Sokcho Korean restaurant with aged kimchi pork bones: Gwandongjip

Gwandongjip (관동집), a Korean restaurant in Joyang-dong, Sokcho

I took a trip to Gangwon State last weekend. There is nowhere quite like Gangwon for getting some fresh air while looking at the pretty sea and eating delicious food. Sokcho, especially, is one of my absolute favorite places for good food, so today I want to introduce a restaurant where everyone I was with happily polished off a bowl of rice. Let me tell you all about Gwandongjip (관동집), a Korean restaurant in Sokcho's Joyang-dong where you can really taste comforting home-style cooking!

Easy to visit from Yangyang, with parking

Gwandongjip is in Sokcho! I was staying in Yangyang and came over to see the Sokcho sea and visit Gwandongjip, which I had heard was known for good food. It is only about 25 minutes from Yangyang, so it is a great Sokcho restaurant to visit from there, too!

The restaurant occupies the whole building, so it was easy to spot at a glance. We had driven over, and we were able to park comfortably, too.

There is parking right in front of the restaurant, making it easy to park and eat! There is room for about two to three cars, and if it is full, I think you can ask the owner and park nearby. It would be even better to ask about parking before you come, right?

Gwandongjip is run directly by the son, who took over his parents' restaurant. It is a place where food is carefully prepared and served to guests with care.

The menu was clearly displayed on the wall, and besides gamjatang (pork bone soup), aged kimchi braised pork bones, and spicy chicken stew, there were plenty of choices, including pork bone hangover soup, budae jjigae (army stew), and tofu hot pot. It was nice to be able to pick whatever you were in the mood for!

We arrived right when they opened and were the first customers. The interior was so clean, and there were plenty of tables and chairs, so it looked like you could eat without worrying about finding a seat even at busy times.

Large aged kimchi pork bone braise and a generous spread

We ordered the large aged kimchi braised pork bones. There was even a clear guide to enjoying Gwandongjip's dish to the fullest!

The basic table spread was wonderfully generous, too. There was seasoned cucumber, stir-fried fish cake, mung bean sprout namul (seasoned vegetable side dish), roasted seaweed, napa cabbage kimchi, and pickled garlic—nothing but side dishes Korean-food lovers adore!~

Then the large aged kimchi pork bone braise arrived. Wow, it honestly looked as if it contained nearly two whole heads of napa cabbage! Can you see how thoroughly fermented the kimchi was? Just looking at the photo makes my mouth water again... The meat clinging to the bones came away with a gentle slide of the chopsticks, practically falling off, so it was beautifully tender and easy to eat! How could this possibly not be delicious?

My partner was busy cutting up the kimchi while the two people with us were busy pulling off meat, haha. The meat was so, so tender that it melted softly in my mouth, and with kimchi on top, a whole bowl of rice disappeared in no time. It was packed generously with tofu, meat, and kimchi, so we ate until we were truly full!

Fried rice in the leftover sauce

It would be a real crime not to fry rice in this sauce, right?! After each having a bowl of rice, we said we absolutely had to get fried rice and ordered it, too. The Korean dessert looks seriously delicious, doesn't it? Even though we were already full, the fried rice was so good!

One bite is all it takes to understand why there are so many glowing reviews. It is truly delicious, with generous ingredients for a filling, wholesome meal.

The aged kimchi was genuinely delicious, and the meat from the pork bone braise melted in my mouth, making for a filling meal that left me feeling so happy.