Padong 파동

Down a flight of stairs in a residential lane off Mangwon Station, the basement room shows an open kitchen and warm wood. Futomaki rolls rice, vegetables and seafood into thick slices, so one bite holds several textures. Cold basil soba keeps buckwheat noodles light with basil, while mazesoba drops the broth and gets its weight from sauce and toppings mixed in. Solo diners settle at the bar with a single bowl, and tables take spreads of futomaki and hot pot. The kimchi cheese nabe, a hot pot of sour, spicy kimchi with melted cheese, makes a warm counterpoint to cold soba.