Daechi-dong eel restaurant date lunch, better than Japan: Manmok

Today's recommendation is a lunch spot in Daechi-dong! This time I visited Manmok (만목).❤️

My boyfriend says he has had eel rice bowls in Japan too, and that the one at Manmok was even better than the ones he ate there 😂 I wanted to introduce it as a Daechi-dong lunch spot for anyone who loves eel, so here's my review❤️

Where is Manmok? 5–7 minutes on foot from Seolleung Station

Manmok is an eel rice bowl specialist at 1F, 9 Seolleung-ro 82-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and it's just a 5–7 minute walk from Seolleung Station😀 It already has a great word-of-mouth reputation as a Daechi-dong lunch spot! The location is easy to reach on foot from Seolleung Station.

Inside Manmok: is it good for a date?

The first thing I felt walking into Manmok was how clean and upscale it is overall😀 There's a lot of wood in the interior, so the calm feel typical of a Japanese restaurant really comes through! It isn't flashy or overwhelming; the warm wood tones and tidy look come together, so it was comfortable to eat there👍

It has such a good vibe that even an ordinary date feels special💗

What's on the lunch menu at Manmok?

Manmok's lunch specials are the half-eel bowl, the whole-eel bowl, and the whole-eel-and-a-half bowl! Just order according to how much you want to eat. We're meat people, so we proudly ordered the whole eel rice bowl👍

How does Manmok's whole eel rice bowl taste?

Manmok's whole eel rice bowl is served warm, with the lid on.

The atmosphere at Manmok near Seolleung Station is lovely, so it's good to bring your parents or come as a couple!

The surface of the eel is glazed with a tempting sauce and has a subtle grilled flavor, while the flesh inside was moist and tender (it melts in your mouth).

Side dishes and shrimp steamed egg

The side dishes served with the eel bowl aren't harsh or heavily seasoned either, just clean, so they were nice to nibble on between bites!! The shrimp steamed egg (gyeran-jjim) in particular, with its soft, pudding-like texture, was a work of art👍

How to enjoy Manmok's eel rice bowl

At Manmok, a staff member explains how to eat it before you start! They recommend having it with wasabi, ginger vinegar relish and sancho (Korean pepper powder). Eating it with wasabi and the ginger vinegar relish cuts the slight richness, and the sweet-salty sauce doesn't smother the eel's flavor but blends well with the eel's own nutty taste.

And this is the sancho you sprinkle on! Sprinkle it lightly and the eel's flavor really comes alive 😮 It was so delicious I was startled! After eating the eel bowl with sancho, my boyfriend said he has had eel rice bowls in Japan before, but Manmok's is much better❤️

A photo I took, thrilled by how the whole eel rice bowl looked. The quality of Manmok's eel bowl is so good😀

At Manmok you can see the eel being charcoal-grilled through a window! It's thanks to the owner's craftsmanship that we got to enjoy such a delicious eel bowl....❣️

Manmok overall: who should go together?

• Upscale interior
• Quality better than in Japan, according to the boyfriend
• A good restaurant for special days

Having been to Manmok, a popular Daechi-dong lunch spot, I think it works with just about anyone😀 It's good for a neat meal with your parents, and the upscale atmosphere suits a couple's anniversary or date too! The eel is so soft and has almost no fishy taste that even kids could eat it without worry!! Best of all, a single bowl is filling, so it seems like a good choice for people looking for a slightly special lunch in Daechi-dong🤗