Eel restaurant near Changwon Station: ₩50,000 for two, Daedo Jangeo

While hunting for grilled eel in Changwon, I ended up at Daedo Jangeo (대도장어) in Palyong-dong and ordered a medium portion of seasoned sea eel. I pass by Changwon Station all the time for errands, but somehow I'd never once been to an eel restaurant there haha. Bottom line up front: zero fishy smell from the eel, and one medium portion plus eel soup was the perfect amount for two of us.

Where is Daedo Jangeo, and what are its hours?

Daedo Jangeo is at 12 Uichang-daero 70beon-gil, Uichang-gu, Changwon, near Changwon Station in Palyong-dong. On Sundays it's open 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:30), and Tuesday through Saturday 11:00–21:30 (last order 21:00), with a break time of 14:30–16:00. It's closed every Monday.

When people think of grilled eel in Changwon, the Masan Sinpo-dong eel street usually comes to mind first. But that's a long walk from where I was, so I narrowed my search to somewhere closer to Changwon Station.

That's how I landed on Daedo Jangeo, a well-known spot in Palyong-dong that grills over briquette charcoal, Jinju-style. Not charcoal, not gas, but briquette — I was curious what that would taste like.

Walking to Daedo Jangeo from Changwon Station

I get why so many people search 'Changwon Station restaurant' to find this place — it's just a 2-minute walk from the station.

Facing Changwon Station, turn the corner on your right,

and after about a minute's walk, the restaurant comes right into view.

Where to park at Daedo Jangeo

You can park right in front of the restaurant or use the public parking lot just next to it — there's room for about 4 cars out front. Plenty of parking, so no need to worry ~

Daedo Jangeo menu and prices

Seasoned sea eel is ₩50,000 for a medium portion and ₩60,000 for a large, with salt-grilled eel in the same price range. Medium is described as good for 2, large for 3. There were two of us, so we went with medium, and in the end it was exactly right.

On weekday afternoons there's also a lunch set of eel over rice, which would be good if you're eating solo and want something lighter. It's ₩17,000 per person.

Medium seasoned sea eel: any fishy smell?

The side dishes — salad, seasoned broccoli, kimchi, and more — came out well-seasoned and paired great with the eel.

What I ordered was the seasoned sea eel, medium, ₩50,000. The thing people ask about most is the fishy smell, and here there was absolutely none.

Most people who can't eat eel are put off by that particular earthy, gamey smell. Since I couldn't detect it at all, I just kept eating it like a savory grilled fish. The seasoning wasn't spicy at all either, leaning mild and clean — even young kids could eat it without any trouble.

With seasoned grilled dishes, I usually get tired of the sweetness after three or four pieces, but not here — it never got old. The balance between sweet and salty was well-tuned, good enough to eat with just rice ~

After finishing off the grilled eel, we ordered eel soup with rice, and the portion was just right. They even brought sikhye (sweet rice punch) for dessert — a very satisfying meal haha.

The dining room, the self-serve bar, and does the charcoal smoke linger?

The interior was much cleaner and more polished than I expected. Hearing 'briquette,' I'd pictured thick smoke and clothes reeking afterward, but here everything comes out already grilled, so we ate comfortably and our clothes didn't pick up any smell at all — a nice surprise.

It's a great spot for a family meal or a work dinner ~ I visited on a weekday around 1pm and there was no wait, but during peak hours a reservation is probably a good idea.

They also mentioned a private room is available if you ask ahead, so if you're bringing older family members, I'd recommend calling first.

There's a separate self-serve bar where you can grab as many lettuce wraps and side dishes as you like. It was kept very clean, so I helped myself without any worry ~

The restroom was stocked with toothbrushes, mouthwash, floss, and more, and the floor, toilet, and sink were all kept spotless. I've genuinely never seen a restaurant restroom this clean...

Even on the way out after paying, there were candies, glasses cloths, floss, and even a coffee machine — little touches of the owner's thoughtfulness all over the place haha.

Is Daedo Jangeo worth it? Final verdict

Among restaurants in Palyong-dong, this felt like a comfortable, safe spot for a family meal or bringing older relatives — I could see myself coming back here with my parents. If you've been avoiding eel because of the fishy smell, this is a solid, safe entry point among Changwon's grilled eel spots. Two of us walked out full for ₩50,000, which felt like a fair price for a proper nourishing meal ~~

Note that their day off has changed to every Monday, so double-check before you go! Hope no one shows up on a Monday based on old info and has to turn back ㅠㅠ