Yeongdong Seolleongtang 영동설렁탕

Within a minute of ordering, a bowl of seolleongtang, ox-bone soup, lands on the table. The broth looks clear but carries the strong aroma of long-boiled beef bones, and it comes unseasoned: salt, pepper and a heap of chopped green onion sit on every table for that job. Tender and chewy cuts share the bowl with noodles, and extra noodles and broth cost nothing. Kimchi and kkakdugi, cubed radish kimchi, are refilled without fuss. Suyuk, sliced boiled beef, is the only other dish; it is made from domestic dairy-breed beef and eats soft rather than springy. A splash of kimchi juice in the last of the soup is the usual finish.