Fully booked Friday 6pm eel rice bowl dinner at Manmok, Seonleung

Last Friday I was really craving an eel rice bowl, so I went looking for a good spot and ended up here. Let me introduce a really elegant, upscale Japanese restaurant near Seonleung Station. The reviews here are seriously good, and after visiting I totally understood why (nice, nice!). Here's my review of Manmok, a Daechi-dong / Seonleung Station favorite :)

Where is Manmok, and what are its hours and parking?

Manmok is on the 1st floor of 9 Seolleung-ro 82-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It's open daily from 11:00 to 22:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00.

• 📍 Address: 9 Seolleung-ro 82-gil, 1st floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00 / Break time 15:00–17:00
• Last order 14:20 / 21:20
• 🚗 Parking: About 2 spots in front of the store (recommend calling ahead to check before visiting!)
• 💡 Reservations available, free corkage

Inside Manmok: solo counter seats and tables for team dinners

Manmok's exterior has that clean, understated feel unique to Japanese restaurants. The interior is warm and upscale with wood tones, and the calm lighting made me feel really comfortable.

They have everything from counter seats for solo diners to separate spaces good for dates, to clean group tables for larger dinners — no matter your reason for visiting, you get a nice, well-treated feeling here.

We visited around 6pm on a Friday and were surprised to see that every table but two was reserved. I wondered, with all these empty seats, what's going on? But as soon as we started eating, the place filled up fast! Since it's in the Seonleung Station office district, there were tons of office workers coming in after work for dinners and gatherings, plus lots of couples enjoying a cozy date. With the pretty lighting and calm mood, everyone seemed to be having a great time.

What's on the menu at Manmok?

Manmok serves proper eel dishes made only with carefully selected Gochang freshwater eel. You can order grilled eel or eel rice bowl to your taste, and in the evening they also offer eel or hanwoo (Korean beef) nabe (hot pot), perfect as a hearty meal or a drinking snack.

What we ordered: 39,000 won eel rice bowl and 63,000 won hanwoo nabe

That day at Manmok we ordered the eel rice bowl for 39,000 won and the hanwoo nabe for 63,000 won. We came that day specifically for the eel rice bowl, but my husband had a bit of a cold, so he needed some warm broth. So we also ordered the hanwoo nabe — and as it turned out, we were blown away! haha

The pre-meal table setting was clean and neat.

Each individual plate came with salt, wasabi, sancho pepper, and (which my husband loved lol) pickled mushrooms, along with a dipping sauce for the nabe.

A variety of basic side dishes also came out, and every single one was delicious.

Kanto-style eel rice bowl with one whole eel, just right to share

The eel rice bowl came out first! Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) usually comes with just one serving, but since we ordered the hanwoo nabe, they gave us an extra one.

The eel rice bowl had a whole eel laid over the rice, which looked really appetizing. It was the perfect amount for two people to split in half.

First, to taste the eel's natural flavor, I put just one piece of eel over the rice — being Kanto-style, it wasn't greasy at all, just pure clean flavor! The seasoning was just the right level too, never overwhelming, and the smoky charcoal aroma really came through.

I loved that there were so many ways to combine it — adding a bit of wasabi, pickled ginger, or sancho pepper, or wrapping it in myeongi namul (wild garlic leaves) — I enjoyed every single bite to the very last without ever getting tired of it. (Ugh, my mouth is watering again just looking at this...!)

Hanwoo nabe, 63,000 won: thick-cut beef brisket in a rich broth

Along with the eel, the nabe came out quickly too. The nabe was filled with hanwoo beef brisket, tofu, mushrooms, bok choy, and various other vegetables.

The beef in the nabe was hanwoo beef brisket — and it was totally different from the brisket I usually eat. Instead of thin, floppy slices, this brisket had real thickness, so the more you chewed, the more the savory flavor came through, and the chewy texture was fantastic!

You could really tell they were using good two-plus grade hanwoo. It was delicious even dipped in just salt.

The fresh vegetables were also generously piled in, and eating the meat and vegetables together along with spoonfuls of broth was more filling than I expected.

And above all, the broth is seriously the real deal..! As soon as my husband took a sip, he said it felt like his cold was already going away, and he ended up devouring it in a storm haha (I'd totally recommend this as a warm, restorative meal too!)

Who is Manmok in Gangnam best for?

Manmok, a Daechi-dong / Seonleung Station Japanese restaurant known for its eel — we came for the eel rice bowl, but it would've been a huge shame if we hadn't ordered the hanwoo nabe too, haha. My husband really enjoyed it and said he definitely wants to come back.

I'd recommend it as one of the best Japanese restaurants near Seonleung Station, where you can enjoy a neat, Kanto-style eel rice bowl and a rich, deep-flavored hanwoo nabe in an upscale atmosphere! It's great for a meal for two like us, but also a comfortable space regardless of your purpose — whether it's a solo meal or an office team dinner. If you're looking for a can't-miss restaurant near Seonleung Station, give 'Manmok' a try :)