Solo-order mulhoe lunch at Sokcho Korean restaurant Bigeumdo

Why Bigeumdo in Sokcho after the Goseong Songjiho drive?

Lately I've been doing weekly day trips to the coast around Goseong, Yangyang, and Sokcho, and with great weather this weekend I made a spontaneous drive out to Songjiho Sea Sky Road in Goseong, near Sokcho.

Honestly, since I was near the coast, I figured I should eat raw fish — but by lunchtime, a full sashimi meal felt a bit heavy. So I went looking for something light and refreshing instead, and that's how I found this Sokcho Korean restaurant known for great food: Bigeumdo (비금도).

Bigeumdo is already well known by word of mouth as a sotbap (stone-pot rice) specialist. When I arrived, the exterior alone was impressively clean and stylish — a traditional-feeling building with a striking tiled roof. There was also plenty of parking space out front, so I didn't have to worry about that at all.

A teddy bear was the first thing to greet me! It was so cute I ended up locking eyes with it for a good while.

Bigeumdo hours and waiting: open from 8:30 a.m.

Bigeumdo opens at 8:30 AM, so it's a great spot for breakfast if you're traveling. Since it was the weekend, there were plenty of customers, but a TableManager waitlist system at the entrance made waiting easy and comfortable. We visited a bit earlier than typical lunch hours, so we had plenty of breathing room.

Walking inside, the interior was just as cozy and neat as the exterior suggested.

Inside Bigeumdo: hanok-style hall, private rooms and a self-serve bar

Inside, the wooden ceiling structure brought out that classic hanok charm, and sunlight pouring in through the large windows warmed the entire dining room. The overall vibe was clean and comfortable — I thought it'd be great for families or couples alike. There's also a private room behind a sliding door, perfect for groups or gatherings.

On one side, a self-serve bar had small plates, utensils, and baby spoons ready to go. They even had a phone charger available, which comes in handy when you're low on battery mid-trip!

Bigeumdo menu and prices: what can one person order?

On one wall, Bigeumdo posted their dining guidelines, which included a notice asking guests to order one dish per person.

True to its reputation as a sotbap specialist, there were various stone-pot rice set menus like boriguljeongsik and jeonbok sotbap jeongsik, but most required a minimum of two people to order. Since I really wanted cold mulhoe, I made that my base order and added hwangtae haejangguk on top, since it's solo-order-friendly and pairs well with mulhoe.

Menus requiring 2+ people to order: Boriguljeongsik (2+ people) ₩38,000/person Jeonbok sotbap jeongsik (2+ people) ₩28,000/person Pressure-cooker abalone porridge (2+ people) ₩18,000/person Hwangtae gukbap (2+ people) ₩14,000/person Solo-order-friendly menus: Hwangtae haejangguk (with rice) ₩13,000 Tofu stew (with rice) ₩14,000 Jeyuk bokkeum (with rice) ₩15,000 Mulhoe ₩20,000 and more

Side dishes and the main spread at Bigeumdo

Once we ordered, a set of neat banchan (side dishes) arrived — diced radish kimchi, stir-fried potato, stir-fried eggplant, cucumber kimchi, salted seafood, and more, each one tasty.

Shortly after, our main dishes — mulhoe and hwangtae haejangguk — arrived.

Hwangtae haejangguk, 13,000 won: a milky, deep pollack broth

The hwangtae haejangguk's milky broth was rich and savory! One spoonful in and I already felt that soothing, hangover-curing warmth.

There was a generous amount of dried pollack in it, and the broth was rich enough to polish off a whole bowl of rice. It's a savory flavor that anyone — young or old — would enjoy. Especially after the cold mulhoe, sipping the warm hwangtae broth settled my stomach perfectly. Best combo ever.

If you want a spicier, more tangy kick, you could add some salted anchovy or chili paste to taste — but I wanted to enjoy the hwangtae haejangguk's original flavor, so I ate it plain.

Cucumber salad, stir-fried potato strips and galchi sokjeot

Among the banchan we tried alongside the mains, the cucumber salad was so crisp and refreshing, and the stir-fried potato strips were lightly cooked, keeping their crunch. The salted galchi (hairtail) innards, galchi sokjeot, was truly outstanding. The stir-fried eggplant, cooked with kkwarigochu (shishito-style peppers), was even better for it!

Mulhoe, 20,000 won: chilled raw fish soup with ice flakes

The mulhoe came in a large bowl with fine ice floating on top — just looking at it was enough to cool me down to my core.

It was loaded with fresh raw fish and vegetables, and the tangy-sweet broth was outstanding.

Mixing in the somyeon (thin wheat noodles) that came with it was pure bliss. The chewy texture of the raw fish, the crisp vegetables, and the cool broth came together perfectly.

Wine, the review event and jeotgal sold to take home

They also sell wine here. If you want to add a little something special to your meal, ordering wine alongside your food isn't a bad idea!

On the wall, I noticed a Naver receipt review event notice! Apparently participating in the review gets you a serving of yukjeon (beef pancake) as a bonus, so if you visit, be sure to join in and enjoy some delicious yukjeon too.

In the fridge, they had jeotgal (salted seafood) and kimchi available for purchase to take home. The galchi sokjeot was unique enough that I briefly considered buying some.

Bigeumdo in Sokcho: the verdict

If you're near Songjiho Sea Sky Road and want a clean, satisfying meal, I highly recommend Bigeumdo, a Sokcho Korean restaurant known for great food. On a lunch when raw fish felt like too much, the cool mulhoe and savory hwangtae haejangguk turned out to be the perfect choice. With ample parking, a cozy atmosphere, and friendly service, this Sokcho Korean restaurant checked every box. Next time, I'd love to bring my parents and finally try one of the sotbap set menus.