Songnim Sikdang 송림식당

A tall parking tower stands beside this Jayang-dong drivers' diner, which fills an entire building near Konkuk University. The tower runs on free valet parking. Dwaeji bulbaek (pork bulgogi) arrives fast with heaped bowls of rice, and nearly every table follows the same routine: once the pork is mostly cooked, lettuce, seasoned radish, rice and gochujang go onto the grill, get snipped with scissors and turn into fried rice. Seonji haejangguk, a hangover soup with large chunks of coagulated blood, is free and unlimited at the self-service bar. Water comes as sungnyung, toasted-rice tea, and a watery kimchi stands in for soup. Solo diners can order a single portion, and a yogurt drink is handed over at the register.