Gangneung soup restaurant for pork spine stew breakfast: Matdeurin

I went on a trip to Gangneung, Gangwon-do! It was a restaurant near Ojukheon. I had sundubu (soft tofu) for breakfast in Gangneung — I heard about a place where you can eat sundubu together with gamjatang (pork spine potato stew), so I went to check it out! There were so many locals there, it really felt like a true Gangneung local spot. Shall we dive in?

Matdeurin's hours and location: walking distance from Ojukheon

Daily 08:30–22:00 / last order 21:20

It started as a small restaurant in Gyodong housing complex in Gangneung back in 2009, and the fact that it's still beloved today probably says something about it being a genuine local favorite, right? Since it's a spot near Ojukheon, it's really close by — easy to find on foot or by car! I heard a lot of people from the neighborhood come here regularly, so definitely give it a try!

I arrived at Matdeurin Sundubu Haejangguk & Gamjatang in Gangneung! There are actually two branches, and I visited the Matdeurin one.

Is parking easy at Matdeurin?

I was surprised at how huge the parking area right in front of the restaurant was! You really don't need to worry about parking at all at this Gangneung local favorite, haha!

Inside Matdeurin: atmosphere and group seating

When I walked in, the place was already packed with customers! The restaurant is also spacious and clean, so it seems like a great place to eat with family, friends, or a partner when traveling in Gangneung.

There were group parties seated further inside too! They said all the food is made in-house as much as possible — from kimchi to all the various side dishes, and especially the sundubu and kongbiji (soybean pulp), which are made from scratch and were so delicious!

Rather than making everything in bulk, they said they make it themselves to bring out the deep flavor and make it more delicious for customers. They also have a dedicated system for prepping the pork spine, apparently. They said they carefully select ingredients from the start to make good gamjatang and haejangguk.

Simmering the broth for over 24 hours with real care so there's no gamey smell, and making sure guests leave with a full, comfortable stomach — that's the owner's philosophy, apparently! The restaurant has group seating too, so if you're looking for a breakfast spot near Ojukheon in Gangneung, this is the best! From sundubu to hangover soup, they've got it all covered.

And after finishing the meal, they even have coffee!

Matdeurin's menu and the large sundubu gamjatang

Shall we order? Sonaejangtang, Chodang sundubu, fiery sundaeguk, seonji haejangguk, kongbiji sonaejangtang, sundaeguk, kongbiji ppyeohaejangguk, sundubu gamjatang — these are the signature dishes, and they also have handmade pork cutlet, so kids would love it too. I ordered the large sundubu gamjatang!

You can also choose the size when ordering, so keep that in mind!

The self-serve side dish bar and what comes with the meal

There was also a self-bar for extra side dishes, which was so nice!

After ordering, the basic side dishes came out — diced radish kimchi and fresh kimchi, plus a sauce for the gamjatang meat!

How did the sundubu gamjatang taste?

Look at all that sundubu piled on top of the gamjatang, along with chives, mushrooms, and other vegetables!

Add in some kimchi and sauce and this is definitely going to cure a hangover from the night before! And the price was so reasonable too!

For the sundubu gamjatang, they said they only use carefully selected soft bones for the pork spine — and that's probably why it was so tender to eat!

You just need to simmer it once before eating — once it boils, the look gets a little less pretty, but the broth turns into something like a rich biji-jjigae (soybean pulp stew), and it's deep and amazing!

The rice was also nice and sticky, like something you'd eat at home! With the bones, mushrooms, and kimchi all together, I was fully ready to dig in, haha!

Look at how thick the meat is on the bones! You could tell the owner really put a lot of effort into the bones, and one bite made it click immediately.

The enoki mushrooms were nice and thick too, and above all the seasoning wasn't harsh, and with the sundubu in there, it didn't feel heavy on the stomach at all.

I saved the potato for last and mixed it with the rice! The potato was perfectly cooked and fluffy — the best! If you're visiting Ojukheon in Gangneung or looking for a good breakfast spot in the area, I highly recommend this place! I'll be back next time~