Seafood noodle restaurant in Sokcho for evening drinks: Haemul Kkot

I was trying to decide on dinner during a trip to Sokcho when I stumbled onto haemul kkot jangkalguksu (seafood 'flower tray' knife-cut noodle soup). I already love jangkalguksu, but this place kept coming up in reviews for piling on seafood the way its name promises. It's also dog-friendly, so anyone traveling with a pup can drop in easily. I started the meal curious what it would taste like.

Location and hours of Sokcho Haemul Kkot Jangkalguksu

• 📍 4 Joyang-ro 118beon-gil, 1st floor, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• ⏰ Daily 09:00–20:00 (break time 13:40–17:20)
• Dog-friendly
• Takeout available

What's the vibe like in the evening?

When I visited for dinner, Sokcho Haemul Kkot Jangkalguksu was almost completely full of diners. Families, couples, and groups of friends were all there, and the busy atmosphere made it feel like I'd found a real local favorite 👍🏻😋

The kitchen was clean, there was a full self-serve bar, and the owner and staff were incredibly kind. It made for a really pleasant meal 😊🌸

Menu and order — Special Haemul Kkot Tray Jangkalguksu

The menu ranged from a solo-portion jangkalguksu all the way up to the special options. We went for the signature dish that lets you enjoy a variety of seafood together — the Special Haemul Kkot Tray Jangkalguksu!

A loaded tray, and the order to add the seafood

Wow, I was genuinely shocked at how loaded the tray was haha. It arrived completely packed — blue crab, shrimp, octopus, mussels, clams, and squid, plus mushrooms, bok choy, and meat evenly spread across it. Total visual jackpot!!

Once the broth started bubbling, the staff kindly explained to add the shellfish in first. They also said the squid tastes even better blanched at the very end!

So following their advice for the best flavor, I slowly dropped the shellfish in one by one haha. In it goes!!

Wow, with seafood this generous and unsparing, I could tell the broth was going to be amazing. This is absolutely the best dinner spot in Sokcho 😍

I took a close-up shot of each seafood item before it went into the pot, and every single piece was truly fresh. Seeing how generous the ingredients were, the price actually felt like a great deal!

The sauces — chojang (vinegared gochujang) sauce, wasabi sauce, and baek-kimchi (white kimchi) — were plenty on their own. The main dish was already so perfect that other sauces almost felt unnecessary.

A Donghae Bamba-da nightcap with squid and whole octopus

The longer it simmered, the more that cool, savory seafood flavor came through, and it paired perfectly with the jangkalguksu broth. So of course, we ordered a drink to match haha.

Donghae Bamba-da (East Sea Night Ocean) soju — it really did go down smoothly haha.

And then the squid at the end — wow!! The broth just gets better and better the longer it cooks 👍🏻😋😋 It wasn't too chewy, nice and tender, with great bite. The texture of the squid and whole octopus together was fantastic. I'm getting tipsy, tipsy 😍

The fun surprise — raw ginseng

Found it!! One of the fun quirks unique to Sokcho Haemul Kkot Jangkalguksu is the raw ginseng haha. I chewed it thoroughly with a pear, and the aroma was amazing 👍🏻😋 It's an ingredient you don't often get to try, so it made for a memorable experience.

How were the noodles in the finishing jangkalguksu?

Now it's time for the finishing noodles. As always, it ends with jangkalguksu, and the portion of noodles is huge to begin with.

The noodles were thick and chewy, soaking up all the broth, so every bite delivered a properly spicy, deep flavor. Thanks to the broth drawn out from all that seafood, I enjoyed it deliciously right to the end.

At the end I left a receipt review, and to my surprise... they gave me this pricey Häagen-Dazs ice cream, wow. The owner is seriously cool 😎🤩🤩 You absolutely have to eat haemul kkot jangkalguksu when you're in Sokcho. And among dog-friendly restaurants, it's hard to find a true gem — but this place is the real deal!

Overall verdict

• A must-eat spot if you're craving a spicy meal in Sokcho
• Loaded with seafood and a deeply flavorful broth — great for a hearty, satisfying dinner
• Dog-friendly, so it's a must-visit for anyone traveling around Sokcho with their pup