A Must-Try Sundubu Restaurant in Gangneung (Cheese Sundubu Review)

Is everyone planning their trip to Korea well? Today, I want to share a food I tried during my trip to Gangneung – Sundubu, a local specialty you shouldn’t miss. This restaurant is located near Gangneung Skybay Hotel, and it’s so popular that people usually line up before it opens. To avoid waiting, I went right at opening time and it was definitely worth it

Location and Opening Hours

The restaurant is called Choi Il-soon Jjamppong Sundubu.
I assume Choi Il-soon is the owner’s name, and using their own name for the restaurant really shows how confident they are in their food.

The opening hours are from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with a break time from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
The last order before the break is at 1:00 PM, probably because the waiting line gets quite long.

I arrived around 7:40 AM, even before the restaurant opened, and there were already four teams waiting ahead of me.
That alone shows how popular this place is.

This place gets very crowded.
When you walk past it, the long line of people makes it obvious that this is a well-known local spot.

Ordering and Prices

Ordering was easy and convenient since everything was done through a kiosk.
I ordered the restaurant’s most popular menu item, Cheese Jjolmyeon Sundubu, which cost about $10.04 USD.

Cheese Jjolmyeon Sundubu is exactly what it sounds like – a sundubu stew topped with cheese and jjolmyeon noodles.
It’s made with Gangneung’s famous soft tofu stew, combined with chewy noodles and melted cheese, creating a unique and comforting dish.

To clarify, tofu is made from ground soybeans, and sundubu refers to an extra-soft type of tofu with a much gentler, silkier texture.

First Impression and Taste

The food came out surprisingly fast.
Starting the day with a warm bowl of soup in the morning felt incredibly comforting and satisfying.

If you’re visiting Gangneung, you’ll likely spend a lot of time walking around or swimming, so this is a perfect dish to enjoy as a hearty breakfast before a busy day.
The melted cheese on top made the dish look even more appetizing the moment it arrived.

The stew also comes with a bowl of rice, making the meal even more filling.
Mixing the rice into the soup tastes amazing and really completes the dish.

Even though the broth looks bright red, it’s not overly spicy.
The color reflects how rich and deep the flavor is, and the softness of the sundubu really stands out.
It’s savory, comforting, and full of umami.

Personally, since the stew comes out very hot, I like to eat about half of the rice separately with the side dishes and soup first.
Once the soup cools down a bit, I add the remaining rice into the bowl and mix everything together — that’s my favorite way to enjoy it.

They’re very generous with the cheese, and it stretches beautifully with every bite.
Because the stew is extremely hot, be careful and take your time while eating — it’s definitely worth slowing down to enjoy it properly.

Under the melted cheese, there are jjolmyeon noodles.
Jjolmyeon is a very chewy noodle, which adds a fun texture to the dish.

Since the meal comes with both rice and noodles, I personally think it’s a great two-in-one option.
You get to enjoy it like a stew with rice, and also like a noodle dish at the same time very filling and satisfying.

The meal also comes with six different side dishes, making it feel even more generous.
All six are classic Korean side dishes that most Koreans would enjoy at a traditional restaurant.

Personally, my favorites were the two on the far left – stir-fried fish cakes and stir-fried kimchi.

Summary and my tips

To sum it up, if you want to try a dish made with Gangneung’s famous sundubu, I highly recommend this restaurant.
The cheese sundubu I ordered is especially beginner-friendly, even for visitors from overseas.
With noodles included, it might even remind you of a pasta-like dish, haha.

Since everything is made from soybeans, the flavor is rich, comforting, and deeply satisfying.
The place does get very crowded, so waiting is almost unavoidable.
My tip is to arrive before 8:00 AM, line up early, and order as quickly as possible once you enter.
Because ordering is done through kiosks, it’s not based on entry order – whoever orders first gets served first.

This dish also works perfectly as a hearty breakfast before exploring Gangneung.
I hope this post helps make your Gangneung trip even better.
Have a wonderful journey!