Sokcho Jungang Market squid sundae and tempura: Hwangbuja Twigim

Why squid sundae is the thing to buy at Sokcho's Jungang Market

Jungang Market in Sokcho has so much food, right? From dakgangjeong (sweet fried chicken) to sashimi, salted seafood, and fried snacks, there's so much to look at that it's hard to just walk past. Among all of it, if you're hunting for the best food at Sokcho's Jungang Market, isn't squid sundae (stuffed squid sausage) an absolute must?

What we ordered at Hwangbuja Twigim: sundae and fried squid

I went to Jungang Market again and couldn't just walk on by. Standing in front of the stall, you see all kinds of fried food laid out neatly, and right next to it, squid sundae being griddle-fried to a golden brown. Watching a whole batch of squid sundae sizzling like that, I find myself stopping to look every single time. This time I packed squid sundae and squid tempura together to take home, and even on the way back, they were still warm enough that I couldn't wait to eat them.

Hwangbuja Twigim doesn't just have squid tempura — there's a whole lineup of shrimp tempura, snow crab tempura, and more. Walking past, there are more varieties than you'd expect, so you pause for a moment deciding what to get. But the one I pick without hesitation is always the squid sundae.

They're browned one by one on the griddle, so they look incredibly appetizing. This time I ordered squid sundae and Abai sundae together, plus squid tempura to take home.

That day, there were more people than I expected packing squid sundae frozen to take home. It wasn't just one or two — a steady stream of people kept asking for the frozen squid sundae, which caught my eye too. Listening in, I heard someone say they'd ordered it by delivery before and loved it, so now that they were in Sokcho, they wanted to buy it in person. There are apparently people who like it enough to order it by courier.

Is the assorted fried platter good for takeaway too?

Hwangbuja Twigim also has an assorted tempura platter, which seems great for packing several kinds of fried food at once. You can pick just what you want, like squid or shrimp tempura, or go for the assorted platter if you want a bit of everything. Especially around holidays like Chuseok, when there's so much cooking to do at home, making jeon (savory pancakes) or fried food from scratch takes a surprising amount of effort. I thought this would be a good way to pre-pack fried food for the holiday. Since you can grab it straight from the market, it seems handy when prepping for a holiday meal.

Griddled squid sundae, eaten while still warm

Opening it up at home, the portion looked more generous than expected, and it was still steaming hot and looked so appetizing. Personally, I think squid sundae is best eaten warm.

I picked up the squid sundae first, and above all, that distinctive light, savory flavor of squid sundae hit the spot — absolutely delicious. The seasoning was salty in just the right way too.

The reason I love Hwangbuja Twigim's squid sundae is the browned exterior — that's the whole flavor point. The part griddle-fried to golden brown has a savory, slightly crispy feel, while the inside stays moist with that chewy squid texture I love. Squid sundae is made by stuffing filling into a squid body, so you technically can make it at home, but buying it at the market like this feels like the easiest and tastiest way to have it.

Abai sundae and fried squid in the same order

I also tried a bite of the Abai sundae (Sokcho-style blood sausage) I'd bought along with it — the skin has a chewy bite, while the inside is moist and soft, giving it a different charm from the squid sundae. It's not dry inside; there's a subtle, savory lightness to it, making it easy to eat without feeling heavy. It also had none of the usual gamey smell sundae can have, so it was clean and delicious.

As for the squid tempura, what can I even say. Fried into long strips, it had cooled down to just the right eating temperature and was incredibly crispy and chewy. Even the color of the fried batter looked so appealing, and it had that perfect one-bite-at-a-time look, so I grabbed one right away.

It wasn't overly thick squid — just the right thickness with a batter coating that was just right too, so it was extra extra extra extra ridiculously good. Fried squid, is there anything it can't do? Since I had to share with family, I only conscientiously tried one piece :)

The combination that family liked best

When we ate together as a family, plated up, the squid sundae and squid tempura turned out to be the most popular that day. Take a bite and you first feel the crispy coating, then the chewy squid follows — and it was delicious even eaten cold. Cooled down, that savory tempura flavor actually came through even more clearly. Eating a few pieces of squid sundae, then grabbing a piece of squid tempura, then going back to the sundae — that combo somehow worked really well together.

Would we buy from Hwangbuja Twigim again in Sokcho?

Sokcho's Jungang Market has so much food that every visit means agonizing over what to buy this time. I went with squid sundae again this time, and it was such a good call. I've tried squid sundae at several places, but Hwangbuja Twigim's is the best, I think. It's great to eat right there while browsing the market, or to pack it up and share with family at home like I did. If you love squid sundae, I'd say you absolutely have to try this. I'll probably end up buying it again the next time I go to Sokcho's Jungang Market.