The story
He grew up in Hongdae — Seoul's neighborhood of artists, late-night bars, and people who reinvent themselves — and never really left the food and beverage world. Eight years ago he moved to Yangyang for the surf and the pace. Then Sokcho called: cleaner infrastructure, better tourism numbers, a summer season that goes vertical. He signed a lease on this narrow room on Yeongrang's pojang macha strip in early 2026, ran the concept as a set-meal restaurant for three days, decided that wasn't it, and pivoted to a full drinking pub by day four. The menu was already in draft form the day the first customers walked in.
“소스 바리에이션이 핵심이에요. 불쭈육이 지금 버전 1.35인데, 버전 2가 될 때까지 소스를 계속 바꿔가고 있어요. 어떤 재료도 맞는 소스만 있으면 맛있게 만들 수 있거든요. — 'The sauce variation is everything. The spicy octopus-pork is at version 1.35 right now — I keep tweaking the sauce until it becomes version 2. Any ingredient can taste great if you find the right sauce for it.'”
Owner, Seojubang
What they stand for
The core idea at 서주방 is deceptively simple: any ingredient can be made delicious with the right sauce. This is not the philosophy of someone who coasts on premium product — it's the opposite. The owner's starting point is always the cheapest usable ingredient, then he engineers the sauce that makes it sing. He deliberately chose dishes the neighboring pojang macha stalls don't sell — octopus and pork together, Yeonpyeong crab fish cake stew — so the menu competes on flavor rather than price. Ten more dishes are waiting in his notes app for May. Each one has a version number.
Behind the signature
The corn-butter-cheese kimchi pancake was the bestseller from week one. The concept is direct: kimchi pancake with corn butter and a cheese pull inside — the three things young Korean drinkers love most in a single bite. But the dish the owner has staked the most on is the 불쭈육: spicy octopus and pork belly, simmered together with bean sprouts until everything collapses into a shared broth. He calls it version 1.35. It started as version 1, it got better, it's still not where he wants it. He won't stop changing the sauce until it reaches version 2. He doesn't know exactly when that will happen.
Local tip
서주방 is on Yeongrang-haean-6-gil, a few steps from the pojang macha strip beside Yeongrang Lake. Take bus 1 or 3 to the Yeongrang-dong stop and walk toward the water. The kitchen opens at 6 PM every night — Friday and Saturday until 4 AM, which makes it one of the latest-running spots in this part of Sokcho. No reservations needed; walk right in.
Seasonal note
The owner runs summer aggressively and winter lightly — this is by design. From May onward, new dishes will appear on the menu as the summer season ramps up. The tomato flatfish mulhoe is a natural summer order; the hot stews are better in cooler months. Expect the menu to look different in July than it does in April.
For travelers
The Yeonpyeong crab fish cake stew has been the hit with foreign guests — Chinese visitors and European groups have both taken to it, drawn in by the visible crab on top and the clean, spicy broth. The spicy octopus-pork (불쭈육) ran too hot for most foreign palates. The owner's goal is pure walk-in friendliness: no reservations, no barriers, just sit down and point. An English menu is in preparation and will arrive once the menu stabilizes in May. Until then, pointing at the Naver photos works fine.
