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Gangwon

Cafés, restaurants and places in Gangwon, written by bloggers who went there.

Sokcho, GangwonShopping

Sokcho Central Market jeotgal shop: 650g pollock roe for ₩30,000

Hwangbuja Jeotgal is a jeotgal (salted seafood) shop at stall 25 of Sokcho Tourist Fish Market in Sokcho, Gangwon, selling by the tub for takeaway or courier delivery. On a family trip, the writer bought 650g of grade-1 low-salt white pollock roe for 30,000 won, packed tight into a tub with ice packs and a cooler bag that kept it frozen all the way to Seoul. The roe sacs were large and only mildly salty, so Hwangbuja Jeotgal's pollock roe worked perfectly over rice with just scallion, sesame oil and sesame seeds.

Written Sep 5, 2026Sponsored
Sokcho, GangwonCafés

Sokcho egg tart bakery, reservation vs walk-in line: Doris Patisserie

Doris Patisserie is an egg tart bakery right beside Sokcho Tourist & Fisheries Market (Sokcho Central Market) in Gangwon. Reservations open at 6:00 AM the day before pickup, and the shopfront is split into two lines — reservation pickup on the left, walk-in purchase on the right — so anyone with a reservation walks straight in on the left. A Naver or Google review event added 2 free tarts to the 12 ordered, and at Doris Patisserie the original was soft and custardy while the walnut tasted richer and nuttier.

Written Sep 5, 2026Sponsored
Chuncheon, GangwonRestaurants

Chuncheon sushi buffet with shrimp jang refills and parking: QooQoo

QooQoo Chuncheon Branch is a 120-item sushi buffet on the basement level at 80 Jiseok-ro in Chuncheon, Gangwon. Stopping in for weekend lunch on the way to a campsite in Hwacheon, the writer worked through the sushi and roll counter, sashimi, shrimp jang (soy-marinated shrimp) and yangnyeom gejang (spicy marinated crab), the BBQ station and gelato, refilling the shrimp and crab several times. With 180 seats, a 52-seat group room, a playroom and 500 underground parking spaces, QooQoo Chuncheon Branch handles both family gatherings and a quick meal mid-road trip.

Written Sep 5, 2026Sponsored
Gangneung, GangwonRestaurants

Makguksu before check-in near St. John's Hotel Gangneung: Samgyori

Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu Namhangjin branch is a Korean noodle restaurant right in front of Namhangjin Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon. Stopping in for the first meal of the trip before checking into St. John's Hotel, we ordered dongchimi makguksu (buckwheat noodles in radish water kimchi broth), pollack sashimi makguksu and buckwheat mandu, mixing the broth and seasoning to taste. Between the ocean view and the house-made dongchimi, Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu made a satisfying first meal in Gangneung.

Written Sep 5, 2026Sponsored
Gangneung, GangwonRestaurants

Gangneung burger restaurant with ranch-sauce fries: Moana Burger

Moana Burger is a Hawaiian-style handmade burger restaurant in the middle of Chodang Sundubu Street in Gangneung, close to St. John's Hotel. The writer ordered the Moana Burger and the Moana Double Burger to compare one patty with two, and dipped the thick-cut fries in the nutty ranch sauce. If the sundubu queues have worn you out, the juicy patties and ranch sauce at Moana Burger are a reliable alternative.

Written Sep 5, 2026Sponsored
Sokcho, GangwonCafés

Seoraksan view café in Sokcho: sugar-free Neorae tea at Cafe Neorae

Cafe Neorae is a large café in Sokcho, Gangwon, spread over floors 2 and 3 of the Yetgoeul Sundubu building in the Haksapyeong soft tofu village, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing Ulsanbawi Rock on Seoraksan. The writer ordered an iced Americano, Neorae tea brewed from roasted soybean pulp with no sugar, and purple sweet potato bread at a third-floor window seat; Neorae Pudding was sold out. Tables are widely spaced and the room stays quiet, making Cafe Neorae an easy place to sit with the mountain view.

