There are a few rice dishes on Seongbukdong’s menu, a pared down restaurant housed in the same strip mall as Sun Nong Dan, but our favorite is the nakji dolsot bibimbap. It’s a hot, spicy, red-hot version of the bibimbap, that’s served in a stone pot, creating a layer of crispy rice on the bottom. Little pieces of octopus have been cut up and seasoned with sesame oil, salt, and gochujang, and you’ll get hit with a wave of seaweed scents as soon as it hits the table. It’s a one-way trip to feeling like you’re eating a meal in a small sea town in the middle of Korea, even though you’re just on 6th Street and haven’t been to the beach in months.

photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto

photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto