We arrived in Gangneung around 8:40 in the morning on a holiday and ordered two mild set meals plus one spicy jjamppong sundubu. With children at the table, that mix worked better than ordering everything spicy.
FIRST-HAND KOREA FAMILY FOOD GUIDE · GANGNEUNG / CHODANG
We were driving toward the Yangyang coast and needed a proper breakfast before a day at the beach. Chodang's tofu district was already active early in the morning, even during the holiday period.
For our family of four, ordering two Maetdol set meals and one spicy jjamppong sundubu worked well. The set gave the children several mild foods to share, while the spicy tofu gave the adults a completely different flavor on the same table.
Best forGangneung breakfast and families wanting more than one tofu dish
Current Maetdol setKRW 18,000 per person · minimum 2
Hours listed in October 202608:00–20:00 on recent listings
ParkingFree parking is consistently reported
We arrived around 8:40 AM before heading to the sea
Our family had left early for a full day in Gangwon.
The first proper stop was Gangneung. We wanted breakfast before continuing north toward Yangyang and the beach.
Because it was a major Korean holiday, I had wondered how many restaurants would actually be open that early.
When we reached the Chodang Sundubu Village area, that concern disappeared. There were already visitors moving between the tofu restaurants.
We chose Chodang Maetdol Sundubu and ordered enough variety that the children did not have to depend on a spicy soup for breakfast.
It is in Gangneung's Chodang Sundubu district
75 Chodangsundubu-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon State
강원특별자치도 강릉시 초당순두부길 75
We arrived by car, which made sense because this restaurant was only the first stop in a much longer Gangwon day trip.
Parking was straightforward during our visit. Recent restaurant information also continues to list free parking, which is useful in a district where several popular tofu restaurants sit close together.
The Maetdol set was the practical choice with children
The current Maetdol set is listed at KRW 18,000 per person with a minimum order of two people.
Our table had much more than a bowl of tofu. There was a hot pot, soft tofu, grilled fish, japchae, tofu with kimchi and several side dishes.
This is why the set worked well with children.
When one person does not want spicy tofu, there are still enough things on the table to build a normal meal. A child can eat rice, tofu, fish or japchae while the adults move between the same dishes.
Why Chodang sundubu is different from the red stew many visitors expect
Many international visitors first meet sundubu through sundubu-jjigae, the spicy red stew served bubbling in a stone bowl.
Chodang sundubu has a different identity.
The district is associated with soft, gently flavored tofu, and plain white sundubu is often eaten for the soybean taste itself rather than for a strong chili-based broth.
For our breakfast, that plain tofu was useful because it gave the table a very mild contrast to the spicy dish we had also ordered.
The jjamppong sundubu tasted slightly tangy to me
We also ordered the spicy 짬뽕순두부 — jjamppong sundubu.
This combines the red seafood-style flavor associated with Korean jjamppong and soft tofu.
My own reaction was mixed. The broth had the heat I expected, but I also noticed a slightly sour or tangy note that was stronger than I personally prefer.
That is a taste preference, not a claim that the dish is generally disliked. In fact, recent visitor reviews frequently single out the jjamppong sundubu as one of the restaurant's popular dishes.
For our table, I was still glad we ordered one. Having both plain tofu and one spicy bowl made breakfast less monotonous.
Current menu prices
| Dish | Current listed price |
|---|---|
| Maetdol set · 맷돌정식 | KRW 18,000 per person · 2+ people |
| Maetdol sundubu · 맷돌순두부 | KRW 14,000 |
| Sundubu hot pot · 순두부전골 | KRW 14,000 |
| Tofu hot pot · 두부전골 | KRW 14,000 |
| Jjamppong sundubu · 짬뽕순두부 | KRW 14,000 |
| Whole tofu · 모두부 | KRW 13,000 |
| Half tofu · 두부반모 | KRW 8,000 |
| Mini sweet-and-sour pork · 미니탕수육 | KRW 13,000 |
For our family, variety mattered more than finding one “best” tofu dish
If I had come only with another adult, I might have ordered two spicy bowls and kept the meal simple.
With children, that would have been a worse decision.
The set meal let everyone move around the table. The children could ignore the spicy dish without losing their breakfast, while the adults could still try it.
My family-ordering strategy:
With children who do not want spicy food, I would again combine the two-person Maetdol set with one separate spicy dish rather than make jjamppong sundubu the entire meal.
With children who do not want spicy food, I would again combine the two-person Maetdol set with one separate spicy dish rather than make jjamppong sundubu the entire meal.
What international visitors should know
Korean name:
초당맷돌순두부
Address:
강원특별자치도 강릉시 초당순두부길 75
Phone:
0507-1412-8999 on the current public listing
Hours listed in October 2026:
08:00–20:00 on recent listings. Holiday and regular closing-day information should still be checked before a special early visit.
Ordering:
Recent visitors report tablet ordering at the table.
Parking:
Free parking is currently listed and repeatedly mentioned by visitors.
Set meal minimum:
The Maetdol set is listed for two or more people.
English menu / overseas card:
I did not separately verify either.
FAQ
Is all sundubu spicy?
No. Plain Chodang sundubu is white and mild. Jjamppong sundubu is the spicy option.
Is this open early enough for breakfast?
Recent public listings show an 08:00 opening, and we ate here early in the morning. I would still recheck holiday hours before building a long drive around it.
Is the Maetdol set good with children?
It worked well for our family because the table had tofu, fish, japchae and other mild foods in addition to the hot pot.
Do I need a car?
Not necessarily for Chodang itself, but a car was far more useful for our itinerary because we continued from Gangneung to the Yangyang coast afterward.
Would we return?
With my family, yes — and I would use almost the same ordering strategy again.
The spicy jjamppong sundubu was not my personal favorite flavor of the meal.
But that did not matter much because the set gave us enough fish, tofu, japchae and side dishes for everyone to share.
For an early Gangneung breakfast before continuing along the east coast, that balance was more useful than choosing one famous dish and forcing everyone to eat it.
The spicy jjamppong sundubu was not my personal favorite flavor of the meal.
But that did not matter much because the set gave us enough fish, tofu, japchae and side dishes for everyone to share.
For an early Gangneung breakfast before continuing along the east coast, that balance was more useful than choosing one famous dish and forcing everyone to eat it.
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