Dog-friendly Sokcho makguksu restaurant, carrier required: Topgol

Is there a wait at Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch at mealtime?

Yes. Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch (속초탑골막국수 본점) was busy enough at mealtime that we had to wait. There is so much good food in Sokcho that it's hard to decide what to eat, but this time I was curious about a makguksu a little different from the usual, so we went to Topgol.

I'd been curious about the place since searching for it before the trip, and it really was packed with people, probably because it was mealtime. There were also quite a lot of autographs from celebrities who visited recently, which made it feel like a place that has been loved for a long time.

Pet policy and parking at Topgol Makguksu

Dogs are allowed at Topgol, but a carrier is required, and you get 2 hours of free parking when you dine. We had just come to Sokcho with our dog, so pet-friendliness mattered a lot, and Topgol was fine with it. The carrier is a must though, so if you're planning to visit, prepare one beforehand.

Parking is something that quietly worries you when choosing a restaurant in Sokcho. Topgol gives 2 hours of free parking with a meal, which was convenient for us traveling by car.

On a Sokcho trip you park and move on at every tourist spot over and over, so it was nice to have one less thing to worry about during the meal. Families and people traveling by car with a dog always check parking first, so this is worth knowing before you go.

What we ordered at Topgol Makguksu

That day we ordered a bit of everything: deulmemak (perilla oil buckwheat makguksu), suyuk bossam (boiled pork), pollack-sashimi spicy makguksu and a kids' jjajang rice. Rather than just one bowl of makguksu, I wanted to try something mild, something meaty and something spicy together.

We also ordered the kids' jjajang rice to see what a child could eat here.

What does deulmemak (perilla oil buckwheat makguksu) taste like?

Deulmemak has the nutty, subtle aroma of perilla oil first, followed by the clean taste of buckwheat noodles, and it isn't harsh at all. It was the dish I was most curious about. When you think of makguksu you usually picture a sweet-tangy sauce or cold broth, but the direction here was different from the very first bite.

It doesn't hit you with a strong flavor. You take one bite and think, "Hm, that's nutty!" and then keep going back for one more bite.

The perilla oil didn't feel too heavy either. It blended with the plain taste of buckwheat, so it was cleaner than I expected. If you've only had spicy or tangy makguksu, this may feel a little fresh and different.

Sea noodles made in-house with squid ink and mushroom

According to Topgol's description, they make "sea noodles" in the restaurant by mixing Bongpyeong buckwheat flour with squid ink and ganoderma/phellinus mushroom. Maybe that's why the noodles looked a little different in color from ordinary makguksu noodles the moment I saw them.

The restaurant presents this combination as its distinctive house-made noodle, and says deulmemak is a trademark registered with the patent office. Knowing that, I found myself wondering "what will these noodles taste like?", which made it more fun than just eating makguksu. I think the point here is enjoying the texture of the noodles together with the nuttiness of the perilla oil.

How is the pollack-sashimi spicy makguksu different from deulmemak?

The pollack-sashimi spicy makguksu is the opposite of deulmemak: a tangy, spicy sauce with seasoned raw pollack that wakes up your appetite. I ordered it to contrast with the mild deulmemak, and the mood was definitely different from the perilla oil noodles.

Mixing the chewy noodles well with the sauce brought out a savory depth, and the texture of the pollack here and there kept a whole bowl from getting monotonous. Personally, I think deulmemak suits people who like mild flavors, and the pollack makguksu suits people who like a seasoned noodle that perks up the appetite.

Suyuk bossam to go with the makguksu

The suyuk bossam (boiled pork) at Topgol was tender and went well with makguksu. It felt like something you'd miss if it weren't on the table, so we ordered it too, and the plain meat with noodles was a great combination.

Eating the suyuk with a seasoned dish like the pollack makguksu added the meat's mildness between the tangy-spicy bites, and the balance was nice. If makguksu alone feels a bit light for you, adding the suyuk bossam makes the meal more filling.

Going with a child: there's a kids' jjajang rice

Topgol has a separate kids' jjajang rice (rice with black bean sauce), so we ordered that too. When you go to a restaurant with a young child, it's so much easier when there's a dedicated kids' dish instead of only adult menus.

Makguksu or pollack sashimi can be tough for a child depending on their taste, so being able to pick jjajang rice instead seemed good for family visits.

Eating in Sokcho with a dog: just bring a carrier

Dogs are allowed at Topgol, but a carrier is required, so please remember that. We were traveling with our dog this time, so whether a restaurant allowed pets really mattered.

We brought a carrier and visited together, and it was much easier not to have to leave the dog at the accommodation during the trip. Sokcho has many places to go with a dog, but finding somewhere to eat can narrow your options, so a pet-friendly restaurant was helpful when planning our route.

Who I'd recommend Topgol Makguksu to

• People who want a makguksu a little different from what you can get anywhere on a Sokcho trip
• People who usually like perilla oil makguksu
• People looking for a place to eat with their dog

There was a wait, but looking at the celebrity autographs and eating good makguksu and suyuk in a busy, market-like atmosphere made it a pretty memorable meal of our Sokcho trip. Food on a trip sticks with you longer when it has something you can only find in that region, right?

On this Sokcho trip we enjoyed the nutty deulmemak, the tangy-spicy pollack makguksu and the suyuk bossam together, and finished the meal feeling full. 😊