Seolleung Station whole-eel rice bowl lunch, hojicha ice cream: Manmok

It was a holiday, I was hunting for a good place near Seolleung Station in Gangnam, and I wanted a proper lunch. I picked Manmok, a Gangnam eel rice bowl restaurant where the eel is cooked Kanto-style so it stays tender.

Where is Manmok near Seolleung Station, and what are the hours?

Manmok is an eel rice bowl restaurant 4 minutes on foot from Seolleung Station, or 1 minute by car. It is open every day from 11:00 to 22:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00.

• Hours: daily 11:00–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 14:20 and 21:20

You can go for either lunch or dinner, so it is a solid recommendation for a Gangnam lunch.

Is there parking at Manmok?

There is parking in front of the restaurant for about two cars. Call ahead and you can use it if a space is free; if not, please use a nearby parking lot. It is easy to reach, so it often comes up as a Daechi-dong favorite too.

Inside Manmok: counter seats, tables and atmosphere

Before you even go in, you can see eel being grilled over charcoal through the window, which really builds the anticipation.

There are counter seats and seating for larger groups, so it feels fine whether you come alone or with a crowd, and it is popular as a group dinner spot near Seolleung Station. The upscale interior makes it a fine Japanese restaurant in Gangnam, too.

Tissues, napkins and water cups are set out beside the table. Spoons and chopsticks arrive with the food.

Manmok menu and Naver review event

This is Manmok's menu. If you join the Naver receipt review event, you get the following:

• 1 review: 1 draft beer
• 2 reviews: 2 draft beers
• 3 reviews: sake

What comes with Manmok's 39,000-won whole-eel rice bowl?

Today's main was the whole-eel rice bowl (unadon) for ₩39,000. It is Manmok's signature, a soft, clean-tasting Kanto-style eel bowl that lets the eel's own flavor shine.

You get one whole eel, grilled with a soy-based sauce, so it is pleasantly salty. The eel is cut into 10 pieces, a nice size to eat with rice.

A sesame salad, side dishes to put on the eel bowl, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), and a soup steeped with king oyster mushrooms. That is the whole set.

Manmok's chawanmushi with shrimp

Manmok's chawanmushi is a soft, pudding-like steamed egg, but not the sesame-oil-flavored kind we all know. It tastes like it was brewed with kelp? or seafood, and there is a plump shrimp at the bottom. Most chawanmushi tastes just as you would expect, but this one had only a very, very faint seafood flavor.

Spicy king oyster mushroom soup

The soup looks like something you would call king oyster mushroom broth, and I imagine boiling mushrooms down for a drink would taste just like this. The top is clear, while chili flakes sit at the bottom, so it is spicy and refreshing, great for cleansing your palate between bites of eel.

Why is a Kanto-style eel rice bowl more tender?

Eel bowls come in Kansai and Kanto styles, and Manmok cooks Kanto-style. They say Kanto-style is softer and cleaner-tasting than Kansai-style because the eel is steamed once, before or after grilling.

Look at each piece and eel oil is glistening on the surface. Eel is a food you inevitably get tired of as you eat, and when that happens you can't hide the stiff texture. Thanks to the steaming, I got to enjoy tender eel right to the end.

Wasabi was the best pairing for Manmok's eel rice bowl

I tried it with wasabi, radish, plain, and sancho (Korean pepper), and wasabi on top was the best. Just as the eel is about to get greasy, the wasabi gives a little kick, and the spicy mushroom soup leaves no room to feel heavy. It may seem like an ordinary taste at first glance, but the fact that they designed the whole set around all this made me feel, "Eel bowl? It has to be Manmok!"

Dessert: hojicha and matcha ice cream

For dessert, Manmok served hojicha (roasted green tea) ice cream and matcha ice cream. Both were rich, and more like gelato than ice cream, soft with a chewy texture.

Verdict: Manmok's whole-eel rice bowl near Seolleung Station

It was not a so-so eel bowl that is too sweet or too salty, with greasiness as a bonus. The smoky char flavor soaks in, and just when it turns sweet, a salty note punches through and the soup vanishes. It is a taste I keep thinking about.

If you are looking for a special lunch in Gangnam, Seoul, I strongly recommend Manmok near Seolleung Station 😆