Donggang Naruteo 동강나루터

From the street on Euljiro you see only a sign; the restaurant is up a narrow, steep stairway on the second floor, close to Euljiro 3-ga Station. The catfish and freshwater crab stew (chamge megi maeuntang) tastes unusual at first, then turns sweeter, spicier and cleaner as it keeps boiling. River shrimp sit at the bottom, under thick, tender catfish, water parsley, mushrooms and sujebi dough flakes. In winter the crabs, otherwise there mostly for the broth, are full of roe and worth picking apart. The mixed fry (modeum twigim) covers small shore crabs, river shrimp and loach in a thin batter. Sides are three kimchis: green onion, chonggak radish and mustard leaf. Winter adds gwamegi, a half-dried fish, and the room stays loud in an old-Euljiro way.