1. Mugeunji
Holliday seeks out traditional Korean food in modern Seoul.
Graham Holliday
Hanokjib Kimchi-jjim, in the Seodaemun district of Seoul, is minimally decorated, aside from framed certificates, awards, news clippings, menus and pictures -- all pinned haphazardly to the wall.
The restaurant serves one thing: kimchi.
Usually made from cabbage and radish, kimchi that has fermented for six months or more is known as mugeunji and the mugeunji at this place is an exquisite 3 years old. A thick, sour, garlic-laced miasma greets you as you enter the traditional Korean-style house.
The room shudders with the smell, as a long, bloody rag of kimchi spread out like a dead octopus on an oval plate is placed on your table.
Hanokjib Kimchi-jjim, 178 Naengcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea; +82 02 362 8653