Sokcho sundubu restaurant, road trip first meal with a pregnant wife

On our Gangwon trip that started September 16, a two-night, three-day itinerary, the first restaurant we stopped at was Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu. It's near Sokcho IC, which makes it convenient as a first stop when starting a Sokcho trip, and just as good as a last meal spot before heading home.

This trip had extra things to consider when picking a restaurant since my wife is 28 weeks pregnant and we were traveling with our dog too. Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu had a wide parking lot right in front and a separate seating area near the entrance for dogs, so it was an easy, comfortable visit.

Why sundubu was the first meal of this Gangwon trip

When you think Gangwon, sundubu (soft tofu stew) and hwangtae (dried pollack) are hard to skip. I liked that we could try two of Gangwon's famous foods at once right as the trip began.

The sundubu at Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu is said to go back three generations, starting with grandmother Ko Jinsol. After making sundubu for over 30 years, they now make it themselves using 100% domestic soybeans and deep sea water.

They used to use East Sea seawater instead of nigari, but now use deep sea water — and I was struck that they make their own sundubu and modubu (firm tofu) in-house. That's probably why this place feels like a solid stop for anyone hunting for a Sokcho sundubu spot to try during their trip.

Homemade banchan with a Gangwon flavour

The basic side dishes came out in quite a variety, and every single one was the kind you keep reaching for. Japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), buckwheat pancake, cucumber salad, corn, seaweed stem, stir-fried anchovies, and Gangwon-style napa cabbage kimchi filled out the table.

I especially liked that the salted squid came with thinly sliced radish mixed in, adding a nice crunch, and the potato side dish wasn't the usual soy-sauce brown — it was white, which felt a bit different.

They said every banchan is cooked in-house and the kimchi is homemade too, and eating it, you could really feel that the care went beyond just the main dish into the sides.

Spicy jjamppong seafood sundubu with abalone and scallops

What we ordered was the jjamppong seafood sundubu and the hwangtae haejangguk.

First, the jjamppong seafood sundubu has a jjamppong-style broth built on vegetable stock, loaded with abalone, shrimp, squid, and scallops. When you say sundubu-jjigae, you usually picture a red broth with soft tofu, but with all that seafood piled in, it turned into a much heartier meal.

The broth was spicy with a clean, refreshing edge from the seafood, which made it a good choice for the first meal of the trip. Coming out bubbling in a hot stone bowl, it warmed you up from the inside.

If you've been picturing only the plain, mild style of sundubu while looking for a Sokcho sundubu restaurant, this seafood version could be a nice different option.

Hwangtae haejangguk made with Yongdae-ri dried pollack

The hwangtae haejangguk we ordered alongside it is said to be made by simmering top-grade dried pollack from Yongdae-ri.

It had a different kind of mild, clean flavor from the sundubu, so ordering both together meant they didn't overlap. The pollack's savory flavor came through well in the broth, going nicely with rice, and it suited starting off a Gangwon trip too.

Personally, going back and forth between the spicy jjamppong seafood sundubu and a spoonful of hwangtae haejangguk broth in between was a pretty good combo.

Starting the Gangwon trip with our dog along

This trip was planned around traveling with our dog from the start, so being able to have him with us from the very first meal made things easier. There was a dedicated dog-friendly seating area near the entrance, so we could eat without worrying about it.

On top of that, the wide parking lot made it convenient to visit by car, and being close to Sokcho IC made it easy to fit into the itinerary.

Trying Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu this time, from the three-generation sundubu story to the homemade banchan and kimchi and the sundubu made with domestic soybeans, it felt like a place with real conviction about its food.

If you're looking for a Sokcho sundubu restaurant and want to try both sundubu and Gangwon-style dried pollack dishes, ordering both like we did is a good move. It worked well for us wanting a hearty first meal right after arriving in Sokcho, and it also looked like it'd be convenient as a last meal spot thanks to its accessible location.

Starting the Gangwon trip with a hearty first meal of sundubu and hwangtae really set the tone for the trip. If you're planning a Sokcho trip with your dog, it's worth keeping in mind that they have dog-friendly seating and plenty of parking too.