Written Sep 6, 2026Sponsored
Gangneung, GangwonCafés

Chodang-dong café in Gangneung for misugaru patbingsu: Coffee Dripper

Coffee Dripper is a roastery café in Chodang-dong, Gangneung, about a 10-minute walk from Gangmun Beach. The drip homemade patbingsu (shaved ice dessert) layers 100% milk snow ice with house-boiled red beans and misugaru (roasted grain powder) from a local mill, and Coffee Dripper also pours a solid Americano, with wide floor-to-ceiling window seats and parking for about 13 cars. The popular cone choco latte sold out one order earlier, so come before late afternoon.

Written Sep 6, 2026Sponsored
Chuncheon, GangwonRestaurants

Kid-friendly tonkatsu near Chuncheon National Museum: Jeongseong Katsu

Jeongseong Katsu Chuncheon Toegye Branch is a tonkatsu restaurant on Toegye-ro 93beon-gil in Chuncheon, Gangwon, an easy stop after visiting Chuncheon National Museum. The writer ordered the hangjeongsal katsu (pork jowl cutlet) set and the cold soba with hire katsu (pork fillet cutlet) set, and free parking in the Jeongseong Building underground lot, kids' chairs, aprons and a self-service bar made the visit with a child simple. Jeongseong Katsu stood out for its tender fillet katsu and the textbook seasoning of its cold soba.

Written Sep 6, 2026Sponsored
Gangneung, GangwonRestaurants

Perilla oil makguksu with dashi broth near Gangmun Beach, Gangneung

Gossi's Donghae Makguksu & Sundubu Kalguksu Main Branch is a self-made noodle restaurant taking up an entire building right across from Gangmun Beach in Gangneung. The writer poured bonito (gatsuobushi) broth over both the perilla oil noodles and the bibim noodles, and paired them with warm pork belly served on a small brazier. The thick, chewy house-made noodles and warm pork combination stood out, and the second floor has a full ocean view.

Written Sep 7, 2026Sponsored
Sokcho, GangwonRestaurants

Rainy weekday lunch, warm yagwanmun tea and deulmemak: Sokcho Topgol

Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch is a buckwheat noodle restaurant a short walk from Sokcho Beach in Gangwon. On a rainy weekday lunch, the writer started with warm yagwanmun tea (a Korean herbal tea) before trying deulmemak (perilla oil buckwheat noodles), a large suyuk (boiled pork) platter for ₩30,000, and a kids' set menu, with the nutty perilla oil flavor of the deulmemak, topped with perilla leaf and dried seaweed flakes, standing out most. Free corkage and seating for up to 52 people make it a solid pick for family or group meals.

Written Sep 7, 2026Sponsored
Gangneung, GangwonCafés

Garlic baguette and a cosmos field by the sea at Baegya Coffee

Baegya Coffee is a large ocean-view bakery café right in front of Sacheonjin Beach in Gangneung, spanning four floors up to a rooftop. Visiting with family, iced café latte, iced green matcha latte, and a garlic baguette were enjoyed by the floor-to-ceiling windows on the 2nd and 3rd floors, with the sea and a fall cosmos field in view. Chosen over Anmok Café Street, it turned out to be the best café of the whole Gangneung trip thanks to its much wider view.

Written Sep 7, 2026Sponsored
Gangneung, GangwonRestaurants

20-month-old baby-friendly sundubu set at Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu

Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu is a sundubu (soft tofu) Korean restaurant on the site of Heo Nanseolheon's birthplace in Chodang Village, Gangneung, run by one of only 48 government-certified Master Chefs in Korea and the only one in Gangneung. Traveling with a 20-month-old, the writer ordered the Chodang Deluxe Table for two (₩50,000) with clear sundubu jjigae, tofu samhap, and grilled seasoned pollock, and found the clear sundubu broth's savory kick from salted shrimp the standout. A large private parking lot and baby chairs/utensils made the family meal easy.

Written Sep 7, 2026Sponsored