Gangneung noodle restaurant with house-made mul-makguksu: Gossi's

A trip where you gaze out at the wide-open blue East Sea while enjoying cool makguksu and softly spicy sundubu together — doesn't just thinking about it get you excited?!

On this Gangneung trip, I really wanted to taste a proper local spread, so I made my way to Gossi's Donghae Makguksu, a name that never seems to be missing from any local's list of Gangneung restaurant recommendations. Sitting right in front of Gangmun Beach, it's a spot where you can watch waves rolling in through the window like a picture. Let's dive right into the charm of eating well in Gangneung with an ocean view! ✨

Where is Gossi's Donghae Makguksu, and where can dogs sit?

At the entrance to Gossi's Donghae Makguksu, there was a helpful notice about bringing pets. Dog-friendly seating is flexibly arranged using the 3rd floor or the annex, which is great news for anyone traveling with their pup.

Panoramic ocean-view windows and the house-made noodle sign at Gossi's

The moment I stepped inside, a panoramic ocean-view window that made me gasp opened up in front of me. Lots of people were leisurely dining facing the sea — with a view this good, the food somehow tastes even better!! haha

On the wall hung a large sign reading '自家製麵' (house-made noodles), along with the philosophy that noodles are freshly cut and cooked the moment you order. The instant I saw that sign, my expectations for the buckwheat noodles shot way up.

What side dishes and table condiments come with the meal?

The basic table setting included pickled radish, kkakdugi, and cool yeolmu kimchi, all perfect pairings for makguksu. Eating the yeolmu kimchi together with the makguksu especially made for a really clean, refreshing combo.

The self-serve corner was kept so hygienically that I could comfortably help myself to more of whatever side dish I was running low on.

On one side of the table, vinegar, mustard, and sugar were neatly arranged so you could season your makguksu just how you like it — everything was fully set up to customize your bowl to taste.

What's in the two-person set: mul-makguksu, spicy sundubu kalguksu and boiled pork

With the blue sea as a backdrop through the window, our order arrived at the table. What we picked was the two-person set, which comes with two noodle dishes plus boiled pork! For the noodle dishes we chose mul-makguksu and spicy sundubu kalguksu, and added a side of flying fish roe buckwheat gimbap. Just looking at it was so generous it instantly felt filling.

Honestly, we just ordered too much...

Mul-makguksu: cold buckwheat noodles in slushy-ice broth

First up is the cool mul-makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles in broth) you can't skip if you're in Gangneung. Freshly cut buckwheat noodles coil in a sweet-and-tangy broth topped with floating slush ice, and the noodles kept their signature bounce — chewy, yet cleanly snapping apart. Gulping down the cold broth cleared my palate in an instant!!! It definitely has a charm different from naengmyeon :)

Spicy sundubu kalguksu with Chodang soft tofu

The dish that showed off a real twist was the spicy sundubu kalguksu, which lived up to Gangneung's reputation as a sundubu (soft tofu) hotspot. The bright red broth was packed with soft Chodang sundubu and chewy kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), and the first spoonful of broth had a deep, spicy, smoky heat that instantly cleared my head. Gangneung is famous for Chodang sundubu, you know — I really love it, and I'd only ever had it as sundubu-jjigae with rice, so eating it with kalguksu noodles instead was such a great combination! The soft tofu, ground meat, and seaweed flake garnish came together so well I thought it'd make a perfect hangover cure too.

The boiled pork included in Gossi's set for two

The biggest surprise was the boiled pork that came with the set. Boiled thoroughly with absolutely no gamey smell, it was soft and tender enough to melt in my mouth. Paired with the sweet-and-spicy jeotgal (salted seafood?) served alongside, the savory flavor exploded.

The scene-stealer: flying fish roe buckwheat gimbap

The flying fish roe buckwheat gimbap (seaweed rice roll) we chose as a side turned out to be the hidden scene-stealer of this visit. It's filled with nutty buckwheat noodles instead of rice, making it light and refreshing to eat. I wondered if a bowl of makguksu plus gimbap on top would be too much, but since it's gimbap made with buckwheat noodles topped generously with flying fish roe, I inhaled it without any carb guilt at all haha.

Is Gossi's worth a meal at Gangmun Beach in Gangneung?

If you want to soak up a local atmosphere while getting an ocean view as a bonus, this is a place I can confidently recommend. It fully earns its spot on any list of Gangneung restaurant recommendations that balance view, taste, and value. If you're looking for a hearty, memorable meal in Gangneung, definitely stop by! 🍜