Sinsu-dong Gukmul Tteokbokki 신수동국물떡볶이

There is no sign, so finding the door off a Daeheung-ro alley takes some looking. Instead of rice cakes in thick, sweet chili paste, the gukmul tteokbokki sits in a clear, lightly seasoned broth with fish cake and egg, closer to a mild rice cake soup. A pot is cooked ahead, and each order is ladled out and reboiled. Scissors come with the bowl: cut the rice cakes small and eat them with a spoonful of broth, as the house intends. Its quiet, lingering seasoning has earned comparisons to Pyongyang naengmyeon. A white-haired owner runs the shop with a daughter, in a room that mixes old furniture with brighter, younger colors.