Hwalmae Nakji: Spicy, Saucy Squid in Myeongdong

I don't know why, but when it gets super cold, I just love to eat spicy squid. In Myeongdong, this place has been around for 60 years because it serves great squid.

I don't think much has changed and the woman sitting in the foreground has probably been working at this place for a long time.

Here's a close-up of the squid. It's eyebrow searingly spicy and a bit chewy. The sauce has a tangy sweetness to it as well. I guess that's what keeps the place so popular.

Here is the full meal.

Close-up of the tenacles and bean sprouts. The crunchyness is a great contrast to the chewyness.

It's not super spicy. It's down one of the main alleyways in Myeongdong. The best way to find it is to ask the locals for Halmae Nakji.

Dan