Gwangsan eel restaurant with parents, ₩92,000 for 4: Yuil Jangeo

• Address: 343 Donggok-ro, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju (1st floor)
• Hours: daily 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Parking: full parking lot at the building
• Main menu: Pungcheon freshwater eel, eel soup
• Restroom: inside the building
• Meal length: about 1 hour

Today I came to Yuil Jangeo (유일장어) to give my family a hearty energy boost. When I visited before, I thought I really had to bring my parents here, so this is a revisit. How will it be on a weekend instead of a weekday? Has anything changed? Are they still friendly? I'll tell you in a detailed revisit review. Off we go!

Where is Yuil Jangeo and how is the parking?

Yuil Jangeo is a single-story standalone building on a large plot along Donggok-ro in Gwangsan, Gwangju, with private parking in front and behind for 20–30 cars or more. Driving along the wide road, you start seeing the Yuil Jangeo sign a few meters ahead, and if you follow it you'll find the entrance.

As you can see, the exterior is spacious and neat: a big-looking building on a quiet, wide plot. With such a big parking lot, it's great for group gatherings^^

Inside Yuil Jangeo and the private rooms: good for family gatherings?

The inside of Yuil Jangeo is a clean, no-fuss hall with several private rooms, so it suits gatherings, company dinners and events. I came late again this time.. T.T Even then, about half the tables were full.

Pick your eel and pay up front

The eel is displayed in a showcase; you choose what you want and pay for the eel first. If you're not sure how much you'll eat, the servings are labeled in front, haha. You can also ask someone like the manager, who will kindly tell you^^ After you pay, the eel is pre-grilled right away and brought out.

Two self-serve bars, so it never gets crowded

The self-serve bar at Yuil Jangeo has side dishes, sauces and vegetables. The self-serve zone is split into 2 areas instead of 1, so it wasn't crowded and I could comfortably grab more side dishes.

How much did a family of 4 pay at Yuil Jangeo?

Going with my parents, we chose eel for 4 at roughly ₩92,000 (about 1,908g). The table fee (charcoal included) was separate at ₩4,000 each for 4 people, and eel soup was ₩5,000 for 2 servings. We picked 3 plates in all: 2 plates with 2 thick eels each and 1 plate with 1 eel.

• Eel for 4 (about 1,908g): about ₩92,000
• Table fee (charcoal included): ₩4,000 × 4 people
• Eel soup: ₩5,000 × 2

Actually they said 2 plates would be enough, but in case it wasn't, and since pre-grilling takes time too, I ordered generously.

The kiosk at the table has a receipt event, so you could join it and get eel soup as dessert^^ I was with my parents and forgot, so I paid for it myself T.T haha

In summer, the basic spread comes with cold seaweed soup

The basic spread at Yuil Jangeo includes a variety of kimchi, and I liked that the side dishes are more varied than at other eel restaurants. Last time, in summer, they gave us eel soup, but this time it was cold seaweed soup (miyeok naengguk). When I asked, they said it's replaced by cold seaweed soup in summer haha

How does the Pungcheon eel charcoal grill taste?

The Pungcheon eel at Yuil Jangeo comes pre-grilled, and even though it's super thick, it cooked quickly over the real charcoal. The charcoal is really solid. They set well-burning charcoal and the grill plate down safely for us.

The eel is plump and really hefty. We chose well haha. I stand them up in a row, one by one.

Grill it diligently on all four sides: front, back and both edges.

Charcoal fire is the truth, after all. It has a clear charcoal aroma, none of that typical eel smell, and it was cooked so the grease dripped away.

I also made wraps with all kinds of vegetables haha

It was honestly so good T.T It melts in your mouth. To eat healthy, I went hard on the perilla leaf wraps. I think I ate about 30 leaves.. hahaha

They also removed charcoal that had weakened and revived it with strong ones, watching over it so carefully haha

How is the eel soup for dessert?

For dessert at Yuil Jangeo I ordered the delicious eel soup (jangeotang, ₩5,000), which was clean and nutty, with no muddy smell.

It comes in an earthenware pot; we split one bowl between two people. It was so tasty and nutty haha. And it isn't spicy.

The restrooms at Yuil Jangeo are separate for men and women and clean. Hand towels and hand soap are provided.

Verdict: a Gwangsan eel restaurant that's great with parents

Yuil Jangeo isn't in central Gwangju, but it's worth driving to, a Pungcheon eel grill house where you can eat in a quiet, relaxed way. My parents, who came with me, were totally satisfied too^^ Next time I'd like to go with friends. If anyone asks me which eel restaurant I'd really recommend nearby, I'd say Yuil Jangeo, and with that I'll end this review.