Hagye-dong eel restaurant: why two ordered the set for 3, Cheonsanga

It had been a while, so I went for a health-boosting meal at Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch (천상애장어가 하계점), an eel spot in Nowon! It's a neighborhood favorite in Hagye-dong, and there were quite a few customers even at lunchtime. My honest review of this Nowon restaurant ♥

Cheonsanga Hagye Branch: location, hours and parking

Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch is at 67 Hangeulbiseok-ro 1-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, Unit 102, open daily 11:30 to 22:00 (last order 21:10). I came by car, and the parking right in front of the restaurant was so convenient that it's an extra point for this Nowon eel place.

Seating at Cheonsanga: good for family or group meals?

The restaurant was much bigger than I expected, and the atmosphere was so nice. It seems like a great place to bring your parents, too. All the tables seat four, so the two of us ate comfortably, and you can push several tables together for a group, which makes it a good Nowon spot for family meals.

Why two people ordered the set for 3

The two of us ordered the set for 3 at ₩107,000, plus 2 extra bowls of rice (₩1,000 each). You order on the touchpad at your table.

We originally planned to get the set for 2 and add more eel, but we were told the set for 3 has the same amount of eel with a better lineup, so we ordered that haha

They brought out the cleanly prepped eel right away, and since the staff grill it for you, we could just wait comfortably.

Basic side dishes and the self-serve bar

The basic side dishes at Cheonsanga Hagye Branch are really good, and the white kimchi in particular was cool and so tasty. You can grab Cheongyang chili peppers and garlic yourself at the self-serve bar!

3 large eels grilled over charcoal by the staff

They added the charcoal and started grilling right away haha The restaurant was cool, so even with charcoal it didn't get hot at all!

The set for 3 comes with 3 large eels, and they're so big that it's just right for two people to eat their fill 🤤 As you can see in the photo above, we ate one grill-load first, and once that was done they grilled the remaining eel for us haha

A set for 3 means one stew each

While the eel was turning golden, the doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) came out, and since it's a set for 3, we each got our own stew hahaha!!!

The stew had lots of zucchini in it, and having some broth definitely wipes away the richness of the eel. It wasn't salty and tasted great, so we both enjoyed it haha

Salted oysters or deodeok pickles, plus vinegared rice

The set lets you choose between eori-gul-jeot (seasoned salted oysters) or deodeok jangajji (pickled bellflower-family roots), and we went with deodeok!!! It also comes with vinegared rice, so you can top it with eel and eat it like eel sushi. Such a great course 🌟

Eel cut into bite-size pieces

At other eel places the pieces were cut too big and hard to eat, but at Cheonsanga, this Nowon eel spot, they cut them into just the right bite size, which made eating easy~

I got the feeling they grill with real care so the eel doesn't burn and comes out golden and at its best. It definitely tastes better with an expert's touch than when I grill it myself ✨ They grilled even the edges of the eel just right, so the skin (?) part was crispy and chewy and sooo good

Eel sushi made with vinegared rice

They move finished eel off to the side, and they also told us a way to eat it that tastes even better, so we made sushi just like that. The sharp wasabi went so well with it! Sushi made with freshly grilled eel is especially good 🤤

They grilled it well to the very end and moved the finished eel to one side, so it didn't burn and stayed warm until the last bite,,!

Wrapping it in lettuce, with white kimchi and perilla leaf pickles

It was so good wrapped in fresh lettuce, and also topped with white kimchi or deodeok pickles, which was the best at this Nowon eel spot. The perilla leaf pickles were refreshing too, highly recommend!!! All the basic side dishes were delicious, so it's perfect for lunch.

Finishing with sungnyung

The set even comes with sungnyung (scorched-rice tea) as a final dessert. Having it at the end, it's so warm and makes your stomach feel really full and settled~* It was a truly filling, delicious meal ♥

Cheonsanga, a Nowon Hagye spot where you can also use the self-serve bar easily.

Cheonsanga Hagye Branch in a nutshell

• Chewy eel with great texture
• A Nowon Hagye eel spot for family meals

If you're looking for an eel restaurant where experts grill for you, or a place for a family meal, I highly recommend Cheonsanga in Hagye!!! 🤍