Monday walk-in at a Gangneung soft tofu restaurant: Jeong Eunsuk

While traveling around Gangneung, I stopped by Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu in Chodang-dong for some chodang sundubu (soft tofu), the dish Gangneung is famous for. It's only about 5 minutes by car from St. Johns Hotel, so it was easy to fit into the trip. This time I ordered the Chodang Myeongpum table and added bossam (boiled pork wraps) and skate sikhae (fermented skate) as sides for a really full spread ෆ Here's my honest review after searching for good Gangneung restaurants ♡

Where is Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu, and what's the first impression?

Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu is located in Chodang-dong, Gangneung. We started from St. Johns Hotel and it took about 5 minutes by car.

There's a large dedicated parking lot too, so parking was really convenient. Parking can be a bit of a headache when hunting down Gangneung restaurants, but the space here was so wide there was no stress bringing a car at all :)

What is the dining room like inside?

Stepping inside, the space was bigger and cleaner than I expected. We visited around 2:30pm, and there were quite a few groups dining together, so it felt fairly lively overall. Still, since the restaurant is spacious, it didn't feel crowded — more just clean and comfortable overall. I thought it would be fine for a group meal too ෆ

What we ordered: the Chodang Myeongpum table for two with bossam and gajami sikhae

What we ordered that day: ✔ Chodang Myeongpum table for two. This popular menu comes with kodari gangjeong (sweet-spicy braised pollock) + tofu samhap (boiled pork) + sundubu jjigae. We added bossam and skate sikhae as sides on top of that.

The Myeongpum table alone is already a hearty spread, but with the sides added the whole table was packed with food ෆ

What comes on the Chodang Myeongpum table

The Chodang Myeongpum table lets you try kodari gangjeong, tofu samhap, and sundubu jjigae all at once. If you want to taste a bit of several dishes together, this set is a great option.

The sundubu jjigae especially kept simmering right at the table, so we could keep it hot throughout the meal.

The sundubu hot pot, simmered at your table

The sundubu jjigae included with the Chodang Myeongpum table. I liked that it kept simmering the whole time so it stayed hot from start to finish.

Sometimes food cools down too fast during a meal and that's a bit of a letdown, but with this bubbling away the whole time, it stayed warm right to the very last bite.

Scooping up the soft tofu with rice was satisfying, and it felt like I finally got to properly enjoy the chodang sundubu I'd wanted to try in Gangneung ෆ

Kodari gangjeong and tofu samhap up close

The kodari gangjeong that comes with the Chodang Myeongpum table. It's a different kind of dish from the sundubu jjigae, so eating them together made the meal feel more varied.

Apparently kodari has a fixed daily supply and can sell out early, so keep that in mind if you're planning a visit.

Tofu samhap comes together with boiled pork. Pairing the tender boiled pork and tofu with the side dishes was delicious.

Getting to try several dishes together like this rather than just the sundubu jjigae alone made me glad we ordered the Chodang Myeongpum table :)

How long is the wait, and where do you park?

We visited around 2:30pm on a Monday and there was no waiting at all. Since it was afternoon, we could sit down and eat right away without waiting, which was great. That said, waiting times can vary depending on when you visit, so take this just as a reference :)

The parking lot was spacious and easy to use. Parking is free, and if it's full, you can use the free lot at Heo Nanseolheon Memorial Park.

Gangneung stops to pair with Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu

That day we started from St. Johns Hotel, ate at Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu, and then went on to have coffee at Toetmaru, a famous Gangneung café :) It's about 5 minutes by car from St. Johns Hotel, or about 10–15 minutes on foot. After the meal it's also easy to head to nearby cafés in Chodang-dong or toward Gangmun Beach, so it's a great combo to pair Gangneung's chodang sundubu with a café stop.

The verdict at a glance

A few things that stood out most at Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu.

• Friendly staff
• Sundubu jjigae you can keep simmering to stay warm
• Chodang Myeongpum table with kodari gangjeong and tofu samhap together
• Spacious, clean interior
• Wide dedicated parking lot that was easy to use

Most of all, being able to eat the sundubu jjigae hot from start to finish was my personal favorite part. The bossam and side dishes were tasty too, not just the tofu, so it was a satisfying meal overall ෆ

Address, hours and contact

• Address: 강원특별자치도 강릉시 난설헌로 200
• Hours: Wed–Sun 08:00–18:30 (last order 17:30) / Mon 08:00–16:00 (last order 15:00)
• Closed: Tuesdays
• Parking: free dedicated lot, with free overflow parking at Heo Nanseolheon Memorial Park when full

That's my record of stopping by Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu during a Gangneung trip. It was a great spot to try a bit of everything — hot simmered sundubu jjigae, kodari gangjeong, boiled pork, and the bossam we added on. If you're looking for Gangneung's famous chodang sundubu, add this Gangneung restaurant to your travel route ♡