Sokcho breakfast: sundubu jjigae hangover soup at Daecheongmaru

When you're traveling around Sokcho, it's surprisingly hard to find a restaurant open early in the morning. Daecheongmaru, which I visited this time, serves food from early on, so it worked really well as a breakfast spot. It's also a great place to go the morning after a night of raw fish and drinks, when you want hot soup to fix you up.

A hanok-style exterior and a big parking lot

The building's exterior has a strong hanok (traditional Korean house) feel that matched the mood of a Sokcho trip perfectly. It has that cozy, old-school-favorite kind of vibe, and the sign reading "Chodang sundubu" is visible from far away, so it wasn't hard to find.

What I liked most was how big the parking lot is. In Sokcho, the more popular a restaurant is, the more parking stress it usually comes with, but Daecheongmaru has plenty of parking space right in front, which is especially convenient for families or anyone traveling by car. The open scenery around it also really gave off that "I'm on a trip" feeling.

Once inside, there was signage explaining the beans used for the Chodang sundubu. It said Daecheongmaru's Chodang sundubu is made with 100% pure domestic Korean beans. For a place built around tofu, it showed real confidence in its ingredients.

A varied menu that's great for family visits

The menu turned out to be more varied than I expected. There's Chodang sundubu for ₩14,000, spicy sundubu for ₩15,000, hwangtae haejangguk (dried pollack hangover soup) for ₩15,000, sanchae bibimbap (wild greens rice bowl) for ₩16,000, plus items like whole tofu, pan-fried tofu, and potato pancake.

In the morning, sundubu or hwangtae haejangguk make a light but filling choice, and if you're a group, adding grilled tofu or pancakes to share seems like a good idea.

There are also dishes like braised pollack or tofu hot pot that work well for a group, so it seems like a good spot for family meals overall. There were quite a few families with kids, and with options ranging from mild to spicy, it felt like an easy place for both adults and children to eat together.

There's also local liquor like Songiju and Sokcho Saengtak

Looking at the drinks menu, I noticed a fun regional touch. Beyond regular soju and beer, there's local liquor like Songiju and Sokcho Saengtak, which is nice for getting into a travel mood with a drink. If you're not driving, trying the local Sokcho drinks alongside your meal isn't a bad idea.

Clean, nutty tofu dishes

The pan-fried tofu came out first, golden and crisp on the outside with a soft texture still alive inside. The tofu itself was clean and nutty, and it paired really well with a light dip in soy sauce.

The tofu wasn't dry at all, it was moist, so it was tasty even eaten plain, and it had a charm distinct from the sundubu. It really felt like the work of a tofu specialist.

Chodang sundubu looks very plain, but once you actually taste it, there's a subtly deep, nutty bean flavor. It's not intense at all and sits easy on the stomach, making it perfect for breakfast.

Especially the morning after eating late the night before, this kind of warm, soft food hits the spot better than something spicy and intense — it was exactly the right menu for that.

Spicy sundubu, great for a hangover

The spicy sundubu looked like a proper hangover-soup right from its color. Piled high with green onion over red broth, you could sense the sharp, spicy aroma even before taking a bite.

It wasn't just spicy for the sake of it — the soft flavor of the sundubu came through too, so it never felt overwhelming. It felt like it really cleared out your stomach first thing in the morning, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a hangover-cure spot in Sokcho.

A variety of side dishes came out too — kimchi, seasoned cucumber, namul (seasoned greens), and shrimp preserved in soy sauce, among others. Since the main dishes center on tofu and are fairly plain, these sides kept the meal from feeling boring and made it much more filling.

Dipping the tofu lightly in soy sauce was especially delicious. The tofu's own nuttiness matched well with the salty seasoning, and alternating with a seasoned side like grilled pollack kept me reaching for more.

A hearty breakfast spread across the whole table

Seeing it all laid out together, it's a pretty generous spread. With Chodang sundubu, spicy sundubu, pan-fried tofu, and all the side dishes together, it was great for a family to order several dishes and share.

It wasn't too heavy for morning but still filling enough, which made it a good first meal for a Sokcho trip. It's easy to skip breakfast or eat something quick while traveling, but starting the day with a proper Korean meal like this made the whole day feel much more solid.

Up close, the spicy sundubu had a generous amount of soft tofu in it, and the broth was fairly rich. It was spicy yet soft, which suited it perfectly as a hangover-cure dish.

Personally, I'd recommend ordering one plain Chodang sundubu and one spicy sundubu to share. Their flavors are completely different, so alternating between them never gets old.

Chodang sundubu seems like an especially good order for families with kids. It's mild and soft, easy to eat without worry, while the adults can order spicy sundubu or hwangtae haejangguk to suit their own tastes.

With the side dishes and tofu menu items laid out together, it really felt like a proper Korean table spread. The pan-fried tofu also came in a generous portion, good for sharing among several people, and the sides weren't overpowering, so they didn't get in the way of the tofu's flavor.

One last shot of the spicy sundubu. The hot broth was great to eat in the morning, and if you had a drink the night before, it's perfect for fixing you right up.

To sum up

Overall, Daecheongmaru had everything a traveler needs — a big parking lot, early opening hours, a filling breakfast, hangover-friendly soup dishes, and delicious tofu dishes on top of it all.

If you're looking for a restaurant that opens early in Sokcho, or a Korean restaurant the whole family can eat at without worry, it's worth a visit. If you especially like tofu, I'd recommend ordering the Chodang sundubu and pan-fried tofu together. Being able to enjoy local drinks like Songiju and Sokcho Saengtak alongside the meal made it a dining experience that let me taste a bit more of what Sokcho travel is really about.