Gangneung Namhangjin makguksu restaurant, perilla oil method: Samgyori

Traveling around Gangneung, I wanted a cool bowl of makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles) — so I headed to Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu Namhangjin branch.

It's located right in front of Namhangjin Beach, so you can enjoy delicious makguksu and a view of the sea at the same time — a great stop during a Gangneung trip.

Where is Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu Namhangjin, and when is it open?

• Address: 42 Gonghang-gil 127beon-gil, Gangneung, Gangwon, South Korea, 1st floor
• Hours: 10:30 – 20:00
• Break time: 15:20 – 17:00
• Parking: Available in front of the restaurant
• Closed: Mondays

There was a fairly wide parking area in front of the restaurant, so it was convenient to visit by car. The exterior was clean and had that new-building feel, quite different from the usual old-school makguksu place vibe.

Inside the restaurant and the ocean-view seats facing Namhangjin Beach

Walking inside, it was much bigger than I expected, and overall clean and decorated in a modern, tidy way.

There were so many celebrity signatures posted near the entrance — clearly this is a well-known place.

And from inside, you can see the Namhangjin sea directly, so you get to enjoy an ocean view while eating. Coming all the way to Gangneung and eating makguksu while looking at the sea really made it feel like a proper trip.

Menu and what to order at Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu

Ordering was easy using the tablet at the table.

The menu has the basic makguksu, hoe-makguksu (raw fish makguksu), and beef brisket soup, plus side dishes like boiled pork, buckwheat pancake, and buckwheat dumplings — great for sharing if you're visiting with a group. We ordered one makguksu, one hoe-makguksu, and one buckwheat pancake.

Near the entrance, they also sell snacks like buckwheat jjondeugi (chewy buckwheat snack) and yakgwa (honey cookies), which looked good to pack up and give as gifts.

Side dishes and the buckwheat pancake (memil jeonbyeong)

Once seated, the basic side dishes of young radish kimchi and radish kimchi came out, and I especially liked the young radish kimchi. It went surprisingly well with the makguksu.

The buckwheat pancake came out first! Chewy on the outside and nicely filled inside, it was perfect to nibble on while waiting for the makguksu. I was glad we ordered it as a side.

How to eat dongchimi makguksu: three ladles of broth and perilla oil

And finally, the makguksu arrived. There was a note next to the table explaining how to enjoy it best, so I followed it exactly.

For the plain makguksu, you add about three ladles of dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth, mustard, vinegar, and sugar to taste, then a small amount of perilla oil. Adding a bit of perilla oil brought out a nutty aroma that made it taste so much better.

Above all, the dongchimi broth was so refreshingly cold that one sip cleared my head instantly! I imagine it would be absolutely perfect on a hot day.

What does hoe-makguksu with pollack sashimi taste like?

Hoe-makguksu is eaten mixed with a spicy sauce, and it has a completely different charm from the plain version. Especially with the pollack sashimi on top, the spicy-sweet sauce combined with the chewy pollack was delicious.

If plain makguksu is cool and refreshing, hoe-makguksu has a savory, rich seasoning flavor — so if it's hard to choose between the two, I'd recommend ordering one of each and sharing, like we did.

Both were delicious, and eating them together this way meant we never got tired of either one.

Is Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu Namhangjin worth a stop in Gangneung?

Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu is right in front of Namhangjin Beach, so it's nice for taking in the sea before or after eating, and with plenty of parking, it's a good stop if you're looking for a meal during a Gangneung trip. With a clean interior, ocean views, and the choice between cool dongchimi makguksu and hoe-makguksu topped with pollack sashimi, Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu Namhangjin branch is worth a visit if you want a bowl of makguksu while looking at the sea in Gangneung :)