2nd-floor ocean view over Gangmun Beach: Gossi's makguksu, Gangneung

Visited Saturday, September 5, 2026.

I used to live in Gangneung, and Gangmun Beach was like my neighborhood spot — I'd drop by all the time, like a sparrow at the mill haha. Walking along that familiar, nostalgic beach again after a while, listening to the waves, I suddenly thought a second-floor window somewhere along here would have a gorgeous view of the blue sea, so I wandered off to find lunch.

I ended up at Gossi's Donghae Makguksu & Sundubu Kalguksu Main Branch, a place with plenty of local charm where you can enjoy cool noodles and a hearty rice dish together. Thinking about eating a bowl of the famous Gangwon-do specialty makguksu (buckwheat noodles) while watching the waves through the window got me pretty excited even before I walked in.

A standalone 1–3 floor building right by Gangmun Beach, ocean-view vibes on the 2nd floor

Even from outside the building, the crowd of customers gave off a hot, waiting-line kind of energy. The restaurant occupies its own building from the 1st to the 3rd floor. Walking into the 1st floor, there was a comfortable waiting area along with a variety of Gangwon-do specialty products on display — fermented soy sauce, buckwheat flour, local traditional liquor — fun to browse. After looking around a bit, I was kindly seated and headed up to the 2nd floor to eat.

Climbing the stairs and stepping into the 2nd floor hall, just as I'd hoped, a wide-open blue ocean view stretched out beyond the window. With a full window structure that puts the blue sea right in front of you while you eat, the restaurant felt really pleasant, and the overall atmosphere was clean yet lively.

What's on the tablet menu

Every table has a handy order tablet, so there's no need to flag down staff — you can just pick your menu and order right away. Flipping through the tablet menu at our seat, the lineup by category was way more diverse than I expected. There were 1-person and 2-person sets for eating alone or sharing, cool makguksu, warm kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), and sundubu (soft tofu stew) served with rice. Uniquely, there were also various types of buckwheat gimbap (seaweed rice roll) topped with salad, flying fish roe, gim-tae seaweed flakes, salmon, and eel that caught my eye.

We ordered bibim makguksu, spicy sundubu kalguksu, savory perilla sundubu, and cheese pork loin roll cutlet, each picking what suited our taste.

• Bibim Makguksu ₩12,000
• Spicy Sundubu Kalguksu ₩12,000
• Perilla Sundubu ₩11,000
• Cheese Pork Loin Roll Cutlet ₩15,000

How was the food

Once seated, neat and simple side dishes came out first. If you run low, you can freely grab as much as you want from the self-serve bar, which was great.

Bibim Makguksu topped with fermented pollock

The bibim makguksu, with its bright red sauce piled generously with fermented pollock (myeongtae sikhae), had a subtle nutty perilla oil aroma spreading through it, and the spicy-sweet umami flavor really stuck to the palate.

We poured a bit of cool broth over it and drizzled on some vinegar and mustard to balance it out with a tangy-spicy kick.

Spicy Sundubu Kalguksu

The spicy sundubu kalguksu had soft, fluffy sundubu with ground meat and gim (seaweed) flakes added, giving the broth a deep, rich flavor that was hot and spicy in a way that felt like it cleared out my insides.

Perilla Sundubu

The perilla sundubu had a deep, rich, nutty perilla flavor that comfortably warmed the stomach with every spoonful.

Cheese Pork Loin Roll Cutlet

The cheese pork loin roll cutlet came out golden and crispy, and every time we cut it with scissors, the savory cheese stretched out in long strings — enough to tempt Yoonsik, who was watching from across the table, too. And since Minimani happily shared some with us today, it tasted even better and more filling as a treat.😋

Location, hours, and parking

• 🧭 25 Changhae-ro 350beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea, floors 1–3
• ⏰ Daily 10:00–20:30 (Sat/Sun open 08:00), break time 15:30–17:00, last order 20:00
• Closed for one day after national holidays
• 🚗 Gangmun Beach Public Parking Lots 1 & 2, free for 1.5 hours — Lot 1: right in front of the restaurant by Gangmun Beach / Lot 2: behind the restaurant near Gangmun Bridge
• If public lots are full, free 24-hour roadside parking is available at Changhae-ro 361-9, across from Danah Grilled Fish/Emperor Galbi (behind Effel Luar), and at Gyeongpo Lake Plaza Parking Lot, 263 Gangmun-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do

A meal in Gangneung, revisited

Filling up on a hearty meal while looking out at the wide-open sea made this day in Gangneung, revisited for old memories, feel even more special. Sitting right in front of Gangmun Beach, a place I used to visit often for walks, and serving everything from the spicy-tangy specialty makguksu that wakes up your appetite to the hearty kalguksu, sundubu, and roll cutlet, this place stays in my memory as a can't-go-wrong spot. If you want to enjoy true Gangwon-do home-style cooking along with a gorgeous ocean view, I'd recommend stopping by Gossi's Donghae Makguksu & Sundubu Kalguksu Main Branch in Gangneung for a hearty, satisfying meal.