Seongsu Jokbal

Jokbal is pork trotter braised slowly in soy sauce and spices, then sliced and served at room temperature or slightly warm, and Seongsu Jokbal has been making it on a small side street since long before the area filled with cafes; local licence records for the address go back to 1989. The Korea Tourism Organization notes that it is famous enough to be counted among Seoul's three best-known jokbal houses, and that jokbal is the only dish on the menu. You choose a size, medium for two or three people, large for three or extra large for four, and it comes with bean-sprout soup and chive kimchi on the side. The meat is soft and glossy with a chewy, well-seasoned skin, and regulars wrap a slice in lettuce with a little salted shrimp and garlic, often with a cold beer, soju or makgeolli. The dining room is small and plain, so turnover is the main event at dinnertime and many people take their order to go. For photos, the platter of sliced jokbal fanned out on the plate is the shot.