Gangwon Food Guide: Sundubu, Naengmyeon, Makguksu, Dakgalbi and Sundae-gukbap

Which Gangwon dish should you plan a meal around? It depends on the city you are already visiting, because the five restaurants in this guide are in three different cities. If you have not chosen one yet, pick an area first in where to go first in Gangwon. Choose sundubu or buckwheat naengmyeon in Gangneung, makguksu or dakgalbi in Chuncheon, and a warming bowl of sundae-gukbap in Sokcho. All five are designated Century Shops by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The designation reflects how long a shop has lasted, not how it ranks, so choose by city and by the kind of meal you want.

Choose by destination

Gangneung — Chodang sundubu
Soft tofu made with Korean soybeans and seawater brine from the East Sea.
Gangneung and Chuncheon — buckwheat noodles
Choose naengmyeon in Gangneung or makguksu in Chuncheon when you want a cold noodle meal.
Chuncheon — dakgalbi
Chicken marinated in a spicy sauce and stir-fried on a hot plate. It works best as a shared meal.
Sokcho — sundae-gukbap
A warming blood-sausage soup close to Sokcho Tourist and Fishery Market.

Gangneung: Chodang sundubu and buckwheat naengmyeon

Chodang Halmeoni Sundubu is in Gangneung’s Chodang tofu village. Its Century Shop designation notes that the restaurant makes tofu daily with Korean soybeans and seawater brine from the East Sea. Chodang sundubu is a good choice when you want a mild meal centred on the flavour and soft texture of the tofu. On the restaurant’s Naver Place menu, checked on 4 October 2026, the sundubu set meal (sundubu-baekban) was 14,000 won; the same list also had a spicy version, eolkeun jjaebok-sundubu, at 15,000 won, if plain tofu sounds too mild.

Ttungbo Naengmyeon is a noodle restaurant in Imdang-dong, Gangneung. It opened in 1992 and is noted for using Korean buckwheat. It serves both Pyeongyang-style and Hamheung-style naengmyeon, and its Naver Place menu (checked 4 October 2026) listed both at 13,000 won, so the choice between them does not change the bill.

Although both restaurants are in Gangneung, they do not fit naturally into a single stop. Choose Chodang Halmeoni Sundubu when visiting the tofu village or the eastern side of the city, and Ttungbo Naengmyeon when you are staying closer to central Gangneung.

Chuncheon: makguksu and dakgalbi

Saembat Makguksu is in Sinbuk-eup, Chuncheon. The restaurant opened in 1970 and is now run by a third generation. On its Naver Place menu (checked 4 October 2026), standard makguksu was 10,000 won and the all-buckwheat version (sun-memil makguksu) a separate item at 13,000 won. Choose it when you want a lighter cold-noodle meal; order the all-buckwheat bowl if the buckwheat itself is what you came for.

Chuncheon Myeongmul Dakgalbi is in Samcheon-dong. Its Century Shop designation highlights its aged sauce and a cooking method that does not add extra oil. Its Naver Place menu (checked 4 October 2026) priced one 250 g portion of Chuncheon dakgalbi at 16,000 won. Since the chicken is stir-fried together on a hot plate, it is more convenient for a shared meal than for a quick solo stop.

The two restaurants are in different parts of Chuncheon. Choose Saembat Makguksu when your route takes you towards Sinbuk-eup, and Chuncheon Myeongmul Dakgalbi when you are staying around central Chuncheon or Samcheon-dong.

Sokcho: sundae-gukbap near the market

Donghae Sundaeguk is a sundae-gukbap restaurant in Geumho-dong, Sokcho. Its Century Shop designation records that it has operated for more than forty years and is now run by a second generation.

Sundae-gukbap was 11,000 won on its Naver Place menu, checked on 4 October 2026. The hot soup and rice make it a filling choice on a cold day. The restaurant is close to Sokcho Tourist and Fishery Market, so it fits easily before or after a market visit. When searching for it on Naver Map, note that Naver Place lists the shop as Wonjo Donghae Sundaeguk (원조동해순대국); the road address, 35-17 Jungang-ro 129-beon-gil, confirms it is the same place.

Dishes, prices and addresses at a glance

City	Restaurant	Dish in this guide	Price on Naver Place	Road address
Gangneung	Chodang Halmeoni Sundubu	Sundubu set meal	14,000 won	77 Chodang-sundubu-gil
Gangneung	Ttungbo Naengmyeon	Naengmyeon	13,000 won	156-2 Toseong-ro
Chuncheon	Saembat Makguksu	Makguksu	10,000 won	644 Sinsaembat-ro, Sinbuk-eup
Chuncheon	Chuncheon Myeongmul Dakgalbi	Dakgalbi, one portion	16,000 won	813 Yetgyeongchun-ro
Sokcho	Donghae Sundaeguk	Sundae-gukbap	11,000 won	35-17 Jungang-ro 129-beon-gil

Prices are from each restaurant’s Naver Place menu as checked on 4 October 2026 and may change; addresses are those given in the Century Shop register. Paste the road address into a map app rather than the restaurant name, which can differ between listings.

Chuncheon Myeongmul Dakgalbi's official website retains a menu image uploaded on 8 September 2023 that lists the 250 g Chuncheon dakgalbi at 15,000 won. Its Naver Place menu showed 16,000 won when checked on 4 October 2026, and the table uses that figure.

A general example of makguksu. This photograph was not taken at Saembat Makguksu in Chuncheon.

Junho Jung (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Sokcho Tourist and Fishery Market, close enough to combine with a meal at Donghae Sundaeguk.

Christophe95 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Restaurants in this article

Check the hours before visiting

Neither the Century Shop register nor the menu listings used here publish opening hours or regular closing days for these five restaurants. Check each restaurant’s current listing, or call, on the day before travelling, especially if you are making a special trip to Sinbuk-eup or Samcheon-dong.

Prices were checked on 4 October 2026 and may change. Changes to ingredients or menu composition may also affect the final price.

The main image and the makguksu photograph above were not taken at any restaurant in this article, and a restaurant card without its own photo does not borrow one from another article or place.

If you only have time for one meal

In Gangneung, choose Chodang Halmeoni Sundubu for a mild tofu meal or Ttungbo Naengmyeon for cold buckwheat noodles.

In Chuncheon, choose Saembat Makguksu for a lighter noodle meal or Chuncheon Myeongmul Dakgalbi for a shared hot-plate dish. If Sokcho Tourist and Fishery Market is already in your plan, Donghae Sundaeguk is close enough to eat at just before or after it.

Frequently asked questions

What should I eat in Gangneung?

Choose Chodang Halmeoni Sundubu for mild, freshly made soft tofu in the Chodang tofu village. If you are in central Gangneung and want cold buckwheat noodles, Ttungbo Naengmyeon is a better fit.

Should I choose makguksu or dakgalbi in Chuncheon?

Choose Saembat Makguksu for a lighter cold-noodle meal. Chuncheon Myeongmul Dakgalbi is better when several people want to share chicken stir-fried on a hot plate. The restaurants are in different parts of the city, so check your route first.

Is there somewhere to eat near Sokcho Tourist and Fishery Market?

Donghae Sundaeguk is in nearby Geumho-dong. Its hot sundae-gukbap makes a filling meal before or after visiting the market.

How much do the dishes in this guide cost?

On the restaurants’ Naver Place menus, checked on 4 October 2026: 10,000 won for makguksu, 11,000 won for sundae-gukbap, 13,000 won for naengmyeon, 14,000 won for the sundubu set meal and 16,000 won for one portion of dakgalbi. Prices may change, so check the menu on the day.