Eel bowl restaurant in Daechi-dong for a birthday lunch date: Manmok

A birthday lunch date at Manmok in Daechi-dong

Manmok (만목) is a Japanese eel bowl restaurant in Daechi-dong, near Seolleung Station, and I went there for a birthday lunch date with my boyfriend. I've been working hard at the hospital and rolling through days in a daze lately, so we met at Seolleung Station for a healing birthday meal date..

The menu was eel bowl, which both of us love..! On a day off, don't you want something special and high quality instead of just a quick meal? Or is it only me?

How do you choose a lunch menu at Manmok?

Lunch at Manmok is a single menu, the eel bowl, and you only choose the size. It's a Daechi-dong lunch spot that's perfect for recharging your energy and for a romantic date.

Today we wanted to eat big and eat well, so we ordered two whole-eel-size eel bowls. I love that the bowl comes with a lid on, so you can't see the eel inside until you open it.

The calm, classy wood-tone interior suits the place well. Seolleung Station is full of office workers, and Manmok would be more than good enough for a company dinner or a solo lunch.

How was Manmok's whole-eel bowl?

Ta-da... when I lifted the lid, the shine on the eel was incredible. Of all the hitsumabushi (eel rice bowl) I've had, Manmok's was the best. The looks, the service and the atmosphere were all perfect, and I already want to come back on my next birthday T_T

Half an eel is already a decent size, but I wanted more, so I ordered the whole eel. The charred marks are a work of art and it smells amazing.

Side dishes and the shrimp steamed egg

Manmok's eel bowl comes with salad, steamed egg, soup, ginger, pickled peppercorns and pickled radish to go with it, plus other side dishes. All of them are excellent, and a sweet charcoal aroma drifts through the whole restaurant and really stirs the appetite..

You can start the meal warm with the steamed egg. It's so soft and sweet, and there's shrimp at the bottom, so the savory depth is no joke.

How to eat it with wasabi, pickled peppercorns and ginger

The eel bowl is good eaten as it is, but if you add a little wasabi and pickled peppercorns, the richness disappears completely. My first spoonful of eel bowl at last.. I was so happy. The aroma of the peppercorns goes so well with the eel.

Add ginger and it tastes different again, and I think ginger is the best pairing for eel. The sauce isn't too salty or too sweet and has real depth, so all the built-up fatigue melted away. It tasted like a proper health boost.

Manmok's pickled peppercorns are really unusual, a pickle you rarely see at other eel restaurants, and for me they were so good I'd say I'd come to Manmok just for them.

Trying the eel on its own

I also tried the eel on its own with chopsticks, and it was so tender, and I could taste all the eel juices right in the skin.

If you lightly bite off the tail end, it separates from the flesh right away. It's that soft and delicious.

Manmok's soup with matsutake mushrooms

Manmok's soup has matsutake mushrooms in it, which gives it depth. Eel bowl places usually serve a miso-based soup, but Manmok's is unusual. It tastes like a light miso flavored only with mushrooms, so it's clean and went really well with the eel bowl.

I was happy with every bite, and a little sad to watch the bowl get emptier, but I was also so full that this lunch date gets top marks. It's a Seolleung Station restaurant both my boyfriend and I love.

What ice cream flavors does Manmok serve for dessert?

Manmok serves ice cream for dessert, and you can choose matcha or black tea. I'd had the matcha last time, so I picked black tea, and it tasted like frozen milk tea, a classy ice cream too.

To finish, they give you a Halls candy. Another great meal today.

Is Manmok in Daechi-dong good for an anniversary date?

With great service and great food, Manmok in Daechi-dong was a lovely place for a late-20s couple to celebrate a special day, and the quality meal made my birthday date with my boyfriend a happy one. If you're looking for an anniversary spot, or just somewhere with good eel, how about an eel bowl at Manmok? In the evening you can even have eel nabe (hot pot).