Cheongdam Chueojeong 청담추어정

Take a number and wait in a large lounge with puffed rice popped on the spot, free coffee and plum tea. Queues are split between parties of up to four and five or more, and the bigger groups tend to get in sooner. The loach soup is thick and silky with plenty of soft cabbage greens, seasoned at the table with perilla powder, minced garlic and sliced chili. For a little more than a single bowl, the Mubyeong set builds on cordyceps chueotang with fried loach, marinated crab, the day's salted seafood and tongue sole grilled almost crisp enough to pass for fried.