If you don't eat beef or pork, Gangwon's coast is good news. Dried pollock, seafood tofu stew, grilled mackerel and raw fish on the East Sea, plus how to avoid the hidden meat broth.
You're in Gangwon Province and you don't eat beef or pork. The good news is that Gangwon has a long East Sea coastline and some excellent seafood. The catch is that many Korean soups and stews start from a meat broth, so you need to order carefully. These are the dishes we find easiest and most rewarding near the ski resorts.
Daegwallyeong, the area around Yongpyong and Alpensia, is known for hwangtae: pollock dried outdoors through the winter until it turns golden and fluffy. Restaurants in Hoenggye town specialise in it. Order hwangtae-gui, grilled pollock with a sweet and spicy gochujang glaze. Because it is grilled rather than served in soup, there is no hidden stock to worry about. Pollock soup (hwangtae-guk) is also popular, but ask about the broth first.
Sundubu-jjigae, a bubbling soft tofu stew, is everywhere and perfect on a cold day. The standard version often contains pork or beef. Order haemul sundubu (seafood soft tofu) and add gogi ppaego juseyo ("no meat, please"), then ask whether the broth itself is meat-based: gogi yuksu deureo isseoyo? The seafood version usually comes with clams and shrimp.
Simple fish restaurants serve godeungeo-gui: a whole mackerel, salted and grilled, with rice and side dishes. There is usually no sauce at all, just fish. It is oily, crisp-skinned and very good with white rice. You'll find it near Vivaldi Park and in most towns in the region.
On a rest day, drive to the coast. Gangneung is about 40 minutes from Yongpyong and Sokcho is further north. At the seafood markets you choose a live fish from the tank, and the restaurant slices it as hoe (sashimi), served with spicy chojang sauce or soy sauce. A spicy fish stew (maeuntang) made from the leftover fish is often served afterwards. It is usually fish-based, but ask about the broth to be sure.
Grilled (gui) dishes are the simplest choice, because what you see is what you get. Seafood itself is widely accepted by Muslim travellers, but restaurants that are not halal-certified share kitchens, grills and utensils with meat, so decide in advance how strict you need to be. For phrases, see Korean phrases for ordering food, and for certified options, the halal food guide.