Weekend eel craving in Gwangsan: 847g for ₩40,790 at Yuil Jangeo

Hey everyone : ) I was lounging at home watching TV when eel popped up on 《Unnie's Farm Direct 3》. From that moment I suddenly wanted eel SO badly, haha. So I immediately searched for eel restaurants in Gwangsan-gu and ended up at Yuil Jangeo (유일장어)💚

This is Yuil Jangeo, a Gwangju restaurant serving domestic freshwater eel.

Where is Yuil Jangeo, and is there parking?

Yuil Jangeo is a domestic freshwater eel restaurant at 343 Donggok-ro, 1st floor, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, and it has a wide dedicated parking lot, so I didn't have to worry about parking. It's on the right heading toward Naju from Ssanggyo Charcoal Galbi, across from Songjeong Aroulette.

The lot is spacious, so no parking stress at all.

Even the view from the parking lot was nice, haha.

The exterior alone looks clean, and the place is huge!!

The surroundings are open and there's an outdoor terrace too, haha. Seemed perfect for coffee after the meal!

"I'm going in~ so excited" 😝😜

Inside Yuil Jangeo: main hall and private rooms

Yuil Jangeo has a waiting area near the entrance, and the hall is spacious with generous spacing between tables. There's also a private room, so it'd work well for family meals as well as company dinners or group gatherings.

Overall it was kept very clean.

The interior is spacious and the tables have plenty of room between them!

With a private room available too, it'd be good for family meals as well as company dinners or gatherings. I sat by my favorite window seat again today. Sitting by the window somehow makes the meal feel more relaxed, haha.

How picking your own eel works, at ₩4,833 per 100g

Yuil Jangeo's system is a bit special. You pick as much domestic freshwater eel as you want yourself from the display case, priced at ₩4,833 per 100g.

You just pick as much domestic freshwater eel as you'd like.

The price is marked at ₩4,833 per 100g, so you can select the amount you want to eat.

I picked about 847g that day, for ₩40,790! You pick your own eel and carry it to the table to grill over charcoal yourself, so choosing the eel was fun in itself, haha.

What we ordered:

• Freshwater eel ₩4,833/100g – about 847g – ₩40,790 total
• Table setting fee, separate – Adults ₩4,000 / Elementary students ₩2,000
• Sseuki eel soup ₩3,000
• Nurungji (scorched rice) ₩2,000

The eel was amazing! Super affordable too!

Side dishes and the self-serve banchan bar

Once you pick your eel and sit down at Yuil Jangeo, they set the basic side dishes for you neatly. The side dishes went perfectly with the eel from the start.

These side dishes paired so well with grilled eel, nice to enjoy one at a time.

Any extra side dishes you need are easy to grab from the self-serve bar.

Charcoal-grilled freshwater eel, or let the staff grill it for you

Finally, today's star arrives! At Yuil Jangeo they bring out the charcoal grill and set the eel right on it, and if grilling seems tricky, staff will grill it for you on request.

Watching the eel sizzle away suddenly made me even hungrier, haha. Since you grill it yourself, there's fun in watching it turn golden brown.

But grilling eel isn't exactly easy, right?

If grilling seems tricky, staff will grill it for you on request. Great for anyone who finds grilling eel intimidating.

Eel grilled golden brown over charcoal! I came here on a whim because I suddenly wanted eel on the weekend, and honestly this was the right call! Felt like proper self-care through food.

Sseuki eel soup for ₩3,000

And the menu item that really surprised me! Yuil Jangeo's sseuki eel soup is just ₩3,000. Eating eel and then eel soup on top felt like the ultimate body-boosting meal, all for ₩3,000!

Not just cheap — the portion was generous and the flavor was really solid too. Amazing value! I'd recommend trying the eel soup alongside your meal.

Finishing with nurungji for ₩2,000

Lastly, nurungji! Yuil Jangeo's nurungji (scorched rice) is ₩2,000, and finishing off eel with warm nurungji made the whole meal feel complete.

The nurungji was so rich and nutty that even though I was full, my spoon kept going back for more, haha. Felt like I truly treated myself well after a long while.

Leftover eel to go: part-grilled packing and holiday gift sets

The eel portion was more generous than I expected, so I wondered if we'd have leftovers — turns out Yuil Jangeo can pack up any leftover eel, and pre-grilled eel is available to take home too.

On a day you're craving eel at home, picking up pre-grilled eel to finish on your own grill would be so much easier.

They also do holiday gift sets and eel delivery, so it's a good option when looking for an eel gift. Honestly, if someone gave me eel as a gift I'd be thrilled, haha 🧡 Great for treating parents or family, or for a holiday gift.

Is Yuil Jangeo in Gwangsan worth a weekend visit?

• An eel restaurant that only sells domestic freshwater eel
• Pick your own eel to eat
• Convenient parking with a wide dedicated lot
• Clean, spacious store plus private room space
• Good scale for company dinners or family gatherings
• Charcoal-grilled eel you cook yourself
• Can request staff to grill it if that's tricky
• Pre-grilled takeout and holiday gift sets available

An eel craving struck while watching TV! I picked domestic freshwater eel myself, grilled it over charcoal, and rounded things off with eel soup and nurungji. If you're looking for a good eel restaurant in Gwangsan-gu, I recommend Yuil Jangeo💚