Sokcho tempura shop, ₩15,000 prawn and squid set: Hwangbuja Twigim

When you visit Sokcho, market food is a must! So this time I went hunting for a Sokcho Jungang Market restaurant worth the trip. Among all the Sokcho Jungang Market spots, Hwangbuja Twigim 🦐 had a pretty long line. Sharing the details for anyone deciding what to eat at Sokcho Jungang Market 😊

Why there's always a line at Hwangbuja Twigim in Sokcho Jungang Market

Hwangbuja Twigim is at stalls 26 and 27 of Sokcho Tourist Fisheries Market — the stall with the longest line inside the market. It's been on MBC's 'I Live Alone,' so there's a big photo from the show posted out front. The market itself was already packed with people, haha, and even so the line in front of Hwangbuja Twigim was pretty long.

Out front, all the tempura and pancake items are laid out with a price list.

Squid tempura, nude shrimp, snow crab legs, baby crab, shrimp tempura — so many options 👀 There were so many people I got swept into line and just picked a set menu right away! Right next to it, they keep grilling nurungji squid sundae on a big griddle 🔥 Even with several staff working, the line kept moving steadily despite its length.

Hwangbuja Twigim menu and prices: which sets are worth it?

Hwangbuja Twigim is a place where you can get both tempura and sundae (Korean stuffed sausage) at once — one of the go-to eats at Sokcho Jungang Market. The signature nurungji squid sundae is ₩15,000, and most tempura items sit around ₩10,000.

• Nurungji squid sundae: ₩15,000
• Squid sundae: ₩15,000
• Mini squid sundae: ₩10,000
• Abai sundae: ₩10,000
• King prawn tempura: ₩10,000
• Nude shrimp tempura: ₩10,000
• Snow crab tempura: ₩10,000
• Squid tempura: ₩10,000
• Seed shrimp gangjeong: Small ₩10,000 / Large ₩20,000
• Baby crab (1 box): ₩10,000
• Assorted tempura: ₩10,000
• Buckwheat pancake (5pc): ₩10,000
• Sorghum pancake (5pc): ₩10,000
• Kimchi pancake, potato pancake: ₩6,000 each

There are set menus too, which makes choosing more fun~ The king prawn + squid tempura set is ₩15,000, and the squid sundae + nurungji squid sundae set is ₩20,000. The nurungji squid sundae + Abai sundae set is also ₩20,000, so if you're hunting for Abai sundae in Sokcho, this is a good way to get both 👍

Nurungji squid sundae, 15,000 won and crisped on the griddle

Hwangbuja Twigim's nurungji squid sundae is ₩15,000 — round-cut squid sundae grilled on a griddle until golden and crackly like nurungji (scorched rice). If you come to Sokcho you basically have to eat squid sundae 🦑, and while there are plenty of squid sundae spots inside the market, this one stood out for grilling it fresh on the griddle.

Inside the squid casing it's packed full, and the outer surface is scorched like nurungji. Pick up a piece and you can see rice and vegetables studded throughout 😋 They gave two packets of seasoned soy sauce for dipping, which made it easy. If you're looking for a good squid sundae spot in Sokcho, definitely try the nurungji squid sundae here~

King prawn and squid tempura set for 15,000 won

For the tempura, I chose the king prawn tempura and squid tempura set — ₩15,000 for both 🍤. The king prawn tempura is fried whole, head and all, so it's pretty large.

The squid tempura came out long and thin, easy to pick up piece by piece. They packed it in a yellow bag with paper lining, so it was easy to carry around~ If you're looking for a good shrimp tempura spot in Sokcho, I'd recommend grabbing this set here!

Eating Hwangbuja Twigim takeout with beer at the hotel

We took the nurungji squid sundae and tempura we bought at Hwangbuja Twigim back to our hotel in downtown Sokcho and ate them as beer snacks 🍺 The nurungji squid sundae and tempura combo was perfect with beer, haha.

When you're hunting for a good spot at Sokcho Jungang Traditional Market, it's hard to choose since there are so many squid sundae shops, right? If you're picking one Sokcho Jungang Market restaurant with a long line, put Hwangbuja Twigim on your shortlist too 😊 Sharing this to help with your Sokcho Jungang Market restaurant list!

Hwangbuja Twigim hours, parking and how to find it

• Location: Stalls 26–27, Sokcho Tourist Fisheries Market (Sokcho Jungang Market)
• Hours: Daily 08:00–20:30
• Closed: Every Tuesday
• Parking: Public parking lot across from the market, 30-minute discount ticket with purchases over ₩15,000
• Waiting: Line is long but moves fast
• Signature dish: Nurungji squid sundae ₩15,000
• Recommended set: King prawn + squid tempura ₩15,000
• Delivery: Nationwide shipping available
• How we ate it: Packed to go, eaten as beer snacks at the hotel