Sokcho restaurant for nutty perilla oil makguksu: Topgol

While I was visiting Sokcho, I wanted a delicious meal, so I went to Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch (속초탑골막국수 본점). Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch is also well known for its Sokcho-style perilla oil makguksu.

Deulmemak at Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch

It is a place where you can try the trademark-registered “deulmemak”—literally, makguksu made by combining perilla oil and buckwheat.

When I went inside, the dining room was spacious and neat, and there was plenty of space between tables. It looked suitable for a family visit or a meal with a larger group, too.

I was shown to a table as soon as I entered. After some deliberation, I ordered three dishes: deulmemak, buckwheat makguksu, and potato pancake.

After I ordered and waited a little, the side dishes were set out first, and the food came sooner than I expected, which was nice!

Deulmemak with a gentle, nutty aroma

First, I tried the deulmemak I had been looking forward to.

The rich, nutty aroma characteristic of perilla oil rose gently, and it went so well with the mild flavor of the buckwheat noodles.

It was not aggressively spicy or salty; the nutty flavor was the focus, so it was easy to enjoy the flavor of the buckwheat noodles themselves.

If you love perilla oil in particular, I think this is a menu item worth trying at least once. The oil was evenly mixed through the noodles, so every chopstickful released that lovely nutty aroma. The buckwheat noodles still had their distinctive texture, and before I knew it, I had slurped my way through almost the whole bowl, haha.

Spicy-sour buckwheat makguksu and potato pancake

The buckwheat makguksu had a completely different charm from the deulmemak!

The tangy, spicy seasoning blended beautifully with the buckwheat noodles and really woke up my appetite, you could say? Haha. My husband ordered the buckwheat makguksu, but it was so tasty that I kept stealing bites, haha.

As we were eating, the potato pancake came out, too!

The potato pancake we ordered was more generous than expected, so it was great for sharing, too.

The outside was nicely golden and savory, while the inside had that mild, fluffy potato texture. Crispy outside, tender inside! It was so delicious!

Makguksu alone might have felt a little lacking, but ordering the potato pancake alongside it made for a satisfying meal. :)

A satisfying meal near Sokcho Beach

Overall, it was nice that the menu was not all intensely seasoned dishes. With mild ingredients like buckwheat and potatoes, it felt like I had enjoyed a wholesome meal during my Sokcho trip. Parking was convenient, too! If you use the public parking lot, you can receive support for two hours of parking, which takes a little of the burden off for those visiting by car. Best of all, it is near Sokcho Beach, so the location is handy for a meal after stopping by the beach.

If you are wondering what to eat while traveling in Sokcho and craving nutty Sokcho perilla oil makguksu, I think Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch is worth a visit. :) We tried all three dishes—deulmemak, buckwheat makguksu, and potato pancake—and I was glad we ordered them together because each had a different flavor.

I would recommend this place to anyone who wants a filling meal in Sokcho without feeling weighed down, or who usually enjoys buckwheat dishes!

Oh, and lastly, it was nice that we could take a commemorative photo, too.

If you are looking for a good makguksu restaurant in Sokcho, have a bowl of nutty deulmemak at Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch near Sokcho Beach. I recommend it.