6-person family meal near St. Johns Hotel, Gangneung: Jeong Eunsuk

If I had to pick the most memorable moment of our Gangneung trip, it would definitely be wrapping things up with a hearty meal at Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu! We stayed at St. Johns Hotel, and after checking out we played around at Gangmun Beach, then stopped in for lunch before heading to Jungang Market and back to Seoul. The food was so clean-tasting and the table so neatly put together that I'd recommend it for family meals or meals with parents — it's a real Gangneung Chodang sundubu restaurant worth knowing.

How far is it from St. Johns Hotel?

When planning a Gangneung trip, the distance between your lodging and the restaurant really matters. Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu is about 3-5 minutes by car from St. Johns Hotel, close enough to walk too. There's no better plan than grabbing lunch here after checkout, or filling up before check-in.

It sits right at the entrance to Chodang sundubu village, so it's easy to find, and there's parking in front of and behind the restaurant. That said, it's such a well-known spot that the parking lot heats up fast on weekends.

Sunday 1pm, party of 6 — how long was the wait?

We visited this Gangneung Chodang sundubu restaurant around 1pm on a Sunday with a Naver reservation made ahead of time. Since we were a party of six, we had to wait a bit for two tables to open up. Walk-in waiting is possible too, but if you make a Naver reservation in advance and pay the ₩20,000 deposit, you can get seated much faster — worth keeping in mind!

Menu and order — 2 adults, 4 kids, 4 servings

• Chodang deluxe table set ₩25,000
• Chodang tofu table set ₩20,000
• Tofu samhap (boiled pork) ₩31,000
• Chodang tofu hot pot ₩15,000
• Chodang sundubu hot pot ₩15,000

The menu was really clean and simple like this. We were 2 adults and 4 kids — two elementary schoolers and two toddlers — so we ordered four servings of the Chodang deluxe table set.

Since we were six, they seated us at two tables — and because we had kids, they set everything up on just one table for us!

What's in the Chodang deluxe table set for four

The deluxe table set is the essence of Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu, a set menu packed with sundubu jeongol (soft tofu hot pot), gaejami sikhae with boiled pork, braised kodari (dried pollock), and side dishes — a really hearty spread.

The first things our kids loved were the gaejami sikhae (fermented flatfish) and the boiled pork! On top of that, the house-made tofu made the whole spread feel that much more substantial.

The combination of tender boiled pork and the spicy-tangy gaejami sikhae was so good! The pork was so soft that our kid was gobbling it up in no time, haha. And the tofu was really soft and delicious too!!

Before the sundubu hot pot came to a boil, the salad we ate as a kind of appetizer was really tasty too!

How were the side dishes?

The side dishes at this Gangneung Chodang sundubu restaurant were really clean too. There wasn't a strong MSG taste at all, and the whole side dish lineup felt clean and neatly prepared.

Seasoned kodari that only comes with the deluxe set

Unlike the tofu table set, the seasoned kodari (dried pollock) grilled dish only comes with the deluxe table set — and it was genuinely delicious!

The seasoning had soaked in so well it was a total rice thief — genuinely the real deal. My husband kept going on and on about the kodari... it was so good he ended up eating most of it!

We ate the boiled pork samhap-style — tofu on top of the pork, then gaejami sikhae, then chive salad, all wrapped and eaten in one bite... so good +_+

Traveling with kids? The spicy paste comes on the side

And the sundubu jeongol was genuinely... so good! Since we had kids, they gave us the spicy dadegi (chili paste) separately, so we set some aside for the kids and added just the right amount for ourselves before boiling it — honestly... it might be the best sundubu jeongol I've had recently!! I get why people seek out Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu as THE Gangneung Chodang sundubu restaurant.

After we finished eating and left a photo review, we got this Chodang sun pudding as a treat, so we got to enjoy it as dessert!

Six people, four servings — was it enough?

With four kids, it's always a puzzle figuring out how many dishes to order at a restaurant. But the deluxe table set for four was so packed and generous that all six of us ate really well. If you're coming to Gangneung and looking for a Chodang sundubu restaurant, you have to come here!

This place is really, really clean-tasting and easy on the stomach.

My husband, who's usually sensitive to MSG and picky about food, gave it that kind of praise after just one bite. He was so satisfied he polished off two bowls of rice. Being so close to St. Johns Hotel made it easy to get to, and if you're looking for a breakfast or lunch spot before check-in or after checkout, I'd fully recommend this place!