Manpo Makguksu 만포막국수

Despite the name, the centerpiece at this 40-plus-year-old spot near Yaksu Station is Northern-style jjimdak: chicken steamed so soft it barely needs chewing, served with steamed scallions. Seating spreads across the ground floor and basement of the old building, and there is no parking. The meat goes into a red dipping sauce, sharpened with mustard and vinegar to taste. Bibim makguksu is the perilla-oil kind, mild and nutty rather than sweet and sour. Mandu mushroom hotpot starts as a clean broth and turns spicy once the red seasoning is stirred in.