Hagye-dong eel restaurant: shiitake wasabi pairing for Dad, Cheonsanga

Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch

A Hagye-dong eel restaurant for Dad's restorative meal

Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch (천상애장어가 하계점) is a grilled eel restaurant in Hagye-dong, Nowon, where they grill domestic Japonica freshwater eel for you. It had been a while, so I booked a table to give Dad a proper health boost 〰️

They also run a 4+1 event on weekday lunches, so please drop by! When I went, the grilled eel was seriously good, and the owner and staff were so kind that I felt completely pampered. From now on, when I want eel, it's definitely here.

Where is Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch, and where can you park?

It's a 9-minute walk from Hagye Station Exit 1, near Hanshin Core Apartments. For parking, use the lot in front of the restaurant. Honestly, the place just feels like it's in a different class!

Most ingredients are domestic, and the eel is only domestic Japonica freshwater eel. Having tried it, the taste really was in a different class. You can also pay with various pay apps (Kakao, Seoul, Zero).

Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch menu

The menu has set meals for 2, 3, 4 and 5 people, plus extra eel (1 or 2), eel soup, extra stone sushi, seasoned salted oysters (eoriguljeot), deodeok pickles (bellflower-root pickles), charcoal-grilled semi-dried squid, shiitake wasabi, handmade sausage, janchi guksu (banquet noodles), doenjang stew, mul naengmyeon and bibim naengmyeon. The salted oysters and deodeok pickles can be taken away.

If you join the Naver receipt review event, you get a free drink or stone sushi.

Interior and seating

The interior is mostly wood-toned, warm and atmospheric. Soft indirect lighting and decorations on the walls keep it from feeling dull.

What stood out most were the orange rattan lamps gently lighting the room, which felt cozy and warm. Seating is spacious, with window-side tables and inner seats, so it's a comfortable place to eat with company.

The self-serve bar was neatly kept too.

The taste of food isn't something you judge, it's something you miss.

Yeah... I think I kind of miss this place 🥲

How were the side dishes and doenjang stew?

The basic table setting was neat and tidy: lettuce, green onion kimchi, pickled onion, white kimchi and pickled perilla leaves.

The stone sushi, salted oysters and doenjang stew were all delicious. I added the deodeok pickles and shiitake wasabi, and skipping them would have been a real shame.

The doenjang stew felt like the best I've had lately! Deeply savory yet clean, with plenty of ingredients. And of course ginger and eel sauce are a must with grilled eel.

What we ordered and how much it cost

• Set for 2: ₩69,000
• Stone sushi, 5 pcs: ₩3,000
• Deodeok pickles: ₩6,000
• Shiitake wasabi: ₩3,000
• Bibim naengmyeon: ₩8,000
• Coke Zero: ₩2,500

Right after we ordered, the charcoal was set up, and they said it's domestic charcoal.

Wetting our throats with a Coke Zero first

What comes in the eel set for 2, and the staff grilling service

The set for 2 comes with 2 eels, stone sushi, seasoned salted oysters, doenjang stew and nurungji tea (scorched rice tea). We saved the tea for the finish.

When they unfolded the neatly folded eel, the grill was packed full and it looked so appetizing. A staff member trimmed off all the bits you'd rather not eat, one by one, nice and clean.

Doesn't the set look generous? :) The eels are big, so it was just the right amount to fill two people.

Staff handle everything from prep to grilling, so all we had to do was chat and wait. I've had domestic Japonica freshwater eel before, but Cheonsanga's eel somehow feels bigger and plumper?! The quality really is exceptional.

The eel is getting golden brown :) Once it's done, they set it out on the edge so it's easy to eat. Grilling takes a while, so I made small talk with the staff member, who said my name was pretty. I'm touched. And my dad, who never says empty compliments, said they were really kind too.

How the grilled eel at Cheonsanga Jangeoga tastes, with pairings

The most important part, the taste, goes without saying 😭 If deep emotion hits you from the first bite, isn't that enough said? My energy has been so low lately, and we shared the precious eel tail, one each.

Just pick up a little ginger the classic way and dip the eel in the sauce, and it's pure deliciousness.

Making eel sushi with stone sushi

I ordered extra stone sushi and ate it as eel sushi, and it was honestly delicious. Definitely order the stone sushi.

Eel with salted oysters and deodeok pickles

Eel with wasabi on top is good too, but

piling on a generous spoonful of the salted oysters that come with it just melts in your mouth 😭 You'll say how does eel melt, but I'm serious.

I ordered the deodeok pickles as an extra too, and the clean, crunchy deodeok went perfectly with the crispy-outside, juicy-inside grilled eel.

Pickled perilla leaves, white kimchi and shiitake wasabi with eel

Eel on a pickled perilla leaf with green onion kimchi and pickled onion on top? Speechless. Cheonsanga Hagye Branch has a wide range of side dishes, so you can eat eel in all sorts of combinations, which I loved.

I love the white kimchi with shiitake wasabi combo too. Dad had his as a lettuce wrap, and need I say more? The eel has just the right amount of fat, so it's nutty yet plump and tender, with savory depth the more you chew. And the faint charcoal aroma deepens the eel's flavor even more.

Finishing with bibim naengmyeon and nurungji tea

We had bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles) as a finisher too. The sauce was nicely spicy and sweet, a perfect closer. Wrap it with eel and pop it in your mouth in one bite and it's pure bliss.

The real finish was the nurungji tea, hot, mild and nutty, and it totally settled my stomach. Best service ever!

The restroom is inside the building, separate for men and women, and clean.

Is this Hagye-dong eel restaurant worth a return visit?

The grilled eel at Cheonsanga Hagye Branch was seriously good and the service was so kind that it's a place I'll remember 🧡 Recommended 👏🏻