Sundubu restaurant in Sokcho with a full banchan lunch: Daecheongmaru

It was raining and I felt a bit chilly, so I wanted a warm soup with rice — went for sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew). I headed to Daecheongmaru, a sundubu place in Haksapyeong Sundubu Village, and even the banchan were delicious, so I'm recommending it as a Sokcho lunch spot.

Where Daecheongmaru is in Sokcho, and its opening hours

• 430 Gwangwang-ro, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
• Daily 07:20-21:30
• Break time 15:30-17:00
• Free dedicated restaurant parking

Daecheongmaru, a pollack and tofu specialist near Cheoksan Hot Springs in Sokcho, opens at 7:20am, so it's great for breakfast too. I went for lunch, and with its cozy atmosphere and clean, delicious food, I ate really well.

Wait time and seating at Daecheongmaru: no queue at a rainy Thursday lunch

There's a waiting number system, and reviews mention it's a place with lines, but on a rainy Thursday with no tourists around, I walked straight in. It's run by the 4th generation of a sundubu family, and it really had that sense of long history.

I couldn't tell from outside, but the 1st floor had tons of seats, and there was more dining space upstairs too. According to the posted notice, the space including the annex can seat about 200 people, which surprised me. There were rooms, and the vibe felt right for makgeolli — sure enough, the menu had both dongdongju and makgeolli.

What's on the menu at Daecheongmaru

Sundubu is the main dish, but there's also pollack hangover soup and wild greens bibimbap, making it a solid Sokcho lunch spot. There's also acorn jelly, potato pancake, tofu hot pot, and squid sundae — plenty of dishes that work as drinking food too. Since it's open until 9:30pm, it'd be good for dinner as well.

Chodang sundubu is famous for using East Sea brine water when making the tofu. Since it was my first visit, I wasn't sure what to order, but hearing that the chodang sundubu uses 100% domestic soybeans, I ordered both chodang sundubu and spicy sundubu.

The banchan spread that looks like a Korean buffet

I didn't expect it to come out this generous, so I was surprised when the food arrived. The basic banchan alone had a lot of variety — I've had chodang sundubu a few times, but this was the first place I've seen with such a large portion.

There was namul (seasoned vegetables), miyeok-cho-muchim (vinegared seaweed salad), and cucumber salad — every single banchan was delicious. The soy sauce shrimp and seasoned pollack could be bought separately, and I could tell there was a reason for that.

There was even pan-fried tofu, soybean pulp soup, and braised kodari (dried pollack), so I came for sundubu jjigae but it felt like a Korean buffet. With so many delicious banchan, the rice kept disappearing fast. The rice itself was glossy and chewy — really good.

How the chodang sundubu and spicy sundubu taste

I was surprised the chodang sundubu came in a bowl the size of a naengmyeon bowl, but it was clean and delicious. Tofu is high in protein and tasty, and this pure white chodang sundubu is especially a specialty of the East Sea region. It had a mild, nutty, clean taste — I ate very well at Daecheongmaru, a great Sokcho lunch spot.

The spicy sundubu had jjaebok (small clams) in it along with shrimp, giving it a refreshing, savory taste. There was no artificial flavor — just the ingredients' natural taste coming through, which felt healthy and would make good hangover food too.

The banchan weren't salty either, and the natural flavor of the ingredients really came through, which I loved. I'd been curious about this place since I'd seen so many reviews from people revisiting on Sokcho trips — and now I get why it's popular for good reason.

What to order next time: grilled Yongdae-ri dried pollack

Yongdae-ri is famous for pollack, and here too, both the pollack hangover soup and grilled pollack use Yongdae-ri pollack. I saw some diners buying some to take home after their meal — next time I'll have to try the grilled pollack. The wild greens bibimbap reviews were good too, so next time I'll order something I haven't tried yet.

Why Daecheongmaru is worth a lunch stop in Sokcho

The banchan and sundubu jjigae had such a generous, warm-hearted feel that I left the meal in a great mood — a Sokcho lunch spot worth recommending. It's also close to Seoraksan, so if you're looking for a comfortable sundubu jjigae restaurant, I recommend Daecheongmaru.

• A Sokcho restaurant open from early morning to late evening.
• The sundubu jjigae and banchan have a healthy, clean feel.
• Both the stew and the banchan come in generous portions, making for a hearty, satisfying meal.