Sokcho bar seafood drinking set: Seo Jubang

A final drink of our Sokcho trip at Seo Jubang

To wrap up our Sokcho trip, my husband and I decided to have a drink at a lovely Sokcho bar~ We picked Seo Jubang (서주방), which is widely known for its seafood and mulhoe (cold raw-fish soup), and paid it a visit~ Shall we go for a drink at Seo Jubang, a place with an atmosphere completely unlike its exterior?

• Location: 12 Yeongnanghaean 6-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon State
• Hours: Mon–Thu 18:00–03:00 / Fri–Sat 18:00–04:00 / Sun 18:00–02:00
• Parking: Free parking at the Yeongnang Beach roadside public parking lot

What is the inner room like?

The bar had a warm, antique-looking interior in brown tones, and it felt very neatly arranged~ This side was nice too, of course, but we headed toward the area behind the kitchen where no one was sitting~

Here it is!!! It was such an atmospheric space with an antique feel, and with no one else around, it was wonderfully quiet~

There was also a self-service bar and restroom in the inner area, so it was easy to use~ I never imagined it would be such a pretty, atmospheric space from the outside—it was such a delightful surprise!!! There was no kiosk at the table, so I thought we had to order directly from the owner and called him over~ He told us to scan the QR code on the table and order on our phones~ So this is the newfangled way these days~ I was almost a little embarrassed, but I didn't panic~

Flatfish makhoe and sea cucumber innards jeotgal from the Sokcho set

We connected through the QR code and placed our order~ We ordered the Sokcho drinking set, and chose gajami makhoe (sliced raw flounder) and haesam nae-jang jeotgal (salted fermented sea cucumber innards) as the mains available with it~

We also ordered a bottle of Jinro and a Pepsi Zero~ They brought us such pretty shot glasses, and I was happy because they were exactly the same as the ones we have at home!!!

The Sokcho drinking set arrived~ I loved its varied selection, including the flatfish makhoe~ None of the dishes were too heavy, so it seemed perfect for a casual drink~

The main highlight of the drinking set: flatfish makhoe served with sea cucumber innards jeotgal~ I loved that they gave us a generous amount of the jeotgal, and considering that sea cucumber innards are a premium ingredient, this set seems like very good value!!!

For my husband, whose childlike palate can't handle sea cucumber innards, I first put some raw flatfish on his plate, then mixed all of mine with the sea cucumber innards jeotgal~ The rich, deep ocean aroma of the innards went so well with the nutty, bone-in raw flatfish. I also loved the fragrant perilla leaves and the crisp, chewy texture of the cabbage and seaweed~

My husband, who can't eat sea cucumber innards, dipped his flatfish makhoe in cho-gochujang (sweet-tangy chili sauce)~ I wondered why they had mixed mayonnaise into it, but once I tasted it, the cho-gochujang and mayonnaise became a much smoother sauce and paired unexpectedly well with the springy yet mild flatfish. I need to make this cho-yonaise at home too!!!

The dishes served with the drinking set

The Abai baeksundae (pale sausage) came with changnan-jeot, salted pollock roe, which was great~ The sausage's nutty flavor went quite well with the crunchy-chewy texture of the changnan-jeot~

This was the seasoned squid dish they served after asking if it would be okay~ It is normally served as whole boiled squid, but they said they could not get whole squid that day and had received cut squid instead. I was surprised by how tender and nutty the squid was~ The seasoning was not overpowering; it was mixed just enough to give it a savory depth, which I loved~ Just a note: the chili peppers are very hot, so if you can't handle spice, I recommend picking them out before eating!!!

The white whelk had a pleasantly firm-chewy texture and a nutty flavor~ My husband can't eat whelk, so I ate it all~ Yay~ What a win!!!

The potato salad blanketed in myeongran (salted pollock roe) was salty and nutty~ The little pops of roe and the softness of the potato worked so well together~ I didn't want to waste the bits stuck to the last perilla leaf, so I wrapped up the whole leaf like a ssam (leaf wrap) and ate it all, haha.

The tomatoes came marinated in a tangy soy sauce~ The tomatoes themselves were sweet and truly delicious, and the sweet tomatoes went beautifully with the tangy soy sauce!!!

Good bar food calls for a drink, right? To our love~!!! We happily enjoyed a cozy drinking date, just the two of us, in the quiet, relaxed atmosphere~ If you are looking for an atmospheric bar for a get-together or date, I recommend Seo Jubang!!!