Sokcho sundubu restaurant with Bongpyeong buckwheat makgeolli: Jinsol

Falling for a Sokcho sundubu (soft tofu) restaurant: Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu!

Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu · 118 Wonamhaksapyeong-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea

What are the building and parking like at Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu?

Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu is located in the sundubu village, and there's a staff member managing the parking area, which made parking really easy.

They source soybeans directly from Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do, and use 100% certified domestic soybeans — you can really feel the tradition and history of the place!

There's also coffee available to sip after your meal, and the old building has been neatly remodeled so you can use the space without taking off your shoes.

A spacious dining room that fits groups

Walking in, there's a TV screen showing footage of Grandma Ko Jinsol herself, which makes you feel this is a truly long-loved restaurant — and it made me even more excited for the food.

This Sokcho sundubu restaurant lets you take any menu item to go, and sells a block of handmade tofu for ₩7,000 — if the weather hadn't been so hot, I really would have wanted to take some home.

Next to the register, they also sell old-style snacks — peanut twist snacks, nurungji (scorched rice), perilla seed nurungji, tofu chips and more — a really nice lineup to grab after your meal.

They also sell banchan (side dishes) with nationwide delivery — squid jeotgal (salted seafood) and seed jeotgal go for ₩15,000 for 400g or ₩25,000 for 700g, reasonable prices, and the pollack sashimi salad isn't expensive either — I'll have to order some by delivery!

If you write a Naver photo review, you can choose between acorn jelly and a drink — definitely worth taking part!

What's on the menu at Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu?

There's a pretty wide variety split into meal menus, hot pot menus, set menus, and extra sides. The meal menu includes chodang sundubu, spicy sundubu, jjamppong sundubu, hwangtae (dried pollack) haejangguk, bulgogi baekban, and sanchae bibimbap.

There's also spicy sundubu hot pot and tofu hot pot, plus side dishes like grilled hwangtae, whole tofu, potato pancake, squid sundae, acorn jelly, and buckwheat crepes!

Can you order the bulgogi baekban (bulgogi set) for one?

I ordered the bulgogi baekban (bulgogi set meal), and yes, you can order it for just one person — it comes as raw meat that you simmer at the table, which makes it taste even better!

The seasoning was spot on, and with vegetables and glass noodles mixed in, my kid ate it happily — a flavor adults can't help but love too.

Why the self-serve banchan won me over

The biggest reason I fell for Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu — the banchan (side dishes) are incredible! There's buckwheat jeon (pancake), braised potatoes, jeotgal (salted seafood), stir-fried anchovies, and even macaroni salad!

On top of that, the japchae and cucumber salad were so good I nearly confused the sides for the main dish!

And since we're in Sokcho, of course we had to have squid sundae again! Eating it together with the pollack sashimi salad that comes alongside — that's the moment you really feel like you're on a Sokcho trip.

The sundubu has a rich flavor even though it's lightly seasoned on its own, but dipped in soy sauce it turns nutty and deep — so good I really wanted to take some home!

Jjamppong sundubu with Bongpyeong buckwheat makgeolli

The jjamppong sundubu is spicy and refreshing — great for settling your stomach and a perfect pairing with drinks!

So naturally, haha, I ordered the Bongpyeong buckwheat makgeolli. It was my first time trying it — clean and mild, with a really smooth finish!

On top of that, extra banchan is self-serve and unlimited — maybe because it's Gangwon-do, but the braised potatoes were so good I went back for seconds.

They also have several local makgeolli options, and with so many mild, non-spicy dishes on the menu, it's a great Sokcho restaurant to visit with kids — Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu! I'd recommend it as a must-visit if you're traveling to Sokcho.