Sokcho restaurant for a quiet 11 a.m. makguksu lunch: Topgol

On a short summer vacation trip to Sokcho 🌊, I had perilla oil makguksu (buckwheat noodles) for lunch and properly cured my hangover. Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch (속초탑골막국수 본점), right in front of Sokcho Beach, was such an easy Sokcho spot to visit :)

Right in front of Sokcho Beach: location and parking

Located right in front of Sokcho Beach in Sokcho, Gangwon, Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch is perfectly placed for lunch or dinner 🍽️ during a Sokcho trip :) Park at the Sokcho Beach public parking lot across from the restaurant and get ✨ two hours free ✨ too.

Quiet inside at 11 a.m.

We checked out of the hotel at 11 in the morning and came during that in-between lunch hour, so it was pleasantly quiet! As noon approached, tourists from around the area came in for lunch and this Sokcho restaurant filled up in no time 👍

It is said to be the only restaurant in Sokcho selling 🌟 perilla oil makguksu, so I definitely recommend stopping by if you are visiting Sokcho!

A menu from perilla oil makguksu to a kids' set meal

Sokcho Topgol Makguksu's signature perilla oil buckwheat makguksu is apparently its best-known and most popular item ✨ There is regular makguksu, buckwheat perilla seed kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), king dumpling soup, potato pancake, bossam (boiled pork wraps), and even a jajang rice kids' set meal~ They are easy, unfussy options for a full meal 🍽️, which made them even better as hangover food!

• Perilla oil makguksu ₩13,000
• Buckwheat makguksu ₩10,000
• Solo suyuk ₩17,000
• Total = ₩40,000

How to enjoy perilla oil buckwheat makguksu

Sokcho Topgol Makguksu's signature perilla oil makguksu has its own delicious way to eat it 😋 For the first bite, enjoy the perilla oil buckwheat makguksu completely on its own, without any other seasoning; then add just a little dongchimi (radish water kimchi) for an even tastier bite :)

Basic side dishes

The basic side dishes were simple: yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi), dried radish kimchi, plus ssamjang and salted shrimp sauce served with the bossam.

The three dishes we ordered on the owner's recommendation

Following the owner's recommendation, we ordered perilla oil buckwheat makguksu, regular makguksu, and solo suyuk ✔️ Since this is a seaside town in Sokcho, the little side plates were shell-shaped 🦪—so cute…

Nutty, savory perilla oil buckwheat makguksu

The smell of nutty perilla oil from the signature buckwheat makguksu seriously got my appetite going as soon as it arrived 🤤

Mix the buckwheat noodles generously coated in perilla oil with the shredded seaweed and sesame seeds, and you get the earthy flavor unique to buckwheat together with that nutty perilla oil taste! Chewy buckwheat noodles with perilla oil are the real deal.. 😋✨

Sweet-and-tangy seasoned buckwheat makguksu

The regular buckwheat makguksu came topped with pickled radish slices, shredded seaweed, perilla seeds, and seasoned sauce! They also had an extra-large size, but even the regular makguksu was quite a generous portion 😮

We added a little dongchimi broth to the regular buckwheat makguksu and mixed it in; the sweet-and-tangy seasoning tasted so rich that it was actually even more delicious ʕ•̫͡•ʔ♡ʕ•̫͡•ʔ

Solo suyuk