Flex Lounge

Seogyo-dong <Jinjin>, main building. Geumsaoryong and fried rice. I was genuinely satisfied for the first time in a while. The sea-cucumber flavor was good, the minced meat inside was juicy yet fresh, and the sauce excellent. The fried rice was uncommonly superb. The inclusion of lap cheong alone earns goodwill, and it was even fried exceptionally well. The details are alive. Delicious.

Hapjeong <Sihyang>. Specializes in old-style jajang, exactly as claimed. The noodles are hand-pulled in the kitchen; the sauce is made in-house rather than from a polished commercial base; the emphasis is on salt rather than sweetness. Those used to modern jajang may mistake it for careless, but it is one of the very few surviving old-school examples.

Hapjeong <Mendo Mukau>. Buta shio ramen. An intriguing clear soup that still carries a heavy, substantial flavor. The several cuts of chashu are quite good, and the chashu rice has smoky meat over a properly seasoned sauce. The Friday-and-Saturday tsukemen usually sells out during lunch; curiosity will bring me back.

Hapjeong <Nambuk Tongil>. Northern-style mandu hot pot, with dumplings made in the kitchen. It looks unremarkable, yet tastes flawless. The dumpling wrappers and fillings are both soft and harmoniously made, and the kalguksu is startlingly good. It is not merely there to absorb the intensity of the hot pot; it is excellent in its own right. Not that the hot pot is particularly aggressive to begin with.

Hapjeong <Currygenal>. Fried boneless chicken-leg soup curry, level two. Every ingredient was cooked superbly: not merely dried out, but preserving its own texture and flavor, while the surface retained an exquisitely crisp finish. Truly high-level technique. It is not as clear as Hokkaido-style soup curry, but it is delicious.

<Prism Lounge>. A kind of curry. The composition changes daily and quantities are limited. I have watched the owner’s various undertakings for years; true to someone wholly governed by the pride of preferring not to do something at all rather than do it half-heartedly, the curry is good too. The carefully prepared carrot and onion, cooked until very tender, are delicious. Even the price is good. Worth eating while you can.

Hapjeong <Jeojeo>. Chungcheong-style pork gukbap is fairly unfamiliar, but the thought that remained while eating was simply that it tasted complete, without a gap. The concentrated soup is clean and excellently seasoned, and the rice arrives through *toryeom*. Sansho chili oil floats on top beneath water parsley. Nothing interferes with anything else. Every element is well placed.

Hapjeong <Kagawa>. Udon and tonkatsu are the main offerings. It serves many kinds of udon, but today's choice was the seasonal miso meat udon. The cooked vegetables and concentrated miso broth bring a comforting sensation of warmth spreading through the body. It may not feel refined, but comforting food undeniably has its own place.

Hapjeong <Roots>. A Japanese-French bistro that serves a new seasonal lunch dish. The menu beginning Wednesday is lamb curry: a fresh vegetable curry with tomato for added umami, topped with lamb and parsley. Delicious. As the weather grows colder, they plan to change it into a composition with more overall weight.

Hapjeong <Disco Planet>. The drinks are not especially good, but it is famous for a cat that wanders around the room. Some seats have outlets, and most tables are large enough for conversation or work. The cat has become a little rounder than three years ago. So have I 🙄.