Gangneung restaurant with pine nut sundubu makguksu: Gossi's Donghae

During a trip to Gangneung, we spent one day parked at Gyeongpodae, just taking it easy by the sea with the kids. The weather was so nice that we decided to slowly walk along the beach toward Gangmun Beach. Between watching the ocean and strolling with the kids, it was suddenly dinnertime, so we stopped in at Gossi's Donghae Makguksu for a meal.

Where is Gossi's Donghae Makguksu near Gangmun Beach?

Gossi's Donghae Makguksu & Sundubu Kalguksu Main Branch is located at 25 Changhae-ro 350beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea. It's close to Gangmun Beach, so it made a convenient stop for a meal after we'd finished exploring the beach, just like we did.

Parking at the Gangmun Beach public lots

If you need parking, you can use Gangmun Beach Public Parking Lots 1 and 2. The first hour is free, and after that it's ₩300 per 10 minutes, so it's fairly manageable cost-wise. It's also a nice spot to relax and take in the ocean at Gangmun Beach.

Since we'd parked at Gyeongpodae that day and walked slowly toward Gangmun Beach after looking at the sea, we didn't end up moving the car. There are plenty of free parking spots along Gyeongpodae, so if you're planning to explore Gangmun Beach too, following our route — park at Gyeongpodae, walk over, and eat — could work well. Just note that parking lots can get pretty crowded on weekend evenings, so I'd recommend visiting with a bit of extra time to spare.

Second-floor ocean view over Gangmun Beach

The restaurant spans up to the second floor, and we headed straight there. The first thing that caught our eye upstairs was the ocean through the floor-to-ceiling windows. There were 2-person tables right by the window, but since we had kids with us, we sat at the 4-person table just behind them.

Even so, we could still see Gangmun Beach through the glass while we ate. Being able to look out at the ocean view through those big windows while having dinner was really satisfying.

What the family ordered at Gossi's

That evening, we ordered bibim makguksu, chodang jat sundubu makguksu, cheese pork loin rolled cutlet, and soy pork buckwheat gimbap.

• Bibim makguksu (spicy mixed buckwheat noodles)
• Chodang jat sundubu makguksu (pine nut soft tofu buckwheat noodles)
• Cheese pork loin rolled cutlet
• Soy pork buckwheat gimbap (seaweed rice roll)

Even though it's a makguksu-focused restaurant, the menu also includes sundubu dishes, buckwheat gimbap, and even pork cutlet, which made it easy to find something for the kids too.

🍜 Bibim makguksu (spicy buckwheat noodles)

You can't come to Gangneung without makguksu, so we ordered the bibim (mixed) version. They also gave us broth to add to the sauce, and mixing it in made it tangy and spicy in a really good way.

🥢 Chodang jat sundubu makguksu: pine nut and soft tofu noodles

My husband usually likes kongguksu (cold soybean noodle soup), so he ordered the chodang jat sundubu makguksu. It's made with chodang sundubu (soft tofu) plus pine nuts, so it was quite different from a typical makguksu. If you like nutty, savory flavors, it's worth trying.

🥩 Cheese pork loin rolled cutlet for the kids

The kids ordered the cheese pork loin rolled cutlet. I wasn't sure a makguksu restaurant would have anything kid-friendly, but since there was a cutlet on the menu, we gave it a try. The cheese cutlet was packed generously with cheese inside — when we cut into it, the cheese stretched out in long strings, which the kids especially loved, and they ate it right up.

Soy-braised pork buckwheat gimbap

We were also curious about the buckwheat gimbap, so we ordered that too. It's a bit different from regular gimbap since it uses buckwheat noodles instead of rice, which gave it a distinctive feel. There were several types of buckwheat gimbap available, so ordering one roll to share alongside the other dishes worked well, and the portion wasn't too heavy — more like a light appetizer to round things out.

Side dishes from the self-serve bar

Beyond the basic side dishes that came with the meal, we could grab more from the self-serve bar if we ran out. When eating with kids, you tend to need extra side dishes and small plates too, so being able to grab exactly as much as we needed was convenient.

Rice crackers on sale by the counter

On our way out after the meal, there was a space next to the counter selling Gangwon-do specialty foods and snacks. The kids spotted rice crackers there. Naturally, they couldn't just walk past — they each picked one out. We tried them right away on the way out, and the kids said they were delicious and ate them right up. When traveling with kids, even a small snack like this ends up being part of the fun. 😊

Walking from Gyeongpodae to Gangmun Beach

This time, we hadn't set out with Gossi's as our destination from the start — it was more of a flow: park at Gyeongpodae, look at the ocean, walk slowly toward Gangmun Beach, then dinner.

If you're looking to take in Gangneung's ocean at an easy pace with kids and find somewhere for dinner afterward, adding Gossi's near Gangmun Beach to your itinerary is a solid option. In particular, since it's not just a makguksu-only place but has a range of options like chodang jat sundubu makguksu, buckwheat gimbap, and cheese pork loin rolled cutlet, it was easy for both adults and kids to eat comfortably together. Best of all, being able to dine on the second floor while looking out at Gangmun Beach was a real plus.

📍 Gossi's Donghae Makguksu & Sundubu Kalguksu Main Branch / Address: 25 Changhae-ro 350beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea / Parking: Gangmun Beach Public Parking Lots 1 & 2 / Main menu: various makguksu, kkamak jang (black bean sauce) bossam, buckwheat gimbap, cheese pork loin rolled cutlet, and more / Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00-20:30, Sat-Sun 08:00-20:30 / Break time 15:30-17:00 / Last order 20:00 / Closed one day after major holidays

※ Business hours and menu prices may change, so it's a good idea to check before visiting.