Steamed skate and 2-hour parking in Sokcho: Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe

I missed out on the beach this summer, so when I heard they extended the season I did a 1-night-2-day trip to Sokcho haha ><

Let me tell you about the steamed skate I had as my first meal!!!!

Where is Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe, and what are the hours?

Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe (속초중앙상회) is a steamed skate restaurant on the 1st floor of the Centum Mark building, right in front of Sokcho Jungang Market. Hours are 10:00–21:00, closed every Tuesday.

It's right in front of Sokcho Jungang Market, on the 1st floor of the Centum Mark building!! I always stress about parking whenever I visit the market, but Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe gives you 2 hours free at the Centum City parking lot — so convenient?!?!?!

And there are plenty of parking spots too!! ෆꔛ(⑉･ ･⑉)ꔛෆ

Arriving at 10:30 am: inside Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe

I visited Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe around 10:30am for brunch, and as it got to lunchtime, travelers and locals kept coming in! Inside there's group seating too, and it was seriously spotless!!

The menu: pro gaori jjim (steamed skate) for 45,000 won

Here's the menu at Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe, a top spot for steamed skate in Sokcho ⸜( * . ̫. )⸝❤⸜( . ̫. * )⸝ Besides steamed skate, they also have stir-fried squid and even a full-course set menu!!

We ordered

• Pro-gaori-jjim (steamed skate) ₩45,000
• Rice ₩1,000 x 2

!

Side dishes and the octopus seaweed soup

At Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe, the side dishes come out first after you order! Bean sprouts, gim (seaweed), bracken and other sides that pair well with the steamed skate, plus octopus seaweed soup (❤´꒳`*)(*´꒳`❤)

My favorite soup is seaweed soup, you know??? This was my first time having octopus in seaweed soup!!!!!!!!! It was seriously clean and delicious with zero fishy smell ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ The steamed skate was great too, but this octopus seaweed soup was the one that kept crossing my mind that day

And these corn noodles are what they give you for participating in the review event! They're great mixed into the sauce haha

How the steamed skate tastes: a thick, boldly spicy sauce

The main event, steamed skate ☆︵ ヽ( 〃˘ ³˘ )ෆ! The pro-gaori-jjim at Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe came in a generous portion!! The sauce was so red I figured it'd be spicy, and sure enough, it was quite bold and spicy! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I love a strong sauce so eating it with rice was so good ♡(๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)♡

Can you see the texture of the meat? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ The skate meat was truly tender!!! A light touch with the chopsticks and it pulled apart along the grain, so soft and delicious

There was so much meat too, I could eat skate to my heart's content!! I never used to like steamed skate, but maybe it's an age thing — now I actually seek it out ㅋㅋㅋ

Put a spoonful of rice, top with skate meat, and a bit of the sauce on top — the rice just keeps disappearing! ( ⸝⸝•ᴗ•⸝⸝ )੭♡

Best combination: gim (dried seaweed), skate and bean sprouts

My top recommended combo is gim (seaweed) + skate meat + bean sprouts + sauce! I put skate meat on the gim, piled on plenty of crunchy bean sprouts, and tried it — pure bliss (*˙˘˙)♡ The sauce on the steamed skate is on the spicy side, but the bean sprouts balance it out, and with the savory gim added it just keeps going endlessly!!!!!

I'm a radish hater so ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I skipped it, but my partner said the radish was so good he could eat a whole bowl of rice with just that!!!!

And the corn noodles from the event!! The steamed skate sauce itself is so rich that it soaked right into the noodles — a real treat ➸ ---( ⌯' '⌯ )--- ෆ ̖́-

Does everyone know you're supposed to scrape this part clean for the real flavor of steamed skate? I scraped it good and proper ๑❤‿❤๑

Cleared the plate spotless on my very first meal in Sokcho, mission accomplished >___<ㅎㅎㅎㅎ

Why Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe works as a Sokcho Jungang Market stop

Turns out Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe is also a good-hearted restaurant that donates! The owner was so kind too ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ Being right by Sokcho Jungang Market, it's great to stop in before or after browsing the market, and the easy parking is a real bonus!

With 2 hours free, we ate here and then went and explored Jungang Market haha. If you're looking for a steamed skate spot in Sokcho, a Sokcho Jungang Market restaurant, or a local favorite in Sokcho, I recommend Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe!!