Sokcho Saeng Daegu — clear cod soup by the sea in Yeongnang-dong

Yeongnang-dong, Sokcho. A narrow neighbourhood squeezed between Yeongnangho Lake and the East Sea, one layer off the usual tourist route.

This place sells one thing: fresh cod. Not frozen, which is why the menu is short.

Soup and pancake, plus the salted roe. In winter one more line appears — milt pancake. That is all of it.

When the pot arrives, the first thing you notice is not the broth but the size of the fish. One piece of cod is about as big as a ladle.

The restaurant — Yeongnang-dong, closed on Tuesdays

The address is 14 Yeongnang Haean 3-gil, Sokcho, Gangwon State, or Yeongnang-dong 131-19 by lot number. It sits north of Sokcho Beach and Daepohang, close to the Yeongnangho Lake walking path. Phone: 033-636-9774.

The restaurant closes every Tuesday. Listed hours vary slightly between sources; according to DiningCode it opens at 10am (8:30am on Saturdays) and closes at 8pm, with a break from 14:30 to 17:00 and last order at 19:00. Arrive in the afternoon and you may find the door shut, so time the visit.

The banchan come out before anything else — gim and salted seafood, seasoned vegetables and kimchi, each in its own small plate. Nothing showy, but you keep reaching for them while the soup heats up.

Sokcho Saeng Daegu at a glance (checked 2026-09-19)

Item	Details
Address	14 Yeongnang Haean 3-gil, Sokcho, Gangwon State (Yeongnang-dong 131-19)
Phone	033-636-9774
Hours	10:00~20:00 (opens 08:30 Saturdays) · break 14:30~17:00 · last order 19:00
Closed	Every Tuesday
Fresh cod soup	26,000 won per person (minimum two servings)
Cod pancake	34,000 won
Also on the menu	Salted herring roe 300g 15,000 won · milt pancake 34,000 won (winter only)
Rating	Google Maps ★4.2 (1,479 reviews) — enough reviews, but below this site’s standard (★4.5)

Fresh cod soup, 26,000 won per person — two servings minimum

The soup is 26,000 won per person, and the minimum order is two servings. Coming alone for a single bowl is not an option here.

A wide pot is filled with clear broth, the cod pieces, radish and water parsley laid on top, and brought to the table as is. It starts to boil once you light the burner.

The cod pieces are large. The white flesh splits into thick flakes, and even fully cooked it holds together when you lift it with chopsticks. The piece nearest the head comes with cheek meat and skin attached, a different texture again.

The broth is clear. There is no chilli powder — it is seasoned with salt and garlic only — so the first spoonful can taste plain. By the second or third, though, the sweetness drawn out of the cod comes through.

The water parsley goes in last, wilted briefly and lifted straight out. Boil it long and the aroma disappears, so eat it while it is still green.

Cod pancake, 34,000 won — white fish in an egg batter

The cod pancake is 34,000 won. It comes piled high on paper laid over a bamboo tray.

The cod is sliced wide and thin, dipped in egg batter and pan-fried. Chives or spring onion are pressed onto the edges, leaving a fleck of green on each piece. Little oil is used, so the colour stays pale yellow.

Lift one and the white flesh splits inside its egg coating. It is not salty, and there is no fishy smell. Freshly fried is when it is best, so reach for it as soon as it lands.

Order the soup and the pancake together and two people will struggle to finish. For two, the safer order is two servings of soup (52,000 won) first, with the pancake added later if you still want it.

Salted herring roe, 300g 15,000 won — the rice-thief of the menu

Beyond what comes out as a side dish, you can order salted herring roe, 300g for 15,000 won, served heaped red on a plate.

The grains pop audibly. What comes first is a nutty richness rather than salt or fishiness, with a thin coat of chilli seasoning. A small spoonful on white rice and the bowl disappears.

Go in winter and one more line appears: milt pancake, 34,000 won. Iri, the cod’s milt, has a short season, so it is winter only. If you are heading to Sokcho between December and February, it is worth checking whether that line is up.

Map and practicalities — getting there, the break, and the rating

Address 14 Yeongnang Haean 3-gil, Sokcho, Gangwon State (lot number: Yeongnang-dong 131-19)
Phone 033-636-9774
Hours 10:00~20:00 (opens 08:30 Saturdays) · break 14:30~17:00 · last order 19:00 / Closed every Tuesday

It is north of central Sokcho, in the strip between Yeongnangho Lake and the sea. Driving is easier than public transport, and it pairs naturally with a walk around the Yeongnangho Lake loop.

The rating gets stated plainly. This site uses Google Maps ★4.5 with 100 or more reviews as its recommendation standard. As of September 2026, Sokcho Saeng Daegu sits at ★4.2 with 1,479 reviews. The review count is overwhelming, but the star rating falls a little short of the standard.

Holding 4.2 across more than 1,400 reviews means the spread is not wide. The lower scores mostly concern price and waiting time. A 26,000-won soup with a two-serving minimum is not cheap, and some reviews come from people who turned up without knowing about the afternoon break or the Tuesday closing.

So the accurate summary is this: when you are in Sokcho and want a clear fish broth rather than raw fish or mulhoe, this is the place that meets that specific brief most precisely.

FAQ

Can I eat here alone?

The soup is priced at 26,000 won per person but requires a minimum of two servings. On your own the soup is difficult, so the pancake or the salted roe are the options to consider.

When is it closed, and when is the break?

It closes every Tuesday, and takes a break from 2:30pm to 5pm. Last order is at 7pm.

Is the broth spicy?

No. There is no chilli powder — it is a clear broth seasoned with salt and garlic. The first spoonful can taste plain, but the sweetness from the cod comes through afterwards.

Is there anything available only in winter?

Milt pancake at 34,000 won appears in winter only. Iri is cod milt, and its season is short.

Where is it?

In Yeongnang-dong, north of central Sokcho, between Yeongnangho Lake and the sea. Driving is easier, and it fits well with a walk around the Yeongnangho Lake loop.