Birthday trip first meal at a Sokcho makguksu restaurant: Topgol

🎉It's my birthday🎉 so we decided to take a trip to Sokcho!

We got up at 6 a.m., caught an 8 o'clock bus, and arrived in Sokcho after a 4-hour ride. We dropped off our bags and immediately started looking for lunch — you have to eat makguksu when you're in Sokcho — and that's how we found this place, a total home run that left us stuffed and satisfied. Here's my review of Topgol Makguksu, the holy site of deulmemak (perilla oil buckwheat makguksu) in Sokcho!

Where is Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch, and what are the hours?

Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch is less than 5 minutes' walk from Sokcho Beach. It's the perfect close-by spot for us as a walking couple, and since it's near a public parking lot, it's also a great place to head straight for after parking near Sokcho Beach.

• 📄 Mon–Fri 09:00–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• 📄 Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00 (last order 21:30)
• 🚗 Use the nearby public parking lot
• ✔ Baby chairs available

Walking from the beach, you'll spot a GS25 sign along the way — if you see it, you're on the right track. You can check the menu posted outside before heading in.

True to a place that's serious about makguksu, there's a confident slogan promising to deliver on flavor, plus a photo zone. We took pictures here after finishing our meal — kind of cute..💚

There are more slogans that make it clear just how serious they are about makguksu, and apparently they press the buckwheat noodles fresh as soon as you order — which got me even more excited. (Check the video below for how springy the noodles are.) They're the only place in Sokcho selling perilla oil makguksu — now I get why. (Absolutely delicious.)

The counter also sells everything from buckwheat noodles to buckwheat snacks👍 The buckwheat snacks looked genuinely interesting and I was curious... I should've tried them..

Full house at 1 p.m.: waiting and kiosk ordering at Sokcho Topgol Makguksu

We showed up around 1 p.m. and the place inside Sokcho Topgol Makguksu was completely packed. Must be the power of makguksu. There were signed autographs from celebrity visitors on the wall too — a Sokcho hotspot confirmed!!!!

You can reserve through Naver or just walk in, though there may be a wait if you go the walk-in route!! The turnover is fast, so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Checking the menu on Naver before you arrive and ordering right at your table can make things faster.

You order through a kiosk like this, and if you do the receipt review event, they give you a free wang mandu (king dumpling), so everyone should definitely do it!

Perilla oil makguksu, plain buckwheat makguksu, solo suyuk and makgeolli

We couldn't skip the essentials — we ordered perilla oil buckwheat makguksu, plain buckwheat makguksu, makgeolli, and solo-size suyuk (boiled pork).

First came the basic side dishes — mu-saengchae (radish salad), yeolmu (young radish greens), salted shrimp, and ssamjang. All the dishware was so pretty, but the clamshell-shaped small plates were the cutest — they really gave that 'I'm actually in Sokcho' feeling.

Is the solo suyuk worth it? Tender enough to skip the regular size

We started with the suyuk and makgeolli together. The pork was just... so tender...? If my stomach had double the capacity, I would've gone for the regular suyuk instead of the solo size..

A golden ratio of fat and lean meat in this suyuk. You absolutely need suyuk with makguksu, so please order it..!!!!!!!!!! Garlic, chili, suyuk, and pollack salad, all three together in one bite — my boyfriend and I shared the suyuk happily.

A photo taken once everything arrived at the table. Gorgeous..

How to eat deulmemak vs. plain buckwheat makguksu

The way you eat the perilla oil makguksu and the plain makguksu is a bit different, and the staff kindly explained it to us! Let me explain it again here,

They give you dongchimi (watery radish kimchi) broth with a bit of ice slush like this — for the plain buckwheat makguksu, you pour in the dongchimi broth to taste before eating,

but for the deulmemak, you first taste the pure harmony of the perilla oil and buckwheat noodles on their own, and only pour in the dongchimi broth once the noodles are mostly gone!

Just look at how springy the noodles are.. They were fully coated in perilla oil, so they went down smoothly, plus the aroma of perilla oil and the nutty flavor of perilla seeds.. Perfect harmony. Not flashy, but an unforgettable flavor that only comes from perilla oil makguksu.

We couldn't resist and paired the makgeolli with the makguksu the whole time..💓 My boyfriend and I both ate until we were completely full and left this Sokcho makguksu spot totally satisfied!

Final verdict on Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch

• ✨ If you're a walking couple like us, choose 'Topgol Makguksu' — great location and great taste
• ✨ It's a perilla oil buckwheat makguksu place, so you have to try the makguksu — the harmony of buckwheat and perilla oil, the aroma, the springy noodles, all excellent👍
• ✨ If there are two of you, try the plain buckwheat makguksu too — the seasoning, the cold refreshing broth, the sweetness, all the plain version's flavors are on point

A five-star place I'd visit again next time! A spot I'd want to come back to with family on a future Sokcho trip. Next time I want to try even more of the menu!

I don't want to go back to real life.. Next post, I'll bring you our Sokcho trip accommodation.