Sokcho Jungang Market stall: squid sundae grilled in 4 pans, Ddogi-ne

Where is Ddogi-ne Twigim in Sokcho Jungang Market?

Ddogi-ne Twigim (똑이네 튀김) is in the dakgangjeong (sweet crispy fried chicken) alley of Sokcho Jungang Market, in the same spot as the Sijang Dakgangjeong flagship. Alongside dakgangjeong, squid sundae (squid stuffed with sundae filling) is the other signature food of the market! Nurungji (scorched rice crust) squid sundae has been rising for a few years now, so I went to wait in the weekend line at the famous "Seomin Gapbu Ddogi-ne Twigim" to compare the original egg-wash squid sundae with the nurungji one.

Ddogi-ne Twigim and Sijang Dakgangjeong sit right next to each other like this. I arrived on a Saturday afternoon and the line had already started.

Opening hours are daily 9:30 AM–9:00 PM.

How long is the weekend wait at Ddogi-ne Twigim?

I visited around 3 PM on a Saturday and the wait was about 30 minutes. The line runs straight out front; if you order ahead and stand in line, they pack your order in turn. The shop was the 13th featured on the Korean TV show Seomin Gapbu, which may be why the line stayed steady.

What's on the Ddogi-ne Twigim menu?

There are lots of set combinations of nurungji sundae, squid sundae and abai sundae (Sokcho-style sundae), and the à la carte list is huge too: sides like 100% real potato pancake, kimchi pancake and sorghum dumplings (sususu-bukkumi), plus tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), red crab ramyeon and fried items! Since it shares a spot with Sijang Dakgangjeong, you can buy dakgangjeong and shrimp gangjeong too.

After agonizing over so many options, I figured you can't come to Sokcho Jungang Market and skip squid sundae, so I chose the original egg-wash squid sundae (large) at ₩15,000 and the nurungji squid sundae at ₩15,000!

They display samples out front, so you can see the portion size and what each item looks like before ordering.

Once you order, you naturally follow the line past the menu items, and every single one looks delicious. Next time in Sokcho, I'll try the others too!

What can you watch while waiting?

They have lots of kinds of fried food, and they fry it right in front of you!!!!!!!!!! Everything gets fried again after you order, so you get it fresh and warm.

The staff never stop cooking, and watching them while you wait is surprisingly fun. On one side they grill egg-wash squid sundae, on the other nurungji squid sundae, endlessly. They keep going tak-tak-tak like masters of everyday life on TV, hahahahahahaha

Egg-wash-coated squid sundae keeps going onto the griddle too.

For the nurungji squid sundae, two staff take turns working 4 frying pans at the same time. It's like a tycoon game, with nurungji squid sundae constantly going into the pans. I had fun watching, time flew, and before I knew it my turn had come!

Egg-wash vs nurungji squid sundae: which was better?

Freshly grilled nurungji squid sundae? Can't resist! I ate some the moment I got it and it vanished in a blink........ Back at the accommodation, I opened the egg-wash squid sundae and the leftover nurungji squid sundae. Wooden chopsticks and seasoned soy sauce are included.

Nurungji squid sundae: peak crunch straight from the pan

I ate the crispy grilled nurungji squid sundae right as I got it and it was seriously, ridiculously good!!!!!!!!!! No joke.

Egg-wash squid sundae: plump, filling portion

The original egg-wash squid sundae was plump and generously stuffed, and I enjoyed it a lot. Even one piece is filling!

Personally, the nurungji squid sundae was better. The crunchy texture, the nutty flavor bursting in your mouth and the chewy squid together are just, no words..............! If you like crispy scorched-rice texture, it's a definite thumbs up!!!!!!!!

Can you take frozen squid sundae to go?

Ddogi-ne Twigim also sells uncooked frozen squid sundae, and I seriously debated buying some. But I figured I couldn't grill it at home as crisp as the pros do, so I gave up ㅜ......ㅜ........ I'll revisit on my next Sokcho trip and crush it again!!!!!! If you visit Sokcho Jungang Market, Ddogi-ne Twigim is a must-stop.