Gwangyang eel grill, self-bar spicy sauce and ₩57,000 for two: Deokeun

I visited Deokeun Jangeo (더큰장어), a well-known eel restaurant in Jungma-dong, Gwangyang.

Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch: opening hours and location

Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch is open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with last order at 20:30. On weekdays there is a break time from 14:00 to 16:00, and on weekends there is no break time. The address is 101 Hangman 9-ro, Gwangyang-si, Jeonnam, South Korea.

It sits next to Rakhui Hotel, and the big red brick building stands out, so it was easy to find.

Is parking easy at Deokeun Jangeo?

The parking area runs from the piloti (open ground floor under pillars) all the way to the back of the building, so there is plenty of space. Parking was easy, haha.

I trusted the place even more when I learned that it runs its own eel farm, so the producer raises and sells the eel directly.

How do you order at Deokeun Jangeo? Buy on the 1st floor, eat on the 2nd

You pick your eel on the 1st floor, pay there, then go up to the 2nd floor to eat.

3 eels for two for about ₩57,000

The 1st floor displays eel in packs of 2, 3, 4 and more, and the eel looked good quality and fresh overall. There were two of us today, so we chose 3 eels. About ₩57,000 for 3 eels is seriously cheap for eel.

Table charge and house rules

The 2nd-floor dining room does not allow outside food or alcohol, and you can't take leftovers home. And of course, once you buy the eel there are no exchanges or refunds. The table fee was ₩4,000 per adult and ₩2,000 for elementary-school age and under.

I knew eel is a stamina food, but apparently it has far more arginine and calcium than other foods. No wonder I feel energized after eating eel, haha.

2nd-floor seating and the sea view at Deokeun Jangeo

The 2nd floor was spacious, with generous space between tables. It's a new building, so it felt wide and clean, and it was comfortable to eat in!

The window side has a sea view, and eating while looking at the calm sea was quietly healing, haha.

Side dishes, the self-bar and its spicy sauce

The side dishes are set out first, and you can get more from the self-bar if you run out. Sides like myeongi namul (pickled wild greens) and green onion kimchi were really good too.

The self-bar has side dishes and all kinds of sauces, so take as much as you need. There's also a spicy sauce that isn't set out at the start, and it's honestly the highlight, haha.

Kiosk menu for meal finishers and ordering eel soup

Since you buy the eel on the 1st floor, the kiosk on the 2nd floor is mostly dessert and finisher items: eel soup, cold noodles, nurungji (scorched rice) and rice balls.

Personally, if I skip the eel soup it somehow doesn't feel like I've had eel, so we ordered an extra eel soup, lol.

How do you grill the eel at Deokeun Jangeo?

You have to grill the eel yourself, but the instructions are posted inside the restaurant, so it wasn't hard.

• Place the eel skin-side down
• Flip it and grill the other side
• When golden brown, cut it up and stand the pieces upright, and you're done!

How grilled eel tastes with myeongi namul wraps and spicy sauce

I ate the well-grilled eel wrapped in leaves, and also dipped in the spicy sauce... the eel was crispy outside and juicy inside, so good. The myeongi namul especially went so well with the eel that I kept reaching for more, haha.

Deokeun Jangeo's eel soup: the best way to finish the meal

The eel soup comes with seasoned vegetable side dishes. It also came with zenpi (젠피, Korean pepper leaf seasoning), but the soup wasn't fishy and tasted clean, so it was good enough on its own. I didn't add any.

The eel soup was rich and savory, just right for finishing the meal. I definitely recommend getting it.

Is Deokeun Jangeo in Jungma-dong, Gwangyang worth a return visit?

I was happy with Deokeun Jangeo: the eel was fresh and the price was cheap. You can eat at a relaxed pace while looking at the sea, so it's a great spot to unwind. I think I'll keep coming all the way from Suncheon to Gwangyang for eel!