Deoksu Sikdang 덕수식당

The waiting list at the door asks for your order and phone number along with your name, and when the call comes and you walk in, the table is already laid. Big blue crabs go into the gegukji, a sweet, clean-tasting crab stew that turns salty the longer it boils; switch off the heat once the seasoning tastes right. A soy-marinated stone crab comes with the side dishes, and the salted pollock roe, dressed in sesame oil, gets wrapped in gim with wild-chive soy sauce. Children aged 10 and under are not admitted, and the kitchen closes early once ingredients run out.