Sokcho makguksu restaurant: four dishes for three at 2 p.m., Topgol

While traveling around Sokcho, I wanted to have at least one meal of the region's famous makguksu (buckwheat noodles), so I went looking for a spot. There are so many makguksu restaurants near the tourist areas that I was torn on where to go, but I heard this place had a menu a bit different from the usual makguksu, and that got me curious.

Sokcho makguksu spot Topgol Makguksu, and their deulmemak!

On top of makguksu, I also ordered potato pancake, suyuk (boiled pork), and perilla kalguksu — and to cut to the chase, every single dish we had that day was delicious.

Where is Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch, and is there parking?

Topgol Makguksu Main Branch is in a really convenient spot for a Sokcho trip. It's close to Sokcho Beach too, so it's easy to look at the ocean or check out other sights before or after your meal. What I especially loved was the parking!

Parking is a low-key stressor whenever you visit a restaurant near tourist spots, but here you can use the lot near the restaurant, and eating a meal gets you a 2-hour free parking voucher — no burden at all. That made this feel like a pretty convenient restaurant near Sokcho Beach for anyone traveling by car.

If parking worries have ever made you hesitate to visit a restaurant, this is a pretty important point. If you're looking for a restaurant near Sokcho Beach with easy parking, this one is worth checking out.

A full house at Sokcho Topgol Makguksu even at 2 p.m.

We arrived around 2 p.m., and the restaurant was already almost completely full. I figured it'd be a bit quieter since lunchtime had passed, but it was full house — clearly a popular Sokcho makguksu restaurant...

Waiting seats — the mark of a good restaurant. Since it was off-season and past lunch, the wait wasn't long enough to actually need them. When you're traveling, a long wait can throw off your whole schedule, but even if there's a line here, it seems to move fairly quickly, so it shouldn't be too stressful.

The restaurant overall had a clean, comfortable atmosphere, and I saw a lot of families eating together. The restroom is inside the restaurant, which was convenient during the meal. It's a solid, safe pick for anyone looking for a restaurant near Sokcho Beach to visit with family.

The four dishes three friends ordered

We ordered four dishes in total!

• Deulmemak
• Potato pancake
• Solo-size suyuk
• Perilla kalguksu

The three of us ordered all this, and the portions turned out to be bigger than expected. We ended up leaving a little behind, but honestly it felt like a waste because every single dish was that good.

+ Solo suyuk ₩17,000

Basic side dishes were radish salad and yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi). Salted shrimp and ssamjang (thick dipping sauce) come with the suyuk order.

Deulmemak: house-cut noodles with squid ink and reishi mushroom

First, the deulmemak I was most curious about at Topgol Makguksu! As soon as it arrived, the nutty aroma was no joke... This deulmemak is made with buckwheat flour from Bongpyeong mixed with squid ink and reishi-agaric mushroom, and the noodles are made in-house. More than anything, it's a style where you really taste the buckwheat itself rather than a strong, punchy sauce.

It's plain yet nutty, and after one bite, that distinctive buckwheat aroma lingers subtly. I tend to prefer this kind of clean, understated food over anything too strongly seasoned, so I ended up loving it more than expected...! It's especially a flavor your parents' generation would love.

It's a distinctly different feel from the strongly seasoned makguksu you commonly eat these days, so it should suit anyone looking for a different kind of Sokcho makguksu. If you want something a bit more special than the ordinary makguksu you can find anywhere in Sokcho, this is a dish worth trying at least once.

Solo suyuk, 17,000 won, served with seasoned pollack salad

One of the dishes that personally impressed me most that day — the suyuk (boiled pork)! Honestly, I'd always thought of suyuk as more of a side dish at makguksu restaurants, but this was way better than expected, T_T. No exaggeration, it practically melts in your mouth the moment it hits it!

The meat was so tender there wasn't a single tough bite, and eating it together with the pollack salad was genuinely delicious. The plain richness of the meat combined with the tangy, savory pollack salad kept me reaching for more.

All three of us ended up loving the suyuk so much that it left the strongest impression on me overall. If I come back to Topgol Makguksu, I'm definitely ordering the suyuk again without a doubt. If you feel like makguksu alone isn't quite enough, add on a solo suyuk and share it.

Potato pancake and perilla kalguksu at Sokcho Topgol Makguksu

And the potato pancake! I enjoyed this one quite a lot too. It was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, so the texture was great, and above all, the flavor of the potato itself really came through. It didn't feel like it was loaded with unnecessary seasoning — more like the potato's natural nutty flavor was kept clean and intact.

And finally, the perilla kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup)! This was genuinely my kind of dish.....🖤🖤 It seemed like it'd be an absolute lifesaver the morning after drinking, with that rich, nutty perilla flavor coming through fully — so delicious. The noodles were chewy and the broth was so rich that I kept spooning it up. Next time I visit Sokcho Topgol Makguksu, I want to order this again alongside the deulmemak!

Soldiers in uniform get free dumplings! And there's also a review event where you can get dumplings. We were too full to do that ourselves, T_T.

Verdict and tips for visiting Sokcho Topgol Makguksu

What to know before you go

If you're looking for a restaurant near Sokcho Beach and want to visit without worrying about parking, and you want to try a slightly different Sokcho makguksu, I'd recommend Topgol Makguksu 😋 My top pick for makguksu is the deulmemak — but if you can, definitely try the suyuk and perilla kalguksu too....

If you want to experience something a bit different from the everyday makguksu you find all over Sokcho, this is a place worth bookmarking when searching for restaurants near Sokcho Beach. I think I'd revisit Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch on my next trip to Sokcho too...🤍