Yurim 유림

Native Korean chicken (tojongdak) gives the dakdoritang, a spicy braised chicken stew, a much chewier bite than regular birds, and even the breast meat stays moist. Even the medium spice level runs hot: the thick broth is sweet and fiery, close to tteokbokki sauce, with an herbal note underneath. Potatoes and vegetables fill the pot, and the dongchimi, a cold radish water kimchi, cools the mouth between spicy bites. The stew comes by the whole bird only, a lot for two, with sticky glutinous rice on the side and fried rice made from the leftover sauce at the end. Neungi hanbang ori, duck simmered with neungi and white wood-ear mushrooms, arrives with nutrient rice that diners stir into the broth like porridge. Takeout is common, and the lot in front is small, with roadside parking drawing frequent complaints from neighbors. Moving from its old hillside building to a new one cost some old-time charm but left a cleaner dining room.