Ondo Kitchen
온도
A quietly ambitious kitchen on the Yeongrang coast where a former dancer turned chef applies Japanese dashi technique to Sokcho's daily catch. The menu changes with the East Sea fleet — built around fresh cod in forms you won't find at the crab houses — and every dish is layered with house-made stocks and aged sauces until the flavor sits exactly right. Dinner only, two people run everything, and the pace is meant to be slow.
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Interviewed by HeySeorak on 📖 Owner story included
Best For
Hearty local meals and first-time visitors
Area
Beach
Price
₩₩ Mid-range
Info
1F Unit 2, 3 Yeongrang-haean 1-gil, Sokcho, Gangwon
강원특별자치도 속초시 영랑해안1길 3 1층 2호
May close early depending on ingredient availability. Call ahead.
The Story
Before he ever stepped into a kitchen, he spent years on stage. The owner of 온도 came to cooking late — after a career as a professional dancer, he married, and cooking became his new form of expression. He built his technique in Japanese restaurants, learning the foundations of dashi and precision. When his wife's hometown of Sokcho called them both back from Seoul, he spent a year as creative director at a local resort, watching what tourists ate and what they missed. He signed the lease on this space in winter 2023 — a narrow room on the Yeongrang coast — and spent six months preparing before opening in June 2024.
“가쓰오다시랑 한국 양념을 층층이 쌓아야 제 맛이 나요. 오징어볶음 하나도 여덟 번, 제육볶음도 아홉 번 — 그 과정이 있어야 제대로 된 감칠맛이 나오거든요. — 'You have to build the katsuobushi dashi and Korean seasoning layer by layer. Eight passes for the squid stir-fry, nine for the jeyuk — that's what it takes to get proper umami.'”
— Owner, Ondo Kitchen
What They Stand For
온도 is not a specialist restaurant. The owner thinks about the whole meal — the rhythm from dish to dish, how each item earns its place on the table. He shops the Sokcho fish market and the traditional market every morning, adjusting to what came in. On days when the East Sea is rough and fish is scarce, he turns to dried fish, braised until the house smells like something a grandmother would make. The Japanese technique runs through everything: katsuobushi and kombu dashi layered into Korean seasonings, eight or nine passes on a single dish, until the flavor sits exactly where he wants it.
Behind the Signature
Fresh cod is the thing Sokcho does that almost nobody else does, and 온도 does it in forms you won't find at the crab houses: a clear broth (지리탕) with hand-cut sujebi noodles alongside; a spicy stew (매운탕) built on house dashi rather than powdered stock; a steamed cod (대구찜) made from the head, collar, and body together, under a sweet-spicy house sauce. The cod belly pancake is a quiet side dish that surprises people. The owner says steamed cod from fresh fish is nearly impossible to find anywhere else in Sokcho — most places work from frozen. He will also serve dishes that aren't on the menu: cod liver preparations, offal, whatever came in that morning and is worth doing something interesting with.
Local Tip
온도 is on Yeongrang-haean-1-gil, the coastal road beside Yeongrang Lake — a 10-minute drive north of downtown Sokcho. Take bus 1 or 3 to the Yeongrang-dong stop and walk five minutes toward the water. The restaurant sits on the ground floor of a small building at the edge of the 영랑 포차 거리 (Yeongrang pojang macha strip). Evening only — the kitchen opens at 4:35 PM, closed Tuesdays.
Seasonal Note
Fresh cod availability depends on the East Sea fleet. In rough weather the menu shifts toward braised dried fish and rotating specials. The handmade potato pancake, rolled egg (계란말이), and chawanmushi appear and disappear with the season; call ahead if you have a specific dish in mind.
For Travelers
A group of about twenty foreign guests from a Seoul guesthouse discovered 온도 in its first summer and has been returning every year since. Two people run the entire operation — cooking and serving — so the pace is slow and deliberate, which suits guests who want to settle in for the evening. The owner's goal is simple: he wants the meal to become a good memory of the trip. Guests have told him it was the best food they had in Sokcho. No English menu, but pointing at the Naver page works and the staff will walk you through what's available.
Start with these dishes
The best first order for understanding what makes this place worth visiting.
Fresh Cod Clear Broth
생대구 지리탕 변동시세
A day-boat cod cleaned and cooked in a crystal-clear broth seasoned purely by instinct — served with hand-cut sujebi noodles on the side.
Fresh Cod Spicy Stew
생대구 매운탕 변동시세
East Sea cod brought in by local fishermen, cleaned and cooked in a house dashi with gochujang seasoning — bold red broth, no powdered stock.
Steamed Fresh Cod
대구찜 변동메뉴
Cod head, collar, and body together — braised under a sweet-spicy house sauce with vegetables. One of the only places in Sokcho serving cod steamed from fresh rather than frozen.
How to order here
A simple flow for first-time visitors who want to order confidently.
Step 1
Order one signature first
If it is your first visit, start with Fresh Cod Clear Broth. It is the easiest way to understand what this place is known for.
Step 2
Add a second dish for balance
Fresh Cod Spicy Stew usually rounds out the meal well, especially if your table wants both a safe choice and something more local.
Step 3
Use the menu as a script
Open the English menu and point to the exact item names if ordering feels awkward.
More from the menu
View full English menu →Assorted Braised Fish (Atka Mackerel, Rockfish, Flatfish)
생선조림 (이면수 열기 가자미)모둠
A trio of Gangwon coastal fish — atka mackerel, red rockfish, and flatfish — braised together in the Korean style.
Beef Bulgogi Hot Pot
소불고기 전골
Beef marinated in house soy bulgogi sauce, simmered in a hand-pulled dashi broth with vegetables — the dish foreign visitors tend to order most.
Helpful guides
Practical reads to help you make the most of your visit.
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