Sokcho makguksu restaurant with 2-hour public parking: Topgol

This is the story of Topgol Makguksu Main Branch, a Sokcho makguksu spot my husband and I visited during our Sokcho trip.

Whenever you're in Gangwon-do, you kind of have to eat makguksu at least once, haha. We stopped for some during our trip too. This place is especially known for its perilla oil buckwheat noodles, nicknamed deulmemak, as its signature menu, so a lot of people who love perilla oil makguksu come here. We had a reservation for Saturday 1pm but arrived a bit early, around 12:30pm. It was crowded since it was a weekend, but the food didn't take too long to come out, so we could eat comfortably at a reasonable pace.

What we ordered at Sokcho Topgol Makguksu and the prices

At Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch we ordered deulmemak (perilla oil buckwheat noodles) for 13,000 won, Sokcho pollack sashimi makguksu for 13,000 won, single-serving suyuk for 17,000 won, and an extra pollack sashimi topping for 4,000 won. That's two bowls of makguksu plus sides for the two of us.

A sign noted that Topgol's signature perilla oil buckwheat noodles is a trademark-pending menu item. The perilla aroma hits you from the very first bite, and I got why it's called the mecca of Sokcho deulmemak.

Why you should taste the perilla oil buckwheat noodles plain first

The sign recommended mixing the deulmemak thoroughly and eating it plain first, rather than adding a bunch of seasonings right away. Trying it that way, the perilla leaf and perilla oil aromas really came together well.

The nutty perilla oil soaked well into the buckwheat noodles, and with the perilla leaf aroma rising through every so often, it was clean-tasting yet flavorful and delicious.

The buckwheat noodle texture wasn't so much chewy and springy as it was the typical soft, easily-breaking texture of buckwheat makguksu. I personally like that kind of texture, so it suited our taste well. After eating some of the noodles, I finished off the rest with a bit of dongchimi (radish water kimchi) mixed in. Eating it savory at first and then finishing with a bit of dongchimi turned it refreshing and clean, so it was nice to get a change of flavor within a single bowl.

How Sokcho pollack sashimi makguksu tastes different

The Sokcho pollack sashimi makguksu we ordered together was 13,000 won, with an extra 4,000 won for the pollack sashimi topping, and it felt completely different from the deulmemak. With the pollack sashimi added, it was tangy and sweet with a nice chewy bite, and eating it alongside the noodles felt much more substantial. After mixing in the fruit dongchimi that came with it, you could further season it to taste with the perilla oil, mustard, vinegar, and sugar set out on the table.

I liked being able to adjust the flavor bit by bit to my own taste. If deulmemak leans nutty and clean, the pollack sashimi makguksu is a bit more tangy and appetite-whetting, so ordering both and alternating between them worked really well.

So I felt that Topgol Makguksu's strength is that each makguksu menu has a clearly distinct personality.

Is single-serving suyuk at 17,000 won enough?

Sokcho Topgol Makguksu's single-serving suyuk is 17,000 won, and that was plenty for the two of us to share alongside the makguksu. We ordered it because just makguksu alone felt like it might not be enough.

We found that one bowl of makguksu on its own was just the right amount for one person, and adding the suyuk made for a pretty filling meal.

If you want to order one side dish along with your makguksu, a single-serving suyuk seems like just the right amount. We ordered two bowls of makguksu plus the suyuk and the extra pollack sashimi, and we ate really, really well, haha.

If you're not a big eater, it seems fine not to order too many side dishes.

Side dishes that pair with makguksu

At a makguksu restaurant, side dishes like kimchi and dongchimi matter just as much as the main dish. Topgol Makguksu's kimchi varieties were tasty, and everything paired well together with the makguksu overall.

Since neither the deulmemak nor the pollack sashimi makguksu is particularly heavy or spicy, pairing them with kimchi and dongchimi let us eat cleanly all the way through. When I travel and keep eating this and that, my stomach sometimes gets heavy, but makguksu felt relatively light, and my stomach didn't feel bloated afterward, which I liked. It seemed like a great option when you want a lighter, cleaner meal in the middle of a Sokcho trip.

Visiting Sokcho Topgol Makguksu with kids and family

Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch has a kids' jjajangbap (black bean sauce rice) menu, and a microwave was also available for warming baby food. One thing that stood out while eating was that the place seemed good to visit with children too.

You might expect a makguksu restaurant to only have menu items geared toward adults, but with these options prepared, families traveling with kids can visit a bit more comfortably. There were actually quite a few family groups there too.

Service at Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch

The staff kept a good eye on us throughout the meal and were kind in how they attended to us. At a popular restaurant with lots of customers, the staff are bound to be busy, but they still kept checking whether anything was uncomfortable and kindly gave us any information we needed, so we could eat happily. Little things like this quietly leave a good overall impression of a restaurant.

Parking: 2 hours of public parking support in Sokcho

Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch offers 2 hours of public parking support. We parked at Public Parking Lot 1-2, and it was plenty of time for our meal. Since most Sokcho trips involve driving around, having parking support was convenient too.

Weekend lunch waits and how the reservation worked

The day we visited was also a weekend lunch hour, so there were a lot of customers. Since it's already a well-known Sokcho restaurant, there can likely be a wait depending on the time slot. We made a reservation ahead of time, so it was relatively easy for us. If you're visiting on a weekend or during peak travel season, it seems like a good idea to reserve ahead if possible, or visit a bit earlier.

Final verdict on Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch

Eating here this time, I found Topgol Makguksu more interesting not because just one type of makguksu was good, but because each menu item had a clear character of its own. The deulmemak had that lovely nutty aroma of perilla leaf and perilla oil, while the pollack sashimi makguksu was tangy with a nice bite, so I could feel two completely different charms. Adding the suyuk on top made for a plenty hearty meal too. Most of all, I liked that my stomach didn't feel heavy or bloated afterward. If you're looking for a nutty Sokcho perilla oil makguksu during your Sokcho trip, or want to try different styles of makguksu, Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch is worth a stop 😊

Next time we're in Sokcho, I think I'll be craving the deulmemak again.

Lastly, we took a photo at the photo booth machine there, haha.