Dog-friendly Gangneung restaurant near Gangmun Beach: Gossi's makguksu

This is the place I always think of whenever I travel to Gangneung — Gossi's Donghae Makguksu. Last time I visited Gangneung I paid for it myself, and I remember everything from the makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles) to the buckwheat gimbap being so good. So on this trip I went back again!

It's right in front of Gangmun Beach, and beyond makguksu they also serve sundubu (soft tofu stew) and buckwheat gimbap, so I can confidently recommend it as a Gangneung restaurant. Let me introduce Gossi's Donghae Makguksu.

Location and hours of Gossi's Donghae Makguksu main branch

• Location: 212 Gangmun-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
• Hours: Weekdays 10:00–20:30 / weekends 08:00–20:30

Where do you park?

Being right in front of Gangmun Beach, I'd recommend parking at Public Parking Lot No. 1 right in front of the restaurant! You can use it free for the first hour without registering separately. We visited during break time and waited a bit before eating, so we asked at the counter and got a 30-minute extension!

A floor-by-floor guide, from 1st to 3rd

Floors 1 through 3 all belong to Gossi's Donghae Makguksu! The first floor has seats, but if you're here to eat, head up to the second floor. The third floor operates as dog-friendly seating.

The interior atmosphere and ocean-view seats

The first thing that catches your eye as soon as you walk in is all the signed autographs! You can tell right away it's a well-known Gangneung restaurant, haha.

The interior was clean and fairly spacious. There are lots of seats, and since it's makguksu, turnover is quick! There are also baby chairs, so it's good to visit with a little one. And best of all — the ocean view. Sit by the window and you can eat your makguksu while looking out at the sea!

A dog-friendly restaurant in Gangneung: Gossi's Makguksu

Gossi's Donghae Makguksu is one of the dog-friendly restaurants among Gangneung's popular spots! Even at places that technically allow dogs, it's often hard to eat comfortably because you feel other diners watching you... Here, they set aside the third floor or a separate space just for guests visiting with their dogs!

Thanks to that, guests with dogs can eat comfortably without worrying as much about people around them, which I thought was really great. You don't need a stroller, and inside you can just hold your dog or seat it in a chair! I have a dog myself, so I know exactly how big an advantage this is, haha — a place that sets aside a separate space makes visiting so much more comfortable!

Menu and prices at Gossi's Donghae Makguksu main branch

From buckwheat makguksu to buckwheat gimbap, boiled pork, sundubu, and even pork cutlet that kids can enjoy — there's such a wide variety on the menu that it's easy for everyone in your group to order something different and eat comfortably! My personal favorite at Gossi's Donghae Makguksu is the buckwheat gimbap, haha.

• 2-person set (perilla oil makguksu, spicy makguksu large) ₩41,000
• Spicy buckwheat gimbap ₩8,000
• Zero-sugar cola ₩2,000

We ordered the 2-person set, which comes with perilla oil makguksu, spicy makguksu large, and boiled pork, and added the spicy gimbap on top! I was on a diet so I picked buckwheat-based dishes, but when it comes to what I really want to eat, I still eat properly...

Eating makguksu while looking down at Gangmun Beach!

Perilla oil makguksu and spicy makguksu large.

Boiled pork and spicy buckwheat gimbap.

How does the perilla oil makguksu taste?

They say the perilla oil makguksu uses organic perilla oil grown by a master farmer in Yangyang and cold-pressed at low temperature! From the first bite, the nutty aroma was quite strong. The clean, plain flavor unique to buckwheat noodles blended well with the nuttiness of the perilla oil, so it wasn't overpowering but kept you coming back for more! Personally I loved the perilla oil aroma, but I did think it could've used just a little more perilla oil, haha.

Spicy makguksu with fermented pollack

Among Gangwon-do foods, fermented pollack (myeongtae-sikhae) is something my husband and I especially love. Gossi's Donghae Makguksu's spicy makguksu also includes traditional Gangwon-do fermented pollack! With the nutty perilla oil and the tangy-sweet sauce, adding the fermented pollack really brings out a deep savory flavor! If you like fermented pollack, you'll really enjoy this. You understand right away why Gossi's Donghae Makguksu is such a famous Gangneung restaurant the moment you taste it!

How big is the large portion, really?

We got greedy and ordered the large size, but the portion was truly enormous... The regular size is already generous, so I'd really recommend sticking with regular unless you're very hungry! And of course you can't skip the makguksu-with-boiled-pork combo!

The spicy buckwheat gimbap is the top pick

Instead of rice, this diet-friendly keto gimbap uses black-vinegar-aged buckwheat noodles rolled with traditional Gangwon-do fermented pollack and spicy chili! The chewy, clean texture of the buckwheat noodles combined with the tangy-sweet umami of the fermented pollack and the sharp kick of the chili kept me reaching for more! It disappeared almost the moment it arrived — that's how good it was. For my taste, this is the number one menu item!

Overall thoughts on my repeat visit

Gossi's Donghae Makguksu is a must-visit Gangneung restaurant, and it's a great Gangmun Beach spot to stop by if you're traveling with your dog or kids! A place where you can enjoy makguksu, buckwheat gimbap, and sundubu all in one spot. Since I ended up going back for a second visit, that says a lot — and once again, I ate really well!