Gwangju Sikdang 광주식당

Rice is cooked to order in an aluminum pot, and staff spoon it out at the table before taking the pot back to the kitchen and returning it as sungnyung, hot water poured over the scorched crust. Cheonggukjang, a fast-fermented soybean stew, is milder in smell than many and comes with large chunks of tofu. A big bowl with gochujang and sesame oil arrives too, and many diners build bibimbap from the bean sprouts and radish salad to eat alongside the stew.