Sokcho bar near Ipark Suite Hotel: 53,000-won drinking set at Seo

I went on a trip to Gangwon-do with my mom recently. We had such a big lunch on the first day that we weren't super hungry by dinnertime. But it felt a bit sad to just skip dinner on a trip, you know? So we went looking for somewhere near our hotel, the Ipark Suite, for a light snack and a beer, and found Seo Jubang on Sokcho's pojangmacha (street food tent bar) street.

We went in thinking we'd keep it light, but the menu had a Sokcho drinking set that let you try a bunch of side dishes at once. So much for keeping it light, haha — but it ended up being perfect for sharing bits of everything with my mom. Here's the review!

How to walk to Seo Jubang from the Ipark Suite Hotel

Seo Jubang is on the 1st floor at 12 Yeongnanghaean 6-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do, right on Sokcho's pojangmacha street. We were staying at the Ipark Suite Hotel that night, so we just walked over. Good to know if you're staying there too :)

Seo Jubang's storefront on Sokcho's pojangmacha street

Arriving in the evening, the big red-and-blue 'Seo Jubang' sign was easy to spot from a distance. The whole front of the building is glass, so you could get a sense of the interior even from outside, and rows of small light bulbs lined the entrance — less pojangmacha, more warm and atmospheric bar.

Out front there were big banners for Red Rock draft beer and the Sokcho drinking set, so you could see the signature menu and prices at a glance before even going in.

Inside Seo Jubang: retro interior and group tables

Stepping inside, the feel was different from what I'd expected from a pojangmacha-street bar. Wood tables, walls finished with deep burgundy tile at the bottom, and soft indirect lighting on the ceiling. Overall a warm color palette that suited having a drink in the evening.

Further inside there's another space, and as you can see in the photo, the seating ranged from cozy 2-4 person tables to large tables for bigger groups. Tables could also be pushed together, so if you're traveling with friends in Sokcho, or looking for a spot for a family gathering or group dinner, it's worth asking ahead.

It was fun looking around at the little props scattered around too — old-fashioned clocks and lamps, LPs and a turntable, vintage posters, mirrors and plants, all adding up to a slightly retro atmosphere.

Here's a shot of the window-side table where my mom and I sat :)

When you go to a bar, checking out the bathroom kind of matters, right? As shown in the photos, the bathroom inside had a round-lit mirror and sink, plus a diffuser and small tidy props. Even for a bar bathroom, everything felt well-kept, and I liked that.

What comes with the 53,000-won Sokcho drinking set, and which main to pick?

We ordered using the tablet at the table. What we chose: the Sokcho drinking set for ₩53,000.

The Sokcho drinking set comes with several side dishes once you pick a main, though the exact lineup seemed to shift slightly day to day depending on what ingredients were in stock, a bit different from what's shown in the photo above. On our visit, it came with the main plus abai sundae (blood sausage), scallops, seasoned squid, mayo potato with pollack roe, pickled tomato, and baek kimchi.

You choose one main from the following:

• Spicy stir-fried octopus
• Spicy grilled chicken feet
• Warm boiled pork (onsuyuk)
• Whole tofu duruchigi
• Tomato flounder mulhoe (cold raw fish soup)

Since we'd come all the way to Sokcho, we went with the tomato flounder mulhoe.

Before the ordered dishes arrived, we got a Red Rock draft beer going first. Simple chips to nibble on as a basic side —

How does the tomato flounder mulhoe main taste?

The Sokcho drinking set finally arrived! It comes out on one big tray —

Let's start with the main of the drinking set, the tomato flounder mulhoe><! A large wooden bowl held flounder sashimi, boiled whelk, seaweed, sprouts, and tomato, all neatly arranged. Tomato sauce was pooled underneath, and we were told to mix it all up from the bottom.

First, a good squeeze of lemon juice to get ready to mix! Stirring it all together evenly :D

This was my first time trying tomato mulhoe, and the combo of gochujang (spicy pepper paste) and tomato turned out surprisingly good — tangy and spicy at once?! My mom and I both loved it. You don't even need to go to a dedicated mulhoe restaurant — Seo Jubang in Sokcho deserves credit as a mulhoe spot in its own right! Might have been the best thing we ate on the whole Sokcho trip.

Abai sundae, steamed scallops and seasoned squid, one bite at a time

The drinking set isn't just the mulhoe main — it comes with a bunch of small plates too. A big tray loaded with multiple dishes really felt like a proper drinking spread.

Abai sundae, a Sokcho staple you can't really skip. It came sliced into bite-size pieces, served with a red-seasoned jeotgal (salted seafood) on the side. People often go out of their way to hunt down abai sundae in Sokcho, so getting to try a little of it as part of the set was great.

Steamed scallops, nice bite-size pieces. Going from mulhoe to scallops kept the seafood flowing naturally, which suited the mood of having drinks in Sokcho really well.

They'd run out of boiled squid that day, so it was swapped for seasoned squid muchim instead — honestly, fine by me. The squid was cut into nice bite-size pieces, tender, and mixed well with the vegetables and seasoning.

Mayo potato with pollack roe. Mashed potato paired with pollack roe mayo — salty, savory, and quietly great.

The pickled tomato and baek kimchi (white kimchi) both did solid work in between bites — perking up the palate and resetting it too.

Honest review of Seo Jubang after a night out with my mom

This was a great spot to end a day of our Sokcho trip with my mom over a chatty beer. What stuck with me most was the retro interior — wood, burgundy tile, and vintage props — a step up from your typical pojangmacha atmosphere.

It was comfortable enough for the two of us to relax over drinks, but looking at the seating setup, it also seemed well suited for friends traveling together, family gatherings, or group dinners. If you're near Sokcho's pojangmacha street and want to try a bit of everything, or you're looking for a bar with mulhoe and a variety of sides, a good spot for a group dinner, or just a good-atmosphere bar on that street, Seo Jubang's Sokcho drinking set is worth checking out :)