Sokcho market red crab croquettes by the sea: Samsam Goroke

Croquettes caught my eye at Sokcho Jungang Market

There’s a place I always end up visiting when I travel to Sokcho: Sokcho Jungang Market! Once you get inside, there’s seriously so much to eat, from fried chicken and squid sundae to fritters and desserts, haha. I often go in just to browse and come out with both hands full, lol. This time, while walking around looking for food at Sokcho Jungang Market, I spotted croquettes and stopped by Samsam Goroke! I went in expecting something like a basic potato croquette, but then I looked at the menu and saw red crab, Abai sundae, spicy jjamppong, pollack roe cream, and gochu-japchae in them?? You put all that inside a croquette?? I had to know!!!

Samsam Goroke location and takeout information

Once you’re inside the market, look for No. 42 and it’s easy enough to find. It’s across from the flagship Manseok Dakgangjeong shop, so take a look around there too. The hours are said to be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. You can use the Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market parking lot, and they say you get a parking voucher when you buy croquettes, so that’s handy if you’re driving~ Takeout and reservations are available too, making it a nice stop to pick something up on your last day of the trip~

Six croquette flavors—how do you choose?

When I arrived at Samsam Goroke and looked through the menu one by one, there were six kinds in total.

• Sokcho red crab croquette
• Sokcho Abai croquette
• Spicy jjamppong croquette
• Pollack roe cream croquette
• Gochu-japchae croquette
• Sokcho potato croquette

Every filling was different, so the dilemma started the moment I tried to choose what to eat!

When you think of croquettes, familiar fillings like potato or sweet red bean usually come to mind first. Here, though, they use everything from ingredients you can find in Sokcho to Chinese-style dishes. The Sokcho red crab croquette is said to be limited to 200 a day 🦀 It’s their signature item, generously filled with Sokcho red crab, so red-crab lovers would be sad to pass this one by, lol. I couldn’t settle for just one, so I ordered the 6-piece set that lets you try all six flavors!

Price for the boxed 6-piece set

The 6-piece croquette set costs ₩17,000. You can buy them individually too, but if you want to taste several flavors, the set feels much more worthwhile!! There’s also a 3-piece set, so you can choose based on your group or appetite~ If you’re looking for snacks to give family or friends during a Sokcho trip, taking home a boxed set would work nicely too. Each croquette is labeled, so there’s no confusion about which flavor is which in the box. I was going to take the boxed set back to my accommodation, but the croquette smell was wafting up so strongly, lol. With warm croquettes inside, that delicious smell kept rising as I walked 🤤

I ended up eating all six by the sea

In the end, I couldn’t wait until I got back to my accommodation, so I decided to try one by the sea first. Eating doesn’t need a plan. I meant to try just one, but they were so good that I ate all six right there, lololol.

The red crab and gochu-japchae flavors I remember most

When I broke them in half, the fillings were pretty generous. The red crab one has crab meat and tomato sauce, so it tastes lightly sweet and savory. The gentle flavor of the red crab goes surprisingly well with the tomato sauce, while the croquette crust is crisp outside and pleasantly chewy within. Even though it’s fried, it didn’t feel overly heavy, so after one, I found myself reaching for another flavor, lol. Personally, the red crab croquette was the most memorable of the six 😍 If you’re looking for a Sokcho snack featuring red crab, this one is worth picking up!

The Sokcho Abai croquette is also a nice fit for a Sokcho trip because it is made with the filling from squid sundae (stuffed squid sausage). If you like squid sundae, it’s a familiar flavor, but wrapping it in dough and frying it makes it fun to enjoy in a different way. There are plenty of places in the market that sell squid sundae on its own, but trying it made into a croquette felt refreshingly different~~

I also really loved the gochu-japchae. It has gochu-japchae filling, so you get bites of meat and vegetables together, with a wok-charred aroma and savory saltiness. A slight spicy kick comes through at the end, and it pairs so well with the croquette’s rich nuttiness. If you’re planning to visit Sokcho Jungang Market, stop by Samsam Goroke while you browse the market~ You can eat one warm, freshly made croquette right away, or take home several kinds and slowly enjoy them at your accommodation. If you want both food for your Sokcho trip and snacks to bring home, grabbing a 6-piece set from Samsam Goroke would be a good choice 😆