Gangneung noodle restaurant: brazier suyuk and jeyuk gimbap, Gossi's

I finally came back down to my hometown, Gangneung! In this heat, you've got to have a proper cold bowl of makguksu (buckwheat noodles) when you're in Gangneung, right? A friend recommended a place not far away that locals rave about for both the ocean view and the taste, so I rushed right over haha. This is the story of my visit to Gossi's Donghae Makguksu, a Gangneung makguksu favorite, where I ate until I was completely stuffed!

• Location: 25 Changhae-ro 350beon-gil, 1st–3rd floor, Gangneung, Gangwon
• Hours: 08:00 - 21:30
• Break time: 15:30 - 17:00
• Parking available

Getting to Gossi's Donghae Makguksu and summer peak-season parking

Gossi's Donghae Makguksu sits right in front of Gangmun Beach, famous for Gangneung's blue sea, so even the walk over felt like pure healing. There's parking space too, which made driving there really convenient. (Though since it's currently peak season, there were a lot of cars and parking was a bit tough, ugh.) The exterior was clean and the building was big, giving off strong local-favorite energy before we even walked in.

Ocean-view seats from the 1st to the 3rd floor overlooking Gangmun Beach

Gossi's runs from the 1st to the 3rd floor. The 1st floor had just 2 tables, mostly taken up by the counter and kitchen, and it seemed like most people eat on the 2nd–3rd floors! There's a CatchTable kiosk near the entrance too, so if you need to wait, you can put your name down and go admire the sea in the meantime.

This place really lives up to its reputation as a famous local Gangneung spot — it looked like tons of celebrities have passed through. The wall covered in autographs was fascinating, and there was even a corner on the 1st floor selling Gangneung specialty gifts, so you get both great food and a bit of sightseeing in one place.

The moment we got up to the 2nd floor, my friend and I both gasped at the same time! Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the cool Gangneung sea stretched out like a painting haha.

The tables were spaced out generously so you could enjoy the ocean view while eating, and the whole restaurant was kept clean and comfortable. It felt like the perfect atmosphere for families or friends to relax and enjoy the view over a leisurely meal!

The menu board and what we ordered

Sitting down and looking at the menu, true to being a makguksu specialty restaurant, there was a wide lineup — mul (cold broth), bibim (spicy mixed), perilla oil, yeolmu (young radish) — plus sundubu kalguksu (soft tofu knife-cut noodle soup) and various side dishes. We decided to really go for it with the sea as our backdrop and ordered generously.

• Bibim makguksu (2 orders) - ₩12,000 each
• Perilla oil makguksu (1 order) - ₩11,000
• Suyuk (medium) - ₩23,000
• Jeyuk buckwheat gimbap (1 order) - ₩8,500

Before the food even arrived, the side dishes were quickly set out — diced radish kimchi, yeolmu kimchi, radish wraps, green onion kimchi, and pollock hoe (raw pollock salad), all clean side dishes that pair perfectly with makguksu and suyuk. And they even gave us a mini brazier to keep the suyuk warm until the very last bite — what a thoughtful touch!

Tender suyuk (medium), ₩23,000

The suyuk that arrived first was a total visual hit right away! Neatly sliced over a steamer, the ratio of lean meat to fat was just perfect. One bite in, there wasn't a hint of pork smell — it was boiled so thoroughly that it melted in my mouth like cotton candy, with zero dryness. It was the ultimate juicy pairing for the makguksu.

Spicy-sweet and packed with flavor, bibim makguksu ₩12,000

The bibim makguksu had chewy buckwheat noodles piled high with a special spicy-sweet sauce. You can also pour in the broth they give you to taste and turn it into a mul + bibim hybrid — personally, I like pouring in a lot of broth haha. Mixed up and eaten with the radish wraps, it was a match made in heaven! The spicy-sweet flavor wasn't overly harsh but had that addictive pull that kept my chopsticks moving nonstop.

Ultimate nuttiness, perilla oil makguksu ₩11,000

My friend's pick, the perilla oil makguksu, hit your nose with a strong nutty perilla aroma the moment it arrived. The noodles were coated in the fragrant perilla oil, making them extra chewy with the flavor spreading throughout your mouth. It had a clean, mild appeal, making it a great combo to alternate with the more intense bibim makguksu!

Buckwheat noodles instead of rice: unique jeyuk buckwheat gimbap ₩8,500

The jeyuk buckwheat gimbap (seaweed rice roll) uses nutty buckwheat noodles instead of rice, packed full of smoky, spicy stir-fried pork inside — this was genuinely a delicacy! The clean, snappy texture of the buckwheat noodles combined with the spiciness of the pork made it an addictive dish I kept eating even when I was already full — so glad we ordered it.

Final verdict

Coming back to my hometown and discovering this perfect local restaurant that nails both the view and the taste, thanks to my friend, made for such a happy meal! At Gossi's Donghae Makguksu, you can admire Gangneung's picture-perfect sea while enjoying high-quality suyuk, makguksu, and the unique jeyuk buckwheat gimbap — if you're visiting Gangneung and looking for a genuine local favorite that offers both an ocean view and a real appetite boost, I highly recommend it!! ❤️