Sokcho Korean restaurant for red snow crab tempura: Hwangbuja Twigim

A must-stop on a Sokcho trip: Sokcho Central Fish Market! With the sea nearby and so much delicious food, I decided to pick up some tasty fried snacks from Sokcho Central Market as the finale to my Gangwon trip. The famous fried-snack spot I visited was Hwangbuja Twigim (황부자튀김). It was great for buying a variety of fresh seafood fritters—squid, shrimp, squid sundae, Abai sundae, baby crab, and more—to share, along with kimchi pancakes, potato pancakes, and susubukkumi. And of course, the golden fritters tasted even better straight out of the fryer.

It would be lovely to eat freshly fried crab-meat tempura while looking at the sea during your trip, or, if you are looking for a late-night snack for your accommodation, have a look at the delicious fritters at Hwangbuja Twigim.

Hwangbuja Twigim location and hours

Hwangbuja Twigim is in Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market at 16 Jungang-ro 147beon-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea. Its hours are 08:00–20:30, and it is regularly closed every Wednesday.

I parked in the public lot before visiting Sokcho Central Market! It was crowded because it was the weekend. Hwangbuja Twigim is right at the entrance to Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market, so it was easy to find.

I heard it originally began as a sundubu restaurant in Sokcho's Nohak-dong. The owners made fritters, tteokbokki, dumplings, and more as snacks for athletes visiting Sokcho for training, then changed their business to a fritter shop. Apparently, it is a truly delicious Sokcho Central Market spot that actor Sung Hoon also visited on I Live Alone.

Seafood fritters and susubukkumi

If you are looking for a great fried-snack spot in Sokcho Central Market, this would be a good one to visit. There were individual items such as king prawn tempura, peeled shrimp tempura, red snow crab meat tempura, and seed shrimp gangjeong, as well as reasonably priced half-and-half sets for trying a variety. The portions were generous, and the market setting made it feel affordable.

Susubukkumi, a sweet red-bean pancake made with sorghum, is widely known as a local Gangwon specialty. It has the feel of a sweet red-bean pancake, so if you are visiting with your grandparents, it would be nice to let them try it.

I decided to try the red snow crab meat tempura that I had enjoyed so much at a sashimi restaurant the day before, along with baby crab and seed shrimp gangjeong.

There was also squid sundae, stuffed generously with mild fillings, and savory, crisp nurungji squid sundae. Anyone visiting Gangwon eats squid sundae, right~! Lots of people were buying that too.

Takeout and the taste of red snow crab tempura

They packed the fritters nicely in a cute bag, so they were easy to bring safely all the way home. Everything was neatly packed in a box, which made it convenient to carry around. I also loved that it was securely packed, with no worry about the sauce leaking or spilling.

You cannot leave out red snow crab when you are in Sokcho! I could not bear to take the hot, freshly made red snow crab tempura home without trying it, so I picked one up and ate it right in the market. The outside was crisp, while the red snow crab meat inside was wonderfully tender. You do not have to peel the shell and eat only the meat—just take a bite—so I think children would really enjoy it too.

There were baby crabs fried whole until crisp, seed shrimp gangjeong, and red snow crab meat tempura~ Even after the two-hour trip home, they were still crispy.

The baby crabs, fried whole and crisp right through the shells, were savory and salty—so good with beer. The seed shrimp gangjeong I bought instead of dakgangjeong had bouncy shrimp and a sweet sauce that kept me reaching for more.

If you are looking for a good place in Sokcho Central Market, I think you should try these crispy fritters as an easy snack while traveling. Another delicious meal today!