Makguksu restaurant steps from Sokcho Beach after a swim: Topgol

There are certain things you just have to eat when you travel to Sokcho. Raw fish, of course, and dakgangjeong (Korean fried chicken), and all sorts of market snacks haha. But if you skip Sokcho-style makguksu (buckwheat noodles), you'll always feel like something's missing.

This time we went with the kids near Sokcho Beach and stopped by Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch, which sits right in front of it. Bottom line first: the location was convenient, it was easy to eat with the kids, and above all, the perilla oil makguksu was exactly my kind of thing. 😋

Where is Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch and where do you park? Right in front of Sokcho Beach

Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch sits right in front of Sokcho Beach, so it fit easily into our travel route. We parked at the public parking lot, and once we stepped out we were basically already there.

When hunting for a good restaurant while traveling, location and parking matter more than you'd think. No matter how good the food is supposed to be, if you're circling around looking for a spot to park, you're exhausted before you even eat haha.

Especially when traveling with kids, even a short walk turns into "Dad, are we there yet?" "When are we arriving?" ...😂 So being able to go straight from the parking lot to the restaurant was a pretty big plus.

It's a great spot for lunch or dinner after checking out Sokcho Beach, so if you're looking for a good makguksu place in Sokcho, this one's worth adding to your itinerary.

What does the signature perilla oil makguksu taste like?

The signature dish at Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch is the perilla oil makguksu, known as deulmemak. This was also the menu item we were most curious about.

Honestly, looking at the ingredients alone, perilla oil makguksu seems really simple. Which might be exactly why it's harder to make delicious. If the perilla oil aroma is too strong it's overwhelming, but if it's too weak, it just becomes a bland bowl of noodles.

But here, the nutty aroma hits you the moment you take the first bite. 👍 It's not an in-your-face, punchy flavor — it's more the kind of thing where your chopsticks keep going back for more the longer you eat. The noodles and the perilla oil's nuttiness work so well together that you keep thinking "Oh, this is actually really good?" and just keep eating haha.

Apparently the perilla oil makguksu at Topgol Makguksu is even trademark-registered with the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

That alone tells you how confidently this place stands behind it as their signature dish. Personally, out of everything we ate this time, it's the one that stuck with me most. If you're looking for Sokcho perilla oil makguksu, this is worth trying at least once.

Adding suyuk: a boiled pork and noodle combo that works with kids

Eating just makguksu felt like it wasn't quite enough, so we also ordered suyuk (boiled pork) at Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch. And it turned out to be a great call. 😆

The suyuk came out neatly sliced, and the meat was tender and tasty. A bite of makguksu, a piece of suyuk... then back to another bite of perilla oil makguksu haha. Compared to just eating the noodles alone, it was noticeably more filling, and the combo worked well.

If you're visiting with kids, ordering suyuk alongside seems like a good idea. Kids generally prefer eating meat and other things together rather than just a bowl of noodles, so for our family, adding the suyuk actually raised our overall satisfaction.

How does pollack sashimi makguksu compare to the perilla oil bowl?

You can't skip the pollack sashimi makguksu either. If the perilla oil makguksu at Sokcho Topgol Makguksu leans nutty, the pollack sashimi makguksu clearly has a different charm.

Eating the chewy pollack sashimi together with the noodles gives a great texture, and the seasoning really wakes up your appetite. So if you're going with a group, rather than everyone ordering the same thing, it seems good to order both the perilla oil makguksu and the pollack sashimi makguksu and share.

We shared a bit of everything with the kids and ended up quite full. Going with family and ordering several dishes to steal bites off each other's plates (?) really is the best way to do it haha. 😎

Would we return to Sokcho Topgol Makguksu with the family?

Overall, our visit to Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch on this Sokcho trip was satisfying. First, being right in front of Sokcho Beach made planning our route easy, and being able to park at the public lot and walk straight there was great too.

Above all, the Sokcho perilla oil makguksu was really nutty and delicious, and it's what stuck with me most. The pollack sashimi makguksu had its own different charm, and with the suyuk added on top, it was exactly enough for a filling family meal.

Sokcho has so many good makguksu restaurants that it's hard to decide where to go, but if you're looking for one near Sokcho Beach, Topgol Makguksu Main Branch was a pretty solid choice. I usually feel a little wary about restaurants right next to famous tourist spots, but here the food actually lived up to it, thankfully haha.

The kids ate well and the adults left satisfied too. Next time we're back in Sokcho? We'll probably visit again. 😊 And I'm pretty sure I'll order the perilla oil makguksu first without even thinking twice haha.