Chicken alley croquette stall in Sokcho Jungang Market: Samsam Goroke

Sokcho has a lot of famous things, and among them, Sokcho Jungang Market (these days people also call it Sokcho Tourist Fisheries Market) is packed with great restaurants and snack shops. I went to try croquettes at "Samsam Goroke" (삼삼고로케), a well-known Sokcho croquette shop inside the market!

Where is Samsam Goroke, and what are its hours?

🏡 Address: 28 Jungangsijang-ro 6-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea

It's easy to find — look for stall 42 in the chicken alley inside Jungang Market.

⏰️ Hours

• Mon–Fri 10:00–21:00
• Sat–Sun 09:30–21:00
• Last order 20 minutes before each closing time
• (Sometimes closed on Tuesdays — worth calling ahead)

Tips for finding the chicken alley in Sokcho Jungang Market

Once you're inside the market, you either stay sharp or just enjoy it and go with the flow of the crowd, haha. Even though I visited in the morning, there were plenty of people, both Korean and foreign, but it was still calmer than the afternoon, so I could move around freely without bumping into anyone.

There's a main alley in Sokcho Jungang Market called the chicken alley (닭전골목) — you'll get the feel of it once you walk around a bit, haha. Most of the popular Sokcho Jungang Market restaurants are clustered in this alley and the one next to it.

Samsam Goroke, the croquette stall Sokcho locals line up for

I'm explaining the alleys of Sokcho Jungang Market here, but honestly, I got completely lost inside the market that day. I've been coming to this market every time I visit Sokcho for over 15 years, but my group split up and agreed to meet outside at a set time, and I guess I got nervous, because I almost didn't get to taste Samsam Goroke at all~~

Samsam Goroke has six types of croquettes, freshly fried that morning and arranged by type in the showcase. Sokcho red crab, Sokcho abai, Sokcho potato, meat-packed jjamppong (spicy noodle soup style), Chinese-style gochu japchae (stir-fried glass noodles with peppers), and Sokcho pollock roe cream — among these, the red crab croquette seemed to be the most popular, sold limited to 200 a day. You absolutely have to try the Sokcho red crab croquette!!

Six freshly fried Samsam Goroke croquettes, 15 minutes after packing

Thanks to the kind explanation from the Samsam Goroke owner, I learned that you should leave the box open for about 15 minutes without covering it, so the hot steam can escape and the croquettes don't get soggy, keeping their taste intact. I wanted to eat them right away, but decided to enjoy them comfortably back at our lodging~~ so I held off and made my way there, haha.

Sokcho red crab croquette: 200 a day

The first one I took out was the Sokcho red crab croquette, and its crispy exterior was still well maintained. I remembered the owner's tip about heating it in an oven or air fryer at 170°C for about 3 minutes to bring back that just-fried taste. The bread had nicely formed air pockets, and the inside was packed with Sokcho red crab meat — splitting it in half, I understood exactly why it's the most popular flavor. The bread was fluffy, and the texture and taste of the crab meat were excellent.

Sokcho potato croquette

The slightly disappointing one was the Sokcho potato croquette — Gangwon-do potatoes are really delicious, but the filling seemed a bit light. Potato is actually my favorite... since these are handmade, I guess there was a small slip-up (?). Still, the potatoes grown in Sokcho, Gangwon-do, were tasty.

Meat-packed fire jjamppong croquette

The meat-packed fire jjamppong croquette had a spicy kick that cut through the grease and blended well. That said, this one's a pass for kids~

Chinese-style gochu japchae (pepper and beef stir-fry) croquette

The gochu japchae croquette had glass noodles inside, which made it pretty fun to eat.

Pollock roe cream croquette

The pollock roe cream croquette had bursts of roe that balanced beautifully with the cream, and the seasoning was just right. If you don't have an air fryer, placing it briefly on a well-heated pan and flipping it carefully so it doesn't burn will still get you a crispy, warm Samsam Goroke.

Samsam Goroke, a favorite Sokcho croquette shop! I'd recommend not missing it at Sokcho Jungang Market.