Joomak

Nab a shuttered booth and settle in: the food is budget-friendly and drinks flow until late. There’s beer on tap, but the main game is makgeolli: the milky, lightly sparkling and slightly sweet fermented rice drink that complements the hot and heavy menu.

Flavour chasers will enjoy octopus with chewy naengmyeon, the sweet potato and wheat noodles, in tangy yet spicy chojang sauce. And texture fiends will delight in the bounce of salt-and-pepper chicken giblets on a sizzling hot plate. More subtle are tender slips of steamed pork cheek and two types of sundae, the earthy blood sausage. Dip it in brick-red ssamjang and salt flakes between sips of soju.

The only dessert on the QR-code menu is the only one you want: a mountainous bingsu, the shaved ice tower showered in red beans, roasted grain powder and corn flakes.

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