Sokcho mulhoe restaurant: last-day breakfast at opening, Hwanggeum

A bowl of cold mulhoe at Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip (속초황금물회횟집), a top Sokcho mulhoe spot!! It was an excellent choice.

Why mulhoe for breakfast on the last day in Sokcho?

For our last breakfast before heading back to Seoul, we picked the mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) at Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip. I was wondering what to eat, and then it hit me: if you come to Sokcho, you have to have mulhoe at least once.

So we ended up at Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip, at the entrance of the fish market in Sokcho Jungang Market. Every time we come to Sokcho we eat snow crab, raw fish and dakgangjeong (sweet crispy fried chicken), but strangely we rarely get the chance to have mulhoe. I wanted to finish the trip with a proper bowl on the last day.

Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip: location, hours and parking

The restaurant is inside Sokcho Jungang Market, at the entrance of an alley facing the churros shop we tried once before. It is open Sun–Thu 10:00–21:00 and Fri–Sat 10:00–22:00, and takeout is available.

• Address: 24 Jungangno 147beon-gil, Sokcho, Gangwon, South Korea, 1st floor
• Hours: Sun–Thu 10:00–21:00 / Fri–Sat 10:00–22:00
• Takeout available
• Parking: use the Sokcho Jungang Market public parking lot

A newly opened restaurant: clean, with no fishy smell

The place seems to have opened only recently. The fish tank, the exterior and the sign are all brand new, so it was clean with no fishy smell at all. The tank full of fresh fish had very clean water too.

I loved that the menu is posted at the entrance. You can sketch out a rough plan before going in. Inside, it was much bigger than it looks from outside, with lots of tables.

It suits every kind of group, from solo diners to tour groups.

Is Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip quiet in the morning?

We came for breakfast and an early lunch in one, and there were no customers yet. So we took our time and ate comfortably, just the two of us.

Congratulatory plants were still crowded on top of the drink fridge. I vaguely heard that the owner is the fried food shop owner from the TV show Seomin Gapbu, but.. I really don't know. Anyway, it's a newly opened restaurant, so I wish them great success.

Mulhoe for two at Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip: how big are the portions?

After looking over the menu, we ordered two servings of the signature mulhoe without any debate. It came as separate single servings, and each portion was quite large.

Apart from the buckwheat noodles, these are the basic side dishes. The mulhoe portion was so big that we couldn't even finish the sides.

The mulhoe looked refreshing just by sight.

The generous raw fish, assorted vegetables and broth with ice crystals floating on top really got our appetites going.

Is the mulhoe broth sweet?

The broth at Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip is sweet and tangy with a rich savory depth, and the first spoonful instantly woke up my appetite. Personally I would have liked it a little less sweet, but my spouse thought it should be exactly this sweet.

Eating it with the fresh raw fish added a chewy texture, and it was very satisfying. Among the foods of Sokcho Jungang Market, I think mulhoe might be the best.

Mulhoe on a hot day really is the best choice.

Buckwheat noodles instead of thin wheat noodles

The mulhoe here comes with buckwheat noodles instead of somyeon (thin wheat noodles). Partway through, I mixed them in, and the tangy broth soaking into the noodles made another treat. Most restaurants serve somyeon, so buckwheat noodles felt unusual. We cleaned the bowl without leaving anything.

Now I understand why so many people recommend Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip as a Sokcho mulhoe spot. The raw fish was more generous than I expected, so we never felt short, and it tasted even better with the crunchy vegetables. Beyond the fresh ingredients, the good broth let us enjoy it to the very end.

Can you get raw fish to go at Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip?

Yes, the restaurant offers takeout for various raw fish dishes, not just mulhoe. It seems like a good option for Sokcho raw fish takeout if you plan to enjoy it at your lodging during the trip or bring it home. When we passed by later after walking around Sokcho Jungang Market, we actually saw customers placing takeout orders.

A last meal to wrap up a Sokcho trip

We travel to Sokcho often and have been to lots of good restaurants, but the mulhoe at Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip on our last day was a memorable meal. That one cool, generous bowl let us finish the trip on a really good note.

If you're looking for fresh raw fish and cold mulhoe in Sokcho, I recommend visiting Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip. It will be a delicious meal that sweeps away the fatigue of travel.