Cheongju eel restaurant: top 4 Buldak and teriyaki wraps, Samhwa Susan

Today I'm sharing a place where I went to get some hearty, stamina-boosting grilled eel! It's Samhwa Susan (삼화수산) in Nami-myeon, Seowon-gu, Cheongju. Eel is plump and chewy, and when it's grilled over charcoal it has that rich, nutty flavor and smoky aroma, right? I got a good chance to visit Samhwa Susan, so here's an honest look at how the food and the atmosphere were!

Samhwa Susan hours, parking and corkage: the basics

Samhwa Susan is at 269 Daerim-ro, Nami-myeon, Seowon-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk. It's open from 11:10 to 21:00, with last order at 20:00. It's closed every Monday.

• Address: 269 Daerim-ro, Nami-myeon, Seowon-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk
• Hours: 11:10–21:00 / last order 20:00
• Closed: every Monday
• Corkage available (free), reservations accepted, private hire available
• Parking available (free)

What are the parking lot and exterior like?

From the outside, Samhwa Susan totally gives off eel-specialist vibes... haha. Best of all, there's a roomy parking lot in front, so driving there is no hassle. It's nice that a family outing or a bigger group can get there easily by car.

Turns out it was selected as a Michelin restaurant in 2024..!? On the way into the restaurant I saw the Michelin notice and was like, huh!? This place is that kind of place?! I was so surprised haha. I walked in even more excited than before 🤭

Inside Samhwa Susan and group hire

Inside, the restaurant was spacious and comfortable. The tables are laid out with plenty of room, so a large group can sit together. They also said the whole special-room hall can be booked for groups of 25 or more, so keep that in mind.

There's also a self-serve ramyeon bar on one side, which was welcome if you're craving something hot and brothy you can boil yourself. Alcohol and drinks are self-serve too.

And Samhwa Susan turned out to be a side dish heaven too... After the table is set, the side dishes are self-serve as well, so you can grab more whenever you run out without feeling awkward about asking.

Samhwa Susan menu and prices

The menu isn't split into lots of different things; it's simple and built around the main dish, grilled Pungcheon eel (freshwater eel from the river mouth). Eel is ordered by the kilogram, and there's a separate table charge. Since the menu isn't complicated, it's actually easy to focus on the grilled eel.

What we ordered

• Gochang Pungcheon eel, 1 kg: ₩50,000
• Table charge ₩4,000 × 2 people
• Cass beer: ₩5,000
• Fanta: ₩2,000

Side dishes and clam soup for the ₩4,000 table charge

The Samhwa Susan table setting comes with perilla leaf pickle, geotjeori (fresh-tossed kimchi), Buldak/teriyaki sauces, pickled onion, vinegared rice and more. The sides are good enough that the ₩4,000 table charge makes sense... they're rea~~~lly delicious... It feels like homestyle side dishes a grandma made by hand for her grandkids ㅜㅜ

They also serve clam soup. The broth was really refreshing and the clams were plump and meaty, so I was exclaiming from the very first bite... The cool, clean broth was excellent and I enjoyed it so much!

How do you grill charcoal Pungcheon eel?

And finally, the main dish, grilled Pungcheon eel, arrives!

Watching the eel turn golden brown on the grill, I couldn't wait to try a piece ㅜㅜ

I had no idea what to do with the eel and was just sitting there, but the Samhwa Susan staff came around to check on us haha. The eel was cut into bite-size pieces, and the thick, plump meat looked so tempting.

As soon as it was flipped, I was amazed again..haha (okay, stop gushing). Honestly I wasn't even that hungry, but the moment I saw how the eel looked, my appetite suddenly shot up. It was so glossy that I was drooling before I even ate it..

Once the eel is cooked, cut it into bite-size pieces and wait another 1–2 minutes, and it's done just right!

Buldak sauce vs teriyaki sauce: which suits Pungcheon eel?

I tried my first bite of Samhwa Susan's Pungcheon eel! It was so plump and thick that even the texture stood out.. One bite and it felt packed with springy meat!

The spicy sauce had a sweet-and-spicy Buldak-style kick that cleanly cut through the eel's natural richness. The teriyaki sauce, on the other hand, added a sweet savory depth that's a perfect match with eel ♡ I liked the teriyaki sauce better.

Top 4 eel wrap combos at Samhwa Susan

Samhwa Susan has such a variety of side dishes to go with the eel that wrapping them up tastes genuinely different, and every single one is good.. Here are my personal top 4 combos.

• 1st 🥇 Perilla leaf pickle + aged kimchi + teriyaki sauce + eel
• 2nd 🥈 Perilla leaf + vinegared rice + eel + teriyaki sauce + garlic ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste)

• 3rd 🥉 Perilla leaf + seasoned garlic chives + eel + garlic + ssamjang
• Honorable mention 🏅 Lettuce + vinegared rice + eel + teriyaki sauce + ginger

I tried every combination imaginable and concluded these four suit me best, but the sides are so good that there's no right answer, so mix and match however you like..

Verdict: thick Pungcheon eel with a charcoal aroma

A satisfying meal of thick Pungcheon eel with a smoky charcoal aroma! Eating Pungcheon eel grilled golden over charcoal was really satisfying. The eel's rich, nutty flavor plus the light charcoal aroma filled my mouth with happiness ㅠㅠ

On a day in Cheongju when you're craving charcoal-grilled eel, Samhwa Susan is a good place for a meal where you can fully enjoy thick Pungcheon eel and a gentle smoky aroma! The owners were really kind too, and I left happy after filling up on eel for the first time in a while!