Sokcho tofu restaurant with a kids' tofu steak: Yetgoeul Sundubu

Yetgoeul Sundubu, Sokcho

Why we chose Yetgoeul Sundubu in Sokcho's Haksapyeong tofu village

These days we head to Sokcho every Saturday for my kid's academy. I go to Sokcho pretty often, but this was the first time I realized there's a whole sundubu (soft tofu) village clustered together in Haksapyeong. This time, instead of our usual sundubu, we went looking for something a little different in tofu dishes and ended up at Yetgoeul Sundubu.

Since it was lunchtime, I called ahead to check if it was okay to drop by, and the owner picked up with such a hearty, warm voice. I already got the sense he was a kind person just from the call, and once we got there, you could really feel how much he cared about the restaurant and his guests 🥹

What are parking and the dining room like at Yetgoeul Sundubu?

Yetgoeul Sundubu turned out to be bigger than I expected once we arrived. The parking lot alone was spacious, making it easy to visit by car, and there were plenty of tables inside too. It seemed like a great spot for a family meal, but also comfortable for larger groups visiting together.

The restaurant overall was kept clean, and the staff were friendly. When you're out with kids, you end up considering not just the food but also parking, the size of the place, and whether there's something the kids will eat — and this place was easy on all those fronts.

How did the three-color tofu hot pot taste?

We ordered the three-color tofu hot pot (samsaek dubu jeongol). I expected something like a rich, savory anchovy- or meat-broth spicy stew, but Yetgoeul Sundubu's version felt quite different. The first taste was sharp and spicy, but the further you went, the cleaner the broth got. It had a refreshing quality similar to a spicy fish stew, but without being heavy or overly aggressive in heat.

I knew it would be a spicy hot pot, but I didn't expect it to be this clean-tasting, which made it even better 👍🏻 I love seafood, so it really suited my taste, and even my husband, who doesn't usually go for seafood, ate it happily, saying the broth was so refreshing 🤣 If you don't mind shrimp or seafood in general, this is a clean, satisfying tofu hot pot worth trying.

The basic sides: pan-fried tofu and soft tofu

The hot pot was great, but it was clear this place really knows tofu. Several side dishes come out with the hot pot, and the pan-fried tofu was especially delicious — crisp golden outside, soft inside, and nutty enough that I kept reaching for more. The soft tofu (sundubu) served alongside it was soft and nutty too, especially with a little seasoned sauce dip.

Most of the basic side dishes, from salted seafood (jeotgal) to seasoned vegetables (namul), were tasty, so we ended up eating our way through the side dishes and not just the main dish. We came for the tofu hot pot, but even the basic tofu sides were delicious, which made the whole meal that much more satisfying! I think because the tofu itself is so good, the hot pot, the pan-fried version, and the soft tofu all taste great 🫶🏻

The kids' menu: sirloin tofu steak

One thing I really liked about visiting with kids was that there's a separate children's menu. We ordered the tofu sirloin steak (deungsim dubu steak) for the kids, and since it's a bit like pork cutlet, they ate it happily. Usually when you go to a sundubu place with kids, the adults eat something spicy while the kids just pick at a few side dishes like tofu or namul with rice. Here, having a proper main dish for the kids made things noticeably easier 👍🏻

Between the tofu steak and the soft tofu, it felt like a slightly healthier meal for the kids than our usual dining out. The hot pot was so good, though, that I personally wished there was a mild, non-spicy version the kids could share too 🥹🥹 It felt like a bit of a waste that only the adults got to enjoy such a good hot pot 🤣

Service from the owner and staff at Yetgoeul Sundubu

While we were eating, the owner came around to each table, explaining how to enjoy the dishes best and checking if we needed anything. That same hearty, warm impression I got from the phone call before our visit carried through in person 🙌🏻 The staff were kind too, which made it easy and relaxed to eat with the kids.

Final thoughts after the visit

Even though I go to Sokcho often, this was my first time visiting the Haksapyeong sundubu village, and it was more satisfying than I expected 👍🏻 Yetgoeul Sundubu's three-color tofu hot pot especially stuck with me — not for being simply spicy, but for that sharp-yet-clean broth. The basic tofu dishes, like the pan-fried tofu and soft tofu, were delicious too, and we ended up enjoying the side dishes overall.

The kids could order the tofu sirloin steak separately, so there was no menu debate 👍🏻👍🏻 The parking lot was spacious and the restaurant itself was large and clean, which also made it easy to visit with kids. If you've been eating the same things in Sokcho every time, a warm, hearty meal at the Haksapyeong sundubu village might be worth trying 😎

Visit info for Yetgoeul Sundubu

• 📍 Address: 114 Wonamhaksapyeong-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• 🚗 Parking: Private parking lot available
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Use: Good for family meals and group dining
• 👶 Kids: Separate children's menu available
• Signature menu: Three-color tofu hot pot, kids' tofu sirloin steak, and more

Yetgoeul Sundubu Q&A

Is Yetgoeul Sundubu a good soft tofu restaurant to visit with kids in Sokcho?

I liked that there's a separate kids' tofu sirloin steak menu. Adults can eat the spicy hot pot while the kids order something of their own.

What does the three-color tofu hot pot taste like?

When I had it, it was more sharp-and-clean than aggressively spicy or heavy — there was a refreshing quality similar to a spicy fish stew.

Is it fine if you can't eat much seafood?

My husband, who doesn't usually eat seafood, still enjoyed it because the broth was so clean-tasting. That said, if you dislike seafood or shrimp specifically, it may come down to personal taste.

Is parking easy at Yetgoeul Sundubu?

The private parking lot is spacious, so it was easy to visit by car.

Is Yetgoeul Sundubu suitable for large groups?

The restaurant is large with plenty of tables, so it looked like a good spot for family gatherings or group meals.