Tofu restaurant near Sokcho IC with abalone jjamppong sundubu: Jinsol

I wanted to introduce Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu (진솔할머니순두부), a sundubu (soft tofu stew) restaurant I visited for lunch during a trip to Sokcho, Gangwon. It's close to Sokcho IC, so it's convenient whether you're starting or wrapping up a Sokcho trip. Chodang sundubu is one of the first things people think of when they think of Sokcho, and here you can try a variety of dishes made with sundubu.

Where is Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu, and what are the hours?

• Name: Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu
• Address: 118 Wonam Haksapyeong-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 07:30–20:00
• Last order: 19:00

※ They may close early if ingredients run out, so if you're planning a late-afternoon visit, I'd recommend calling ahead to check.

Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu says it uses 100% domestic soybeans certified in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi. When I visited, several tour buses were pulling in and plenty of people were eating — I could really feel that this is a Sokcho sundubu spot popular with group tours too.

Parking and how big the restaurant is

The parking lot at Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu was quite spacious, and there was staff managing parking, which made it easy to visit by car. The front of the restaurant was decorated with earthenware jars and potted plants, giving it a warm, homey feel. Since a lot of people get around Sokcho by car, having plenty of parking felt like a real plus.

Walking inside, the place turned out to be bigger than I expected. In the large hall on the left in the photo, a group of diners had just finished and left when I visited, and before long another group came in and filled the restaurant right back up. I thought this would be a good spot for families or groups traveling together in Sokcho.

Menu lineup and the domestic soybeans and ingredients

The menu at Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu was fairly varied. There was everything from Chodang sundubu, the dish most associated with Sokcho, to set meals, hwangtae haejangguk (dried pollack hangover soup), and pan-fried dishes. It's not just a sundubu specialist with only sundubu on the menu — there's enough variety that families or groups with different tastes can still eat together comfortably. Since they open early in the morning, this is also worth keeping in mind if you're looking for a breakfast spot in Sokcho.

Signage noted that most of the main ingredients are 100% domestic. All menu items are available for takeout, and the side dishes they sell can also be shipped nationwide. If you loved something you ate during your trip and want to have it again at home, it's nice that takeout or shipping is an option.

Side dishes and the self-serve bar

The self-serve bar had a neat lineup of various banchan (side dishes) that you could help yourself to as needed. Personally, the seaweed stem salad, stir-fried anchovies, and kimchi suited my taste well.

Ordering the seafood jjamppong sundubu and wild greens bibimbap

I was in the mood for something spicy that day, so I ordered the seafood jjamppong sundubu, along with wild greens bibimbap to share since it's good for you. When you're having sundubu in Sokcho, mild Chodang sundubu is great, but when you're craving a spicy broth, Sokcho's jjamppong sundubu is a solid choice too.

The banchan that came with the food added up to about 8 varieties. They tasted good overall, and the savory pancake served alongside was tasty too. The seasoning on the side dishes wasn't too strong overall, so it seemed like it would be an easy visit with kids too. Worth keeping in mind if you're planning a family trip to Sokcho.

Wild greens bibimbap, mixed without sauce first

I started with the wild greens bibimbap. It's normally eaten mixed with sauce, but even before mixing, I couldn't quite tell if it was sesame oil or perilla oil — either way, the nutty aroma was really nice. So at first I mixed just the greens and rice without adding the sauce. The greens had such a fragrant flavor on their own that it was surprisingly delicious even without sauce.

After eating about half, I mixed in the sauce and tried it again. I didn't add much, but it turned out spicier than expected. Tasting the fragrant, mild flavor of the greens on their own first, then switching things up with the sauce, seems like a pretty good approach.

Abalone, crab and shrimp in the jjamppong sundubu

Next I tried the seafood jjamppong sundubu. It's served boiling in a stone pot, so it stayed hot the whole meal, which I liked.

The stone pot was full of assorted seafood and sundubu. I ate the scallop meat before taking a photo, so it's not visible in the shot, but there was actually a fairly large scallop in there. The broth was spicy but had a clean, refreshing edge too — I noticed crab in there as well, which seemed to add to that clean seafood flavor in the broth.

Shrimp, essential to any jjamppong, was in there too, along with a whole abalone. The abalone had a great chewy texture, and overall the dish gave the sense that it was made with a wide variety of seafood. If you're looking for something a bit spicier and more seafood-heavy than a regular sundubu jjigae in Sokcho, the seafood sundubu or jjamppong sundubu is worth trying.

After a long drive to get to Sokcho, I was a bit worn out, but eating the hot, spicy seafood jjamppong sundubu left me feeling full and noticeably less tired. Being so close to Sokcho IC also makes it a convenient stop for travelers looking for a place to eat.

Is Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu worth a stop near Sokcho IC?

That was my review of Jinsol Halmeoni Sundubu near Sokcho IC in Gangwon. With a large parking lot, plenty of seating, a varied menu, and dishes made with sundubu and seafood, it seemed like a good option for family visits or groups eating together. If you're looking for a good sundubu restaurant in Sokcho, Chodang sundubu, or jjamppong sundubu, this is worth considering. They open at 7:30am, so it's also worth keeping in mind for breakfast in Sokcho — and if you're visiting late, remember they may close early once ingredients run out, so it's best to call ahead.