Sokcho charcoal pork ribs near the beach: Kkulkkuine

After wrapping up my Sokcho trip, I stopped for pork ribs for dinner at Kkulkkuine Charcoal Pork Ribs (꿀꿀이네 연탄돼지갈비), close to the express bus terminal, before heading home. Sokcho Beach is about a 20-minute walk after eating, so I went for a little walk to digest—and it was just the perfect route!! Haha

Kkulkkuine Charcoal Pork Ribs near Sokcho Beach

It sits between the Joyang-dong Prehistoric Site and Sokcho City Library, and it is quite close to the beach. You come to see the sea and suddenly crave pork ribs? Kkulkkuine Charcoal Pork Ribs is just the spot!

What are the parking and interior like?

There is also a spacious private parking lot, so it is great for visiting with family~ It is only about a 10-minute walk from the express bus terminal, too! The weather has been so nice lately that walking after a meal makes for the perfect course, haha.

The restaurant was fairly spacious. Round metal tables were gathered cozily together, and a family gathering was in full swing on one side! The restroom is indoors, too, which is convenient~

House-marinated handmade pork ribs

They say these are 100% handmade pork ribs: rather than bringing them in from a factory, they cut the meat themselves and marinate it in their house seasoning. You can definitely tell the care is different from factory-made ribs! The meat is snugly attached to the bone.

Naver receipt-review event

Write a Naver receipt review and choose one bottle of alcohol, one soft drink, or steamed egg.

The table spread and complimentary service

Among the banchan (Korean side dishes), there was seasoned bean sprouts served with sliced onion. They told me it tastes best mixed together!! So I mixed it right away. The bean sprouts had perilla seed powder in them, making them tangy, sweet, and nutty, and the sauce flavor really came alive.

Along with lettuce, peppers, garlic, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), and corn salad, they also brought salted scallop! Oh… the salted scallop had such a lovely chewy crunch. It really makes you want rice.

The steamed egg and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) are complimentary!!! The steamed egg was fluffy and savory, while the doenjang jjigae was richly cooked with house-made doenjang. It also had plenty of tofu, so satisfying!

Soju and beer prices

And soju and beer are ₩4,000! So I made myself a refreshing somaek, a soju-and-beer mix.

Three servings of charcoal-grilled pork ribs

Just look at those pork ribs—the color alone is on another level~~ Because the marinade is homemade, the color is not overly dark and the freshness of the meat comes through beautifully.

Meat grilled over charcoal is the best because it soaks up that smoky flavor!! And they use real ribs—not meat attached back onto bones~

They grill them golden without letting them burn. You have to turn them often. Deodeok-gun, who has really been in his element lately, grilled them deliciously for us ^_^

I had been rushing around all day and was a little low on energy, but sitting down in front of meat made me feel restored!

The meat included a mix of rib and pork neck/shoulder cuts~

The lightly sweet marinade was not too much at all—just the right sweetness to lift your mood. You could still feel the grain of the meat, yet it chewed so tenderly; it is a flavor everyone, adults and kids alike, would enjoy!

Top it with the special sauce and the nutty aroma of perilla seeds blooms right out—such a flavor I had never tasted anywhere else! You can only enjoy it here in Joyang-dong, Sokcho.

It was so good wrapped up with a little salted scallop, too~ I desperately wanted a bowl of rice—I should have ordered one!

Before I knew it, the king oyster mushrooms were cooked, too. Pull them apart along the grain and yum~~ The best part of pork ribs is the rib bone, after all! Once they are cooked through, grab one with your hands and tear into it—so good~

My overall verdict

Rather than a famous place you line up for on purpose, this is a local favorite with a sense of atmosphere.

The flavor may seem similar, but when care goes into it, it tastes twice as good. I also loved the generosity you could feel in the complimentary steamed egg and doenjang jjigae.