Suwon Homaesil eel restaurant with cold kimchi noodles: 99Jangeo88

Lately the weather's been going back and forth with the changing seasons, and I've been feeling sluggish and drained. Whenever that happens, the first food that comes to mind is eel, right? 😋 This time I wanted to get a proper energy boost around Homaesil, and after some searching I ended up at 99Jangeo88 Suwon Homaesil Branch.

The name itself was a bit unusual — it seems to mean something like "eat eel and live well (88) until you're 99." True to the name, this place seemed genuinely serious about eel, so I went in with high expectations.

Where is 99Jangeo88 Suwon Homaesil Branch, and where do you park?

99Jangeo88 Suwon Homaesil Branch is located at 24-70 Homaesil-ro 104beon-gil, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, Units 104 and 105. Hours are 10:00–21:30, closed every Tuesday, with no break time on weekends or public holidays.

Parking is available on basement levels 1 and 2 of the building, with 90 minutes free. You do need to register at the counter, though, so make sure to do that after your meal!

You can also wait at the parking entrance if it's full, and if you use a nearby paid lot instead, note that parking fees will apply separately.

There's a big menu board posted outside the restaurant, so you can check the menu and prices before going in — I liked that. It's honestly convenient these days when a restaurant lets you check the menu and prices from outside. 👀

Eel rice bowl prices at 99Jangeo88, a good lunch option

99Jangeo88 Suwon Homaesil Branch has more than just grilled eel — there are also menu items that seem great for a lunch visit.

• Eel rice bowl, regular: 26,000 won
• Eel rice bowl, large: 35,000 won
• Eel soup, large: 23,000 won
• Sakuraya eel rice bowl: 29,000 won

So it seemed like a good spot to stop by for a quick eel rice bowl energy boost at lunchtime too.

I ordered a full platter of salt-grilled eel that day, but I'd love to try the eel rice bowl next time.

Inside the Homaesil-dong eel restaurant: seating and the self-serve banchan bar

The interior isn't a huge sprawling restaurant — it's more cozy and clean. There are about 6 tables, which meant the meal felt comfortable rather than chaotic. There were families eating together too, and since eel itself is a well-known health food, it seemed like a good place to bring parents as well.

I especially liked that there was a self-serve bar. You can help yourself to as much of the basic side dishes that go well with eel as you want.

The self-serve bar had peppers, lettuce, garlic, baek-kimchi (white, non-spicy kimchi), ginger, pickled perilla leaves, kimchi, and pickled onions.

I'd eat a piece of eel, then wrap it in lettuce with garlic, then wrap it in baek-kimchi, then add ginger — it was great being able to mix and match combos to taste. 😋

Salt-grilled freshwater eel, 72,000 won a platter, pre-grilled and ready in 3 minutes

That day we ordered salt-grilled freshwater eel, one platter for 72,000 won, kimchi-mari guksu for 10,000 won, and turmeric rice for 1,500 won. The moment the eel came out, the first thing that caught my eye was the size.

The eel was much thicker and bigger than I expected. Two adults ate it and never once felt like the portion was lacking — if anything, we ended up stuffed. And the biggest feature of the eel here is that it comes pre-grilled!

Since it's already pre-grilled, you don't have to wait around grilling it at the table for ages — apparently you just grill it for about 3 minutes and it's ready to eat. Sometimes when you go out for eel you spend the whole time flipping and grilling, barely able to talk, but since this comes pre-grilled, it was so much easier to just dig in. 👍

Above all, I could barely feel any bones, so it was easy to eat and tender. There was a strong charcoal aroma layered into the eel along with its own savory flavor, and it was delicious even plain as a salt grill.

It was also great dipped lightly in sauce, or paired with baek-kimchi and chives. If you're worried about eel being too rich or greasy, try it with ginger, baek-kimchi, or chives — it makes for a much cleaner bite.

Doenjang stew included, plus turmeric rice for 1,500 won

One thing that surprisingly impressed me was the basic doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) that came with the meal.

I had a spoonful before starting on the eel, and the broth had a surprisingly rich, deep flavor. I couldn't resist and ended up adding an order of turmeric rice right away. 😂

Eating warm rice with the rich doenjang jjigae felt really satisfying and filling. Having the stew and rice alongside the eel made the whole meal that much more substantial.

Kimchi-mari guksu at 10,000 won: how the cold noodles pair with the eel

Eel alone felt like it needed something extra, so we also ordered kimchi-mari guksu (cold kimchi noodle soup) for 10,000 won. Eel naturally keeps that savory, fatty flavor going, so having a bite of the cool kimchi noodle soup in between really cleaned out my palate. 😋

The tangy, cool broth with the noodles paired really well with the eel. Eating a bite of eel followed by a bite of kimchi noodles cut through the richness so well that I kept reaching for more. Even after already being full from eel and rice, the noodles somehow still went down easily. 😂

If you're going with a group rather than just ordering grilled eel alone, I'd recommend getting a kimchi-mari guksu to share. The savory eel and the tangy, cool noodle soup complemented each other really well and made for the perfect finish to the meal.

A hearty seasonal meal at 99Jangeo88 for families and group dinners

By the time we finished the whole platter of eel, we were completely full. Two adults ate it and the portion was more than enough — grilling that thick eel with plenty of charcoal aroma really made me think "eel is eel, nothing beats it." These days, when the changing seasons leave you easily tired and worn out, eating a proper health food meal like this once in a while really seems worth it.

This place seemed especially good for anyone looking for a Suwon Homaesil eel restaurant to bring their parents to. Hwahong Hospital is also about a 3-minute walk away, so it seemed like a solid option for anyone in the area looking for a place to eat something restorative.

It's great for family meals, and eel is also a solid choice for gatherings or company dinners in Homaesil-dong since it's a dish that relatively few people dislike. With 40 seats, it's worth keeping in mind if you're looking for a place for group gatherings or a health-food dinner with coworkers.

Is 99Jangeo88 Suwon Homaesil Branch worth a visit?

99Jangeo88 Suwon Homaesil Branch impressed me starting with the sheer size of the eel. What I especially appreciated was that the eel comes pre-grilled, so there was no long wait — just about 3 minutes on the grill and it's ready, and the salt-grilled eel with its deep charcoal aroma was delicious. The eel was thick yet tender, easy to eat without worrying about bones, and overall I left really satisfied.

Another plus was the self-serve bar, where you can help yourself to as much lettuce, garlic, baek-kimchi, ginger, and pickled perilla leaves as you like. On top of that, the basic doenjang jjigae was so good that I ended up adding rice and eating a really hearty meal. 😋

If you're looking for a family dining spot near Homaesil, a Suwon Homaesil eel restaurant to bring your parents to, or a place for a gathering or group dinner in Homaesil-dong, this place is worth a visit. Next time I'll have to try the Sakuraya eel rice bowl or the eel soup that I missed out on this time! This is definitely a place that'll come to mind whenever I need a proper energy boost from eel. 🐟✨