Sunday lunch with a waiting area at Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu

Today I want to introduce Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu in Gangneung, a great stop when you want a hearty meal. From sundubu jjigae to tofu samhap and spicy braised pollock, the range of flavors was wide enough that it worked well for a visit with both kids and adults. Let's get into today's record~

Location and hours of Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu

• 📍Location: 200 Nanseolheon-ro, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
• 🕑Hours: Wed–Sun 08:00–18:30 (last order 17:30) / Mon 08:00–16:00 (last order 15:00)
• Closed: Tuesdays
• 🅿️Parking available

What this post covers

• The Chodang Myeongpum table, which lets you enjoy sundubu jjigae, tofu samhap, and spicy braised pollock all at once
• A generous spread that's good for tasting several dishes at once
• A large parking lot and separate waiting area in front of the restaurant that made things convenient
• Both intense and mild dishes together, making it a good fit for a family meal

Getting there — near the birthplace of Heo Nanseolheon

Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu, a Chodang sundubu spot in Gangneung, sits near the birthplace of Heo Nanseolheon, so it fits nicely into a trip that also covers Chodang-dong or the Gyeongpo/Gangmun area. By public transport, the closest stop is Heo Nanseolheon Samgeori. If you're driving, the wide parking spaces right in front of and beside the building make things very convenient too.

When you're traveling in Gangneung with parents or kids, route and parking really matter, and in that respect Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu in Gangneung is genuinely well set up for family visits.

Exterior & interior — a seated waiting area

When you arrive in front of Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu, the big sign catches your eye right away, so it's easy to find. What I especially liked was the separate waiting area. Visiting on a Sunday for lunch, there were quite a lot of customers, but instead of just standing outside, there was a space to sit and wait, which made things much more comfortable.

Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu, a Chodang sundubu spot in Gangneung, is fairly large in scale, so it's convenient for family visits too. Inside, it's a spacious dining hall with multiple tables, and baby chairs were also ready. From family groups to guests with kids to parties accompanying elderly parents, the age range was diverse, giving it a natural atmosphere for tourists as well as multiple generations dining together.

Menu and restaurant introduction — a master chef and local ingredients

Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu offers a variety of table-style meals and tofu dishes centered on Chodang tofu, and when talking about the food here, it's hard to leave out the story of Master Chef Jeong Eunsuk. According to the restaurant's introduction, Master Chef Jeong grew up near the birthplace of Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon and was close to tofu from an early age, working consistently to carry on the tradition of Chodang tofu. Her dish was selected as a Gangneung specialty ahead of the PyeongChang Olympics, which led to recognition in several cooking competitions, and she has since been registered as Korea's Master Chef No. 48.

The food also actively uses local ingredients — tofu made from beans grown in Gangwon-do, seaweed hand-harvested by haenyeo (female divers) in Jeongdongjin, and flounder caught off the east coast, among others.

The restaurant builds its Korean meal spreads around the savory, mild taste of Chodang tofu with added local ingredients. The menu is largely divided into full table spreads like the Chodang Myeongpum table and Chodang Tofu table, and single dishes like tofu samhap, Chodang tofu jeongol (hot pot), and Chodang sundubu jjeongol. The table spreads are built to let you enjoy various tofu dishes along with boiled pork or fish dishes all at once, while you can also order a single tofu dish of your choice à la carte.

What we ordered and how it tasted

Sundubu jjigae

The bubbling sundubu jjigae was the most filling dish on the Chodang Myeongpum table. One spoonful of broth gives you the mild, savory taste of the soft tofu first, followed by a spicier kick behind it. The softly broken-up tofu soaks up the broth and goes down very smoothly, and with mushrooms and vegetables mixed in, there was fun in scooping out a little of everything with each spoonful.

The longer it simmered, the more the flavors of the ingredients naturally blended into the broth, growing richer than at the start, which I liked. Since the tofu itself is so soft, the savory flavor came through much more clearly when I scooped up a generous amount of tofu along with the broth rather than just drinking the broth alone.

Tofu samhap

Tofu samhap pairs tofu with boiled pork (suyuk) and flounder sikhae (fermented flounder). You can eat each on its own, but as the name suggests, the balance of flavors came through most clearly when I stacked all three together in one bite. The tofu is moist and savory, the pork chews soft without being too greasy, and adding a bit of the flounder sikhae brings a tangy, spicy edge in between the mild tofu and pork, giving it a real point of contrast. Adding chives on top brought in aroma and a crunchy texture, making the same tofu and pork taste a little fresher.

What I especially liked was that you can adjust the combination to your taste — go heavier on tofu and pork if you want something milder, or add more flounder sikhae and seasoning when you're craving something stronger. The softness of the tofu, the meaty chew of the pork, and the savory depth of the sikhae came through one after another in a single bite, making this a dish that let me enjoy Chodang sundubu in Gangneung in a more varied way.

Spicy braised pollock

Ordering the Chodang Myeongpum table doesn't mean it's all mild dishes like sundubu and boiled pork — the spicy braised pollock (kodari) that comes with it brings a real change of pace. The glossy sauce coats the pollock evenly, topped with sesame seeds and scallions. The flavor starts off sweet and spicy from the seasoning, then gives way to the chewy texture unique to pollock.

The flesh has a noticeable grain the more you chew, creating a completely different texture from the tofu, and since the seasoning is fairly bold, it went down better paired with warm rice than eaten on its own.

Verdict — a Korean spread for every generation

The Chodang Myeongpum table I had at Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu, a Chodang sundubu spot in Gangneung, was, true to its name, not just a simple one- or two-dish meal but a full spread of various tofu dishes and Korean fare. The sundubu jjigae was warm and soft, the tofu samhap was fun to mix and match to taste with tofu, pork, and flounder sikhae, and the spicy braised pollock added a sweet-and-spicy change of pace to the table.

With the basic side dishes set out too, the table was packed full, and being able to share small portions of several dishes was really satisfying. With soft, mild dishes like sundubu alongside boiled pork and fish dishes all in one spread, this felt less like a menu suited to just one age group and more like a Korean meal that works well for every generation, kids and adults alike. The large parking lot out front was also a big plus for convenience when moving around as a family.

Recommended for

• Anyone in Gangneung wanting a generous spread of Chodang tofu and varied Korean dishes in one table
• Anyone looking for a Gangneung restaurant where the whole family, from kids to parents, can eat together
• Anyone wanting to try not just sundubu jjigae but also tofu samhap and spicy braised pollock
• Anyone looking for a restaurant with a large parking lot and a proper waiting area