Dinner for two sharing mulhoe at Sokcho Jungang Market: Hwanggeum

Hi, this is Mitori!

You can't visit Sokcho without stopping by Sokcho Jungang Market! After browsing the market and picking up some kkwabaegi (twisted doughnuts) from Elephant Bunsik to go, we headed to Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip for dinner. Most people who visit this place order mulhoe to take away, but this time we actually sat down and ate in the restaurant.

Parking info — a parking discount voucher is provided.

Where is Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip inside Jungang Market?

Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip is located inside Sokcho Jungang Market, so it's a convenient spot to eat before or after browsing the market. We visited the market in the evening, grabbed some light snacks there, and decided to have a proper dinner at this restaurant.

We ate in, but there was a steady stream of people coming to pick up raw fish and mulhoe to go. Since it was still summer, so many people were taking mulhoe home!

Outside, there was a fish tank full of live fish and various seafood — it definitely gave off that raw fish restaurant feel! I tried steamed scallops for the first time in Sokcho, and apparently they steam scallops here too.

Since so many customers come for takeout, the front of the store had samples of hwanggeum mulhoe, abalone mulhoe and other types lined up by variety.

What is the dining room like? Table layout that suits families

Walking into Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip, the interior felt cleaner and more organized than I expected! Raw fish restaurants can sometimes feel cramped with tables packed tightly together, but here the tables were spaced out so you could eat comfortably.

The overall vibe was bright and clean, so it seemed like a good spot for families too, and comfortable for travelers passing through.

The walls were covered with photos and descriptions of various menu items, which made it easy to decide what to order before sitting down.

The menu: what else besides mulhoe?

Looking at the menu, there was more than just mulhoe — raw fish, seafood, and full meal options too. For meals, there was nutritious abalone porridge and hoedeopbap!

The raw fish, seafood, and side dish options were so varied! Side dishes included wild-caught squid muchim, flounder muchim, nurungji squid sundae, potato pancake, buckwheat jeonbyeong, and even cup dakgangjeong (fried chicken bites) — such a wide range prepared!

Wanting something distinctly Sokcho, we ordered what looked like the signature dishes: hwanggeum mulhoe and hwanggeum hoedeopbap. We actually debated between the nutritious abalone porridge and hoedeopbap, but since both mulhoe and hoedeopbap use raw fish — mulhoe served in a cold broth, hoedeopbap mixed with vegetables and rice — they were perfect to share between two people.

How does the hwanggeum mulhoe taste with buckwheat noodles added?

First up, the hwanggeum mulhoe!

Raw fish and vegetables were piled generously over the cool mulhoe broth — it looked delicious just to look at!

I added the buckwheat noodles that come with the mulhoe right from the start. The broth is the most important part of mulhoe, and this one had just the right balance of sour and sweet, which went well with the chewy raw fish. With the fish, vegetables, and noodles together, it made for a really filling meal!

The hwanggeum hoedeopbap: rice, seaweed soup and side dishes

The second dish was hwanggeum hoedeopbap! The bowl came generously filled with raw fish and vegetables, and we mixed in the rice served separately along with the sauce. If the hwanggeum mulhoe felt cool and refreshing, the hwanggeum hoedeopbap was much more filling thanks to the rice — a proper meal! Ordering one mulhoe and one hoedeopbap between two people and sharing let us enjoy a variety of flavors.

The rice and warm seaweed soup that came with the hoedeopbap!

They also prepared basic side dishes, which were nice to pair with the main dishes in between bites. I love sweet pumpkin, so I enjoyed the side dishes a lot too.

Sokcho Jungang Market is the kind of place where just looking at all the food makes time fly, so I'd recommend browsing the market first and then finishing off with some cool mulhoe as the perfect Jungang Market course.