Gwangju eel restaurant, full at 6pm & spicy sauce bar: Deokeun Jangeo

Today was one of those days when I wanted something to boost my stamina, so I went looking for a good eel place~ I usually like eel, so I headed to Deokeun Jangeo (더큰장어) in Yangsan-dong, Gwangju with high hopes, and the fresh eel, clean interior and friendly service made it a really satisfying meal. Here's my honest review, with the menu and the taste in detail.

Deokeun Jangeo Yangsan location and hours

Deokeun Jangeo Main Branch is at 596 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, and it's open every day from 11 am to 11 pm.

Is parking easy at Deokeun Jangeo?

Deokeun Jangeo has a large private parking lot, so it's convenient if you come by car. The clean, big building stands out even from far away. It's a good pick for family meals or group gatherings, and the wide, pleasant entrance builds up your expectations before you even sit down.

The shop is on the basement 1st floor, and the parking lot is free only for restaurant customers. The restaurant says it isn't responsible for accidents in the lot.

How to use Deokeun Jangeo: buy at the shop, self-grill on the 2nd floor

You go down the stairs to the shop and buy your eel, then head up to the 2nd-floor restaurant, and once the table is set you grill it yourself.

It must get super crowded at peak times like weekend evenings, and the shop has a waiting area. If there's a wait, just register your number on the tablet and wait.

The instructions are posted: buy eel at the seafood counter, pay, then grill what you bought in the restaurant. The table setting fee and any extra charges are paid afterward, when you leave.

The showcase has lots of different eels, sorted by weight, so take a look around and buy the amount that suits your group.

When you buy eel, your seat number is printed on the receipt. Upstairs on the 2nd floor there's a seating map, so just check it and sit down~

Is it crowded on weekday evenings?

I went around 6 pm on a weekday and it was still almost full. It's a hot spot among hot spots, with that many people! There were a lot of groups, and many people seemed to be there for company dinners.

Side dishes and the self-serve bar

At first, a staff member brings the side dishes and wrap vegetables.

If you need more, help yourself at the self-serve bar as much as you like. No need to feel awkward about asking, which I loved, haha. They had orange cherry tomatoes, which were perfect as a dessert after finishing the eel.

Besides the teriyaki sauce on the table, the self-serve bar has a spicy sauce, so keep that in mind~ I usually like spicy food, and this was just so-so spicy.

Eel grilling tips from Deokeun Jangeo

Eel grilling tips are written on the table.

• Put the skin side on the grill first, and after about 30 seconds lift it off the grate once
• Sprinkle on a moderate amount of pink salt
• When the skin turns golden, grill the white-flesh side for about 2 minutes
• Cut it into suitable pieces and stand them side by side vertically, cooking each cut surface evenly so they don't burn

Deokeun Jangeo side menu

The side menu at Deokeun Jangeo includes tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty), clam kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), yeolmu bibim guksu (young radish spicy noodles), eel soup, mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth), bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles), nurungji (scorched rice), steamed rice and flying fish roe rice balls.

Charcoal-grilled eel and the flying fish roe rice ball

Eel turning golden over the charcoal made my mouth water just looking at it. The saying that good-looking food tastes good fit perfectly, and I was happy with it from the looks alone~

Eating the golden grilled eel with a bite-size rice ball was a really great match. The mild rice ball added to the rich, tender flavor of the eel, and the balance was spot on.

Cold noodles and eel soup to finish

After enjoying plenty of eel, cold noodles are the best. They cleaned up the rich flavor of the eel and left my mouth feeling fresh.

I'd also definitely recommend the eel soup. The broth was deep and savory, and I ended up ordering another bowl of rice to go with it.

Paying, plus dessert ice cream and coffee

When you've finished your meal, come down to the 1st-floor shop and pay any extra charges at the counter. Ice cream is also available as dessert, and I loved how many kinds there were.

There's coffee too!! Overall, the fresh eel, the clean large restaurant, the big parking lot and the friendly service all made this a satisfying meal at Deokeun Jangeo~