Gangneung tofu restaurant, local Gangwon beans & seafood: Jeong Eunsuk

One thing on my Gangneung trip plan: eat all the sundubu (soft tofu) I can. Chodang Sundubu Village has lots of specialty restaurants, but the one run personally by a Korean Master Chef of Cooking (No. 48), with deep, rich know-how, is Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu (정은숙초당순두부).

We came a little after lunchtime, but there were still customers crowding inside and outside the restaurant, so you could really feel how popular it is.

I'll introduce the restaurant's special historical story and the Chodang premium table, made with the local ingredients we ate.

Location and atmosphere of Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu

Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu sits inside Chodang Sundubu Village, near the birthplace site of Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon. Major sights like Arte Museum Gangneung and Gyeongpo Lake are close by, so it's a handy stop on a Gangneung itinerary.

It has the cozy, tidy feel of a traditional Korean restaurant and plenty of space, but there's always a wait at lunch and dinner.

Master Chef No. 48 and the story of Chodang tofu

The "Chodang" in Chodang Sundubu Village comes from the pen name of Heo Yeop, father of Heo Gyun (author of The Tale of Hong Gildong) and the poet Heo Nanseolheon. Owner Jeong Eunsuk grew up near their birthplace site, so traditional tofu was part of her life naturally.

Sad to see the traditional craft fade with changing times, she kept researching to preserve the warmth and taste of her childhood, and became Gangneung's only Korean Master Chef of Cooking (No. 48). She also played a leading role in choosing Gangneung's special dishes during the Pyeongchang Olympics, spreading the value of Chodang tofu worldwide, so her pride in the food is something else.

Gangwon soybeans, East Sea flounder, Jeongdongjin seaweed

The secret to the flavor is ingredient freshness. They source only fresh soybeans farmed with care by Gangwon locals, and make tofu by hand every day.

They also make a sweet-and-sour sikhae from fresh flounder caught by East Sea fishermen, and serve seaweed harvested by haenyeo (women divers) in Jeongdongjin, putting natural flavors straight on the table, and you can feel the healthiness.

One side note: sikhae is not the sweet rice drink sikhye you may know. It's a traditional fermented dish made by mixing fish with rice, malt syrup, chili powder, radish and more, then letting it ferment. I only learned this properly not long ago, so I'm sharing it in case others thought the same as I did.

What's in the Chodang premium table?

The menu is basically all dishes with tofu, and we ordered the most popular one, the Chodang premium table. Once we ordered, they brought it out together with the side dishes.

Sundubu hot pot

It's simmered with fresh sundubu made at dawn every day, so the soybean's natural nuttiness comes through. There's a big blue crab in it and you bite into shrimp with every spoonful of broth, so honestly it's hard for it not to be delicious.

It arrives spicy and savory-smelling, and one spoonful tells you it's not artificial heat but a true, rich broth with deep soybean flavor, so it's hard to put the spoon down.

If you're with kids, staff ask, "Shall I bring the white one?" so just choose what suits you.

Tofu samhap

Tofu samhap pairs mild handmade tofu, tender bossam-style boiled pork (suyuk) with no gamey smell, and flounder sikhae that lifts the flavor even more. It's a holy trinity that raises the class of the premium table.

Kodari gangjeong

I love kodari gangjeong (crispy-glazed half-dried pollock) so much I could eat it every day. Unlike other places, it has only a light coating and comes topped with a sweet-spicy special sauce. Soft and tender, it's the specialty of specialties.

In summary

Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu goes beyond a tourist restaurant and lets you taste the essence of local food. If you want to experience Gangneung's home cooking and a carefully prepared table, I highly recommend stopping by.