubu restaurant in Gangneung to eat with family, or a restaurant to visit with a baby, I hope this helps!