Gangnam eel rice bowl restaurant with charcoal aroma: Manmok

Manmok in Seolleung: Atmosphere and Seating

It felt upscale in a way that suited the Seolleung Station area. The mix of wood and stone, plus the pretty lighting, almost made it feel like a lovely café. There are solo seats as well as tables for groups, so it works for anything from eating alone to a company dinner! The tables are spaced fairly generously too, so you can eat with a bit of privacy. There are no high chairs, but the sofa-style seating made it easy to keep a baby beside me or hold one while eating. It might be a little different at dinner, but there were quite a few families at lunch, so it was fine.

Ordering Eel Rice Bowls for Lunch

Two whole-eel rice bowls

Lunch is nicely simple: eel rice bowl is the only menu item. You can choose the amount by the eel, which seems different from other places? I imagine most people have tried eel rice bowls made Nagoya-style. Manmok says it uses the Kanto style, bringing out the texture and its distinctive clean flavor. The eel is grilled, steamed, then grilled again with sauce, and its signature is a soft taste without heaviness. For reference, one whole eel is quite generous—enough to fill up even men. It came in two thick strips, so it felt plentiful.

By the way, you can have nabe (Japanese hot pot) at dinner. It sounds perfect with a little drink, right? I have never tried eel nabe, so I am curious. Next time, I want to leave Kkamja with someone and come for a dinner date to try it.

A Full Kanto-Style Eel Rice Bowl Set

They start grilling once you order, so there may be a wait during peak hours. Freshly grilled and golden brown really is best, after all. The caramel scent released as the sauce met the flames was everywhere, and it made me hungry. That savory charcoal aroma spread through the air too. After a little wait, a neatly arranged full set appeared. With salad, chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard), matsutake mushroom soup, and side dishes, it felt like a proper set meal. The little berries among the sides were dried sansho pepper berries!

Silky Eel and Charcoal Aroma

Just look at that glossy Kanto-style eel rice bowl. You can see how beautifully golden it is, right? I picked up a piece and—oh—it had a satisfying heft. It was broad as well as thick, so even one bite filled my mouth. I tried the eel on its own first, and wow, eel flesh is usually a little rough, isn't it? Maybe because it was steamed rather than only grilled, the flesh was silky and practically melted in my mouth. Most of all, it was clean rather than oily, so I felt I could keep eating without getting tired of it. The subtly sweet soy sauce was cooked to just the right degree and caramelized, making it even more flavorful, sweet, and delicious. Grilled over charcoal, it had such a pleasant charcoal aroma—honestly, it was tastier than eel I had in Japan.

Dried Sansho and Side-Dish Pairings

It was more than good enough on its own, but there were so many sides that it was fun trying different combinations. It was delicious with a straightforward dab of wasabi, and these dried sansho berries were a real treat. Their sharp, tangy flavor hit my tongue, and they went so well with the eel. It was also my first time having eel with spicy shredded radish salad—such a Korean palate combination!

The chawanmushi that came alongside was pudding-like and meltingly soft, making it a lovely appetizer. The matsutake soup was pleasantly seasoned and savory, perfect for sipping here and there. Being a clear soup, it actually paired perfectly with the soy sauce-grilled eel!

Green Tea and Black Tea Ice Cream Dessert

As I was about to leave after finishing everything, they brought dessert too. No matter how clean-tasting and odor-free eel is, it is a shame to finish with only water, isn't it? So thoughtfully, they prepared green tea and black tea ice cream as the perfect palate cleanser. The green tea was rich, but the black tea was the real treat. It tasted like milk tea and had such a delicate aroma. Rather than fruit, tea-flavored ice cream went especially well as dessert after eel.

A Filling Manmok Meal Without the Greasy Feeling

At Manmok, the charcoal-scented sauce soaked beautifully into the softly steamed and grilled eel. In particular, the caramelized savory sauce was seasoned just right for eating as a rice bowl. Eel can often leave your stomach feeling heavy and greasy afterward, but here the oiliness had been thoroughly cooked away, so it did not feel burdensome. Thanks to that, I had such a satisfying meal at Manmok. Stop by when you are craving eel full of charcoal aroma.