Seohwa, a charcoal grill place in Seosomun, is a really good meat restaurant in the City Hall area. As always, you have to ask the locals to find the neighborhood gems. No matter how much I searched for restaurants around City Hall, this place never came up.

Beef galbi

It’s Australian beef, so the price is reasonable too. A light warm-up for the palate, and then…

Hangjeongsal (pork jowl)

Pork jowl is this place’s specialty. Plenty of restaurants serve pork jowl, but I’ve never seen one like this anywhere else. The fat and the springy texture are in a different league.

Ogyeopsal (skin-on pork belly)

The ogyeopsal is tasty too, but not on the level of the pork jowl. Still, you’d get tired of pork jowl alone, so it’s nice to mix things up.

Odeng-tang (fish cake soup)

Good as a light soju side once you’re already full. A little spicy, though.

Shishamo

Tasty, but they kept sticking to the grill, which made them a bit of a hassle to eat.

There’s something satisfying about discovering a good restaurant that most people don’t know about. I really should work harder at collecting tips from the locals.

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