Manrisong (CLOSED)

When longtime Seoulites crave a cheap eat, it’s often the famously well-priced Korean-Chinese dish of jjajjangmyun(black bean noodles) or its spicy, seafood partner in crime jjamppong (an onion and chili-oil based noodle soup). At 만리성 (Manrisong), you can dig into some jjamppong that comes served with a generous heap of mussels on top and a broth that’s much less greasy than most. The walls of the restaurant are filled with pictures of celebrities who’ve visited previously and the story of the restaurant’s history: Unsuccessful for 15 years, the restaurant became popular after three minutes of fame on a SBS morning program when suddenly it saw lines at lunch and dinner for its mussels jjamppong. Although prices have gone up over the years, the restaurant donates 100 won to a local charity for every bowl of food ordered. Eat cheap and do a little good as well.