Wonjo Sirakguk 원조시락국

Diners sit shoulder to shoulder with strangers along a single bar lined with shared side-dish tubs, tucked into an alley of Seoho Market. Sirakguk, a soup of dried radish greens, is simmered in a milky stock made from sea eel, with sancho pepper and banga (Korean mint) giving it a sharper aroma than ordinary versions, and the greens dominate so much that the fish base is hard to detect. It is the only dish, so it arrives almost as soon as you sit, and chives and chili seasoning are there to adjust heat and fragrance. Around 16 side dishes, green onion kimchi, fish cake and bean sprouts among them, are free to take as you like. Seats turn over quickly, though the space is narrow and humid.