Daechi-dong eel bowl at 11am weekend opening, matcha ice cream: Manmok

The weather is so, so hot lately, isn't it? As the temperature keeps climbing, my body feels heavy and I can really tell my energy is dropping.

Times like this call for a hearty stamina meal, so my husband and I went looking for a special restaurant in Daechi-dong. It is famous by word of mouth for its clean, refined Kanto-style eel bowls with no gamey smell. This is my honest review of Manmok (만목), visited on a weekend lunch opening run!

Where is Manmok and where do you park? Walkable from Seolleung Station Exit 2, 2 free spots out front

Manmok is at 9 Seolleung-ro 82-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (1st floor), about 273m from Seolleung Station Exit 2, so it's an easy walk. It's open 11:00–22:00 with a break from 15:00 to 17:00.

• Address: 9 Seolleung-ro 82-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (1st floor)
• Location: about 273m from Seolleung Station Exit 2 (super accessible on foot!)
• Hours: 11:00–22:00 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• Parking: 2 free spots in front (if full, use a nearby private lot such as WeWork Seolleung 3)

Weekend 11:00 opening run, and a group was already waiting

We did an "opening run" at 11:00 on a weekend, right when Manmok opens!

A group was already waiting in front of the shop. Seeing that made me even more sure we'd come to a good place, and I was glad we had made a reservation! We also got lucky and parked right in front.

What's the atmosphere like? Wood-toned open kitchen and pine tree decor

Inside, Manmok is decorated in warm wood tones with calm lighting and a clean open kitchen. The outside already looked tidy, but once we stepped in, I liked the interior even more.

The clean open kitchen makes you trust the place, and the warm, stylish wood tones with calm lighting gave it a real fine-dining mood.

The green pine tree objects dotted around the space were a stroke of genius! They have a restrained, airy beauty that I found so pretty.

We happened to sit at a lovely table with a pine tree. The quiet, steady mood is perfect for a business meeting, a date or anniversary, or treating your parents.

How is Manmok's eel bowl made? Gochang freshwater eel and Kanto-style cooking

The menu says Manmok is run by a chef who trained at a 3-star restaurant in Japan!

They also say they use only carefully selected freshwater eel from Gochang, Korea's top eel-producing area.

Manmok's biggest feature is that it sticks to the "Kanto-style method" that preserves the eel's natural texture and mild flavor. The eel is grilled once, steamed until soft, then brushed with a secret sauce and grilled over charcoal two more times, a demanding process. The grease is said to disappear and only tenderness remains, so my expectations were high!

We ordered two eel bowls with a whole eel (₩39,000 each).

The whole-eel bowl spread: water kimchi and seasoned radish salad

Soon our neatly arranged Manmok eel bowl meal arrived! Clean and uncluttered from the first look, right?

The water kimchi and seasoned radish salad served as basic sides were a real treat. Their tangy, refreshing taste instantly cuts the slight richness you might feel from eating only eel, and adds depth.

What comes with the eel bowl? Fresh wasabi, sansho and shrimp chawanmushi

Plated alongside the eel bowl were pickled radish, fresh wasabi, pickled ginger and precious pickled sansho (Korean/Japanese pepper berries).

As the owner recommended, we piled a piece of eel on a big scoop of rice and tried each topping one by one, and each had its own charm and went really well. My top pick was the classic fresh wasabi! Sharp wasabi on sweet-salty eel was endlessly good.

The eel was slightly crisp outside and fluffy and soft inside, a work of art texture-wise.

The starter, chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard), was excellent too. The pudding-soft egg had a plump shrimp inside, so there was a nice chew now and then. With a fresh salad and clear soup, it made a hugely satisfying Daechi-dong lunch.

Dessert ice cream: matcha that won over a matcha hater, black tea for my husband

After the meal, Manmok serves dessert ice cream in a pretty leaf-shaped bowl.

We picked one matcha and one black tea and shared happily. Honestly, I'm more of a "matcha hater" because of its bitter taste, you know? But Manmok's matcha ice cream isn't strongly bitter, it's clean and smooth, and I loved it!

My husband, who loves black tea drinks (Dr. Dawa-style Dejawa), exclaimed "Exactly my style!" the moment he tried the black tea ice cream. Even the final dessert hit our tastes perfectly.

Manmok verdict: a good summer stamina lunch in Daechi-dong?

I don't think any Daechi-dong lunch beats Manmok's eel bowl for restoring your energy in the summer heat.

Gochang freshwater eel grilled with a 3-star chef's Kanto-style technique, with a cleanliness and depth of flavor that stood out.

My husband and I scraped up every last bit of our weekend lunch eel bowls, hahahahaha. Spotless!!! It felt like being treated to a lovely, carefully made meal, and the happy afterglow lingered.

If you're looking for a calm, classy restaurant near Gangnam or Seolleung, do visit once. Eel lovers will definitely be satisfied.