Korean Grilled Eel in Ichon

I've been wanting to try Korean grilled eel for a long time. I have been a sushi eel fan for a long time now and after reading this article on Seoul Eats, I have been eager to go eat some here in Korea. Unfortunately, I have not been able to make it to an eel place the last two visits.

Luckily, today my friend suggested we meet up at an eel restaurant in Ichon. Hurray! I finally got to have eel.

Eel in Korean is Jangeo (pronounced Jang-oh). It is popular in the summer and is supposed to be good for stamina.

The restaurant doesn't really have a name. The sign reads Jangeo gui, which literally means grilled eel. I think the place is pretty well known because they had posters outside showing them being on multiple tv shows.

So, how was it? It was great! The eel was perfectly grilled and the special soy sauce (kind of like teriyaki sauce) was rich and sweet. It is very similar to Japanese grilled eel, but I think the taste is much better. It's more rich and savory.

The eel is 22,000 won per serving and comes with a great eel soup, side dishes (banchan), lettuce and other things for wrapping. In Korea it is the norm to eat grilled meat in lettuce wraps. Along with the lettuce, the eel comes with pickled radish leaves, fresh ginger, fresh slices of garlic, and gochujang (a fermented hot pepper paste). Honestly, the gochujang and garlic overpowered the taste of the eel and I found it was best to wrap the eel with only a little of the fresh ginger.

The full spread.

The grilled eel.

The eel soup.

I really enjoyed the grilled eel. It was really a light meal and I can see why it is popular for summertime. When I was finished I felt full but not stuffed. I also felt like it gave me a pick-me-up so, maybe it is good for stamina. I think I am totally hooked. I will certainly be going for more eel soon.

Directions: Ichon Station (line 4): Go out exit 5 and walk about 10 minutes. Its just past a Domino's Pizza on the second floor.