Makguksu lunch with kids in Gangneung: Samgyori Dongchimi Namhangjin
In short
Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu Namhangjin branch is a dongchimi makguksu (chilled buckwheat noodles in radish water kimchi broth) restaurant directly in front of Namhangjin Beach in Gangneung. A family lunch there came to dongchimi makguksu at 11,000 won, pollack sashimi makguksu at 13,000 won and a small domestic boiled pork platter at 29,000 won, and toddlers under 48 months get a baby makguksu free. The dining room is large with baby chairs and turnover is quick, so Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu is an easy lunch with children if you arrive before noon.
Good to know
- Dongchimi makguksu
- 11,000 won
- Pollack sashimi makguksu
- 13,000 won
- Domestic boiled pork platter (small)
- 29,000 won
- Kids' menu
- Free makguksu for toddlers under 48 months
- Parking
- Spots in front of the restaurant plus the Namhangjin Beach public lot
- With kids
- Baby chairs available, spacious dining room
- Reopened
- New building at the current location in 2023
as written by the visitor on Sep 6, 2026
You can't visit Gangneung without eating makguksu (chilled buckwheat noodles) at least once. Here's Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu Namhangjin branch, a lunch spot I visited with my kid during our Gangneung trip.
Where is Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu Namhangjin branch, and where do you park?
Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu Namhangjin branch sits right in front of Namhangjin Beach, making it an easy stop during a Gangneung trip.
There are parking spots right in front of the restaurant, and since Namhangjin Beach is just across the way, the public parking lot there is huge too, so parking was never an issue. That said, it's a well-known makguksu place in Gangneung, so it's worth expecting a wait on weekends or during the lunch peak.
How long is the wait, and the best lunch time to go with kids
Customers kept streaming in while we were there, but the dining room itself is pretty large with plenty of tables, so turnover felt fairly quick. Still, waiting a long time isn't easy with a kid in tow, so I'd recommend going a bit early, before noon, or avoiding peak lunch hours if you can.
Inside Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu: dining room and Namhangjin ocean view
I expected a makguksu place to feel like an old-school local diner, but
turns out they reopened in a brand-new building at this location in 2023. That explains why the building is so clean and the dining room so spacious.
There are colorful paintings evoking the Gangneung sea hanging on the walls, giving it more of a gallery feel than a typical makguksu joint. I actually thought this was their flagship location, but the original Gangneung branch turns out to be somewhere else, haha.
And one of the biggest perks of the Namhangjin branch is the ocean view! Eating with the sea in front of you feels way more like a trip than just grabbing a bowl of noodles.
Menu and prices, plus the free baby makguksu
Since we came to Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu, of course we had to try the makguksu.
- Dongchimi makguksu ₩11,000
- Pollack sashimi makguksu ₩13,000
- Domestic pork platter (small) ₩29,000
That's what we ordered. And one thing that made visiting with a kid great — they give you a free baby makguksu!
I'd worried that ordering a full dish separately for the baby would be way too much food, but they bring out a small noodle portion just for her, and honestly, as a mom, that's endlessly touching.
How does the dongchimi makguksu taste? A mild Pyeongyang-style broth
First up, the refreshingly cool water makguksu. True to the restaurant's name, you could really taste that distinctive clean, tangy dongchimi (radish water kimchi) flavor.
It's not aggressively sweet-and-sour — more of a mild, pyeongnaeng (North Korean-style cold noodle) flavor, so it didn't get old even after several bites. A cool bowl of makguksu on a hot day while traveling Gangneung is still the best.
The baby portion was also just the right size, which I really appreciated.
Pollack sashimi makguksu with the boiled pork platter
The pollack sashimi makguksu wasn't overly spicy or intense — the buckwheat noodles and seasoning came together nicely. I especially loved piling a piece of boiled pork onto the bibim (mixed) makguksu. You have to try the bibim makguksu with pork together — it's a must.
The best dish of the day: the domestic boiled pork
And the dish I ended up enjoying most that day, surprisingly, was the boiled pork! Even in photos you can tell the portion is generous, and it was really moist and tender. It wasn't all lean, dry meat either — the fat-to-lean ratio was just right.
It's good topped with the spicy side dish that comes with it, and just as good eaten simply with salted shrimp. My baby ate it well too. The portion is generous, so it's great for a family to share one order.
Verdict: is Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu a good lunch with a child in Gangneung?
The dining room is spacious and clean with baby chairs, so it was easy to bring a kid along, and above all, getting a free baby makguksu was such a nice touch when traveling with a little one.
On top of that, the ocean view of Namhangjin Beach really made it feel like a proper Gangneung trip. If you're looking for a kid-friendly lunch spot in Gangneung, a place to eat near Namhangjin or Anmok, or you just want makguksu with an ocean view, this is worth a visit.
If you're looking for a lunch spot to bring your kid to in Gangneung, I recommend Samgyori Dongchimi Makguksu Namhangjin branch!
Where it is
42 Gonghang-gil 127beon-gil, 1st floor, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-teukbyeoljachido, South Korea강원특별자치도 강릉시 공항길127번길 42 1층 삼교리동치미막국수 남항진점
