Sokcho noodle restaurant near Waterpia: seafood shabu dinner for 3

A Sokcho jangkalguksu spot we stopped by while traveling Gangwon-do! Sokcho Haemul Kkot Jangkalguksu, where hearty seafood meets hearty, savory jangkalguksu.

Why Sokcho jangkalguksu was the dinner pick after Waterpia

After wearing ourselves out swimming at Seorak Waterpia, we decided to pick a real Sokcho restaurant for dinner to recharge. Since we were on the East Coast, sashimi crossed our minds first... but then we thought, since we're in Gangwon-do, why not eat something local? I remembered seeing jangkalguksu featured on TV recently, so we decided to go find a proper Sokcho jangkalguksu spot.

My mom's side is from near Gangwon-do so I grew up eating a lot of overlapping regional dishes, but I'd never had jangkalguksu before, so I was curious — lucky timing! Search for Sokcho jangkalguksu restaurants and several come up... and the one we picked was Sokcho Haemul Kkot Jangkalguksu, near Cheongcho Lake. Parking is free at the dedicated lot behind the restaurant.

Booking Sokcho Haemul Kkot Jangkalguksu: sold out even by 6pm

I'd recommend booking ahead if you're going to this Sokcho jangkalguksu spot. We reserved dinner in advance through Naver Reservation. We had a 6pm booking, and by the time we finished eating and walked out, there was a big 'sold out' sign posted — one that wasn't there when we walked in!! For a 'safe' meal (haha), I'd recommend booking ahead during peak dining hours.

We'd already pre-ordered our menu with the reservation, but I still had a look at what was on the T-order tablet~ haha. You can order both main dishes and side dishes from it. Oh, and for families with kids, there's a kids' menu with donkatsu (pork cutlet) too. Kids love that! And for dog-owning families, dogs are welcome here.

The table setting and 3 roots of ginseng

Since it was only 15 minutes by car from Seorak Waterpia, we arrived a bit early for our reservation. The table was already set, so with time to spare, we sat and waited. We could see the kitchen bustling, prepping and plating seafood. Our reserved table already had the jangkalguksu broth, side dishes, and noodles set out. And right beside it, something caught our eye!!

Three roots of ginseng, neatly lined up!! (Since we'd booked for 3, they seemed to have prepared one root per person.) We were like 'ooh~' and wondering what to do with it, when the owner told us to eat the leaves too, so in it went — nom nom nom. Small in size, but the ginseng's bitterness really came through.

If you need forks or extra scissors for the kids, or want more side dishes, there's a self-serve bar set up next to the kitchen.

Seafood shabu jangkalguksu at 25,000 won each: the spread for 3

The vitality-boosting seafood shabu jangkalguksu (₩25,000 per person) — finally, the seafood flower platter shabu jangkalguksu for 3 arrived. (The menu name differs slightly between Naver Reservation and the in-store menu, but it's the same dish.) Seeing the seafood and beef arranged in a circle on the flower-shaped platter, you can't help but gasp at the variety and sheer volume.

Even looking back at the photos, the presentation is a perfect 10!! Tables around us were pulling out their cameras too, without even being asked — that's how photogenic it is. The abalone was still moving, which made the whole seafood spread feel that much fresher.

Seafood shabu in soybean-paste broth: did the kids eat it?

You cook the seafood and vegetables shabu-shabu style in the broth set in the middle. I was curious how that savory-smelling broth would taste, so I tried a sip — savory just like the smell, with a spicy kick, good enough to drink as-is.

The seafood cooks quickly in the hot broth!! Eating it piece by piece, it was chewy and clean-tasting, easy to enjoy. Since this broth uses jang (fermented paste) unlike the usual shabu broths, I worried our second kid wouldn't be able to eat it, but thankfully she happily ate the seafood cooked shabu-style.

Between the seafood, the beef, and the vegetables all dunked in and cooked through, the once-overflowing flower platter of seafood disappeared before we knew it.

Finishing with jangkalguksu: house-made sanghwang mushroom and potato-flour noodles

Now it's time for the finishing act — the Sokcho jangkalguksu itself! The already-savory broth had grown even deeper in flavor from cooking the seafood shabu in it. If the broth reduces too much and gets salty, you can top it up before adding the noodles and simmering.

Add the noodles, wait 7 minutes, and you get jangkalguksu where chewy noodles meet savory broth. What's special here is that Sokcho Haemul Kkot Jangkalguksu uses house-made fresh noodles aged with sanghwang mushroom and potato starch. No wonder the chewiness stood out! The starch from the noodles thickens the broth, but combined with the clean savoriness from the seafood shabu, it made for a delicious finish.

The receipt review ice cream at Sokcho Haemul Kkot Jangkalguksu

After enjoying our Sokcho jangkalguksu, be sure to grab some ice cream too. They give out Baskin Robbins ice cream for a receipt review — I absolutely love this kind of generous event! We finished off our jangkalguksu meal with the ice cream we got from the event, a satisfying palate-cleansing dessert. Fresh, generous seafood, savory broth, and chewy noodles — this Sokcho jangkalguksu spot has it all. Next time, I'd love to bring my parents along too.