Seoul-seo Duljjaero Jalhaneun Jip 서울서둘째로잘하는집

Sweet red bean porridge (danpatjuk) dusted with cinnamon hides large glutinous rice dumplings, chestnuts, kidney beans and a single ginkgo nut. Alongside it comes tea from a yellow kettle, brewed from solomon's seal root the owner digs up himself, bitter and nutty at once. Ssanghwa-cha, an herbal tonic tea, is strongly bitter, and some guests ask for honey to soften it. Sujeonggwa, a cinnamon punch, arrives with pine nuts and dried persimmon. Old tables and chairs give the room the feel of a 1980s tearoom, seats are close together, and the short menu keeps the line moving. Sikhye and sujeonggwa sometimes sell out early.