Daechi-dong eel rice bowl lunch: pickled sansho was the star, Manmok

Looking for an eel rice bowl where the eel is grilled, steamed, and then grilled over charcoal two more times? Then the answer is... Manmok (만목). The food is great, the atmosphere is lovely, and it's close to Seolleung Station, so it's easy to get to. It's a Daechi-dong favorite.

How does parking work at Manmok?

Manmok in Daechi-dong has room for 2 cars in front of the restaurant. They hold the spots, so it's best to call ahead before you arrive to check ~_~ The exterior stands out with its deep-toned wood.

Manmok serves only eel rice bowls at lunch

The lunch menu at Manmok has nothing but eel rice bowls (unagi-don). I ordered one whole-eel bowl and one 1.5-eel bowl. They say the eel is freshwater eel from Gochang, the best eel-producing region, known for a clean, light taste without any fishy smell and deep flavor. A real eel rice bowl place that sells only eel rice bowls!!!! (At dinner they serve premium eel nabe, Hanwoo nabe, and premium grilled eel.)

Good for solo meals, work dinners and dates

The interior of Manmok is calm, built around dark wood. It felt like walking into a traditional Japanese restaurant, with the neat, refined mood of an eel rice bowl specialist.

There are solo-diner tables too, so it looks good for a solo lunch. Quite a few people were actually eating alone, so you can come without feeling awkward! There's a big table in the middle and the seating is spread out roomy, so it also works for group gatherings and company dinners near Seolleung Station. Honestly, it has such a nice mood that I'd strongly recommend it for a date or for bringing your parents too. Just... everyone come.

The restroom at Manmok has mouthwash, dental floss, and a variety of hand soaps and lotions, so you can feel the owner's thoughtfulness. That hand soap lineup.. wow haha

What comes with a Manmok eel rice bowl

A Manmok eel rice bowl set comes with a sesame dressing salad, chawanmushi with shrimp, and matsutake mushroom soup, and on the table there's wasabi, pickled radish, pickled sansho (Korean/Sichuan-style pepper berries), and ginger to add to the eel as you like. Seeing the glossy eel, grilled well and soaked in sauce, I couldn't help drooling...

What is Kanto-style eel cooking?

They say Manmok's eel rice bowl uses the Kanto-style method, which cuts down the grease while keeping the softness and texture~* The eel is grilled once, then steamed, then brushed with their secret sauce and grilled over charcoal two more times.

Whole eel vs 1.5-eel rice bowl

In the photo, the left is the whole-eel bowl and the right is the 1.5-eel bowl. Since it's an eel rice bowl hotspot, I ordered big to fuel up (?) properly.

Sesame salad and shrimp chawanmushi to start

As an appetizer (?) lol I had the salad, and the dressing was delicious, round one. Then I ate the chawanmushi, and it was tender and soft, almost like a moist pudding. Delicious again, round two. My expectations were already skyrocketing from here.

Is Manmok's eel rice bowl too greasy?

I could eat Manmok's eel rice bowl light and clean all the way to the end. Eel rice bowls tend to get greasy and tiring as you go, but Manmok, a Daechi-dong lunch favorite, had none of that!! The rice was fluffy too, and went well with the sauced eel.

Pickled sansho: the topping I feared became my favorite

I tried every side on top of my Manmok eel rice bowl, and the pickled sansho blended best and was totally my style! I've never enjoyed sansho before.. so I was scared of it, but it was a total twist. You should try a bit of everything too and find your own number-one combo...

Extra pickled radish and white kimchi on request

The extra side dishes Manmok brought out, pickled radish and white kimchi (baek-kimchi), weren't harsh at all and stayed true to their natural flavor, so they were so good. It's a Japanese restaurant, but.. is this how the Korean chefs' side dishes taste on Culinary Class Wars (Black and White Chef)..? That's what I thought while eating..; they were really good.. lol;

Matcha and black tea desserts to finish

On the way out, Manmok gave us matcha and black tea sweets, which was super touching. The matcha one was chewy and the black tea one was soft, and neither was too sweet, a perfect finish.

Manmok in Daechi-dong is an eel rice bowl place I definitely want to revisit. Eel rice bowl, Manmok; grilled eel, Manmok; eel, Manmok; Manmok, eel. I admit it.