# Gangnam eel rice bowl restaurant with charcoal aroma: Manmok - By Jaeha (https://superchart.com/en/@rice-and-soup/) - Written Sep 11, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@rice-and-soup/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@rice-and-soup/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/index.md) ## In short Manmok is a Kanto-style eel rice bowl restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul. Steamed and grilled eel came with gently sweet soy sauce, charcoal aroma, chawanmushi, matsutake soup, and ice cream. Verdict: Manmok is a filling choice when you want eel without the greasy feeling. ## Good to know - **Lunch menu**: Eel rice bowl only - **Order**: Two whole-eel rice bowls - **Seating**: Solo seats and group tables - **Dinner menu**: Eel nabe available *as written by the visitor on Sep 11, 2026* ![Manmok's signature eel rice bowl](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-01-1geb2-1200.webp) ## Manmok in Seolleung: Atmosphere and Seating ![Interior atmosphere at Manmok](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-02-1ye1p-899.webp) ![Manmok interior with wood and stone finishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-03-10eil-900.webp) ![Table seating at Manmok](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-04-17hen-900.webp) ![Lighting and seating at Manmok](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-05-vd0t9-900.webp) 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 ![Eel rice bowl ordering information](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-06-1w4jy-899.webp) > 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. ![Generous thick eel rice bowl serving](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-07-1m13o-900.webp) 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 ![Full eel rice bowl set](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-08-ymlmj-900.webp) ![Eel rice bowl served after grilling](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-09-198w9-900.webp) 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! ![Dried sansho pepper berry accompaniment](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-10-1k22x-900.webp) ![Kanto-style eel rice bowl](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-11-fls20-900.webp) ### 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. ![Thickly grilled eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-12-1iuvd-900.webp) ![A bite of charcoal-scented eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-13-pxeu4-900.webp) ![Soy sauce-glazed eel rice bowl](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-14-qazwe-900.webp) ![Eel flesh in the rice bowl](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-15-1kx2z-900.webp) ### 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! ![Eel with wasabi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-16-1fh0i-900.webp) ![Sansho pepper and eel pairing](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-17-o98l7-900.webp) ![Eel with shredded radish salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-18-1ok48-900.webp) ![Eel rice bowl side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-19-1qxd7-900.webp) 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! ![Chawanmushi and matsutake soup](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-20-1kxa2-900.webp) ![Soup from the eel rice bowl set](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-21-199e1-900.webp) ![Chawanmushi side dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-22-1ki2g-900.webp) ## 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 ![Manmok's Kanto-style eel rice bowl](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok-23-wgd2p-900.webp) 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. ## Where it is - Manmok (만목) - 9 Seolleung-ro 82-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 강남구 선릉로82길 9 1층 - 37.5026585, 127.0509011 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%A7%8C%EB%AA%A9/@37.5026585,127.0509011,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@rice-and-soup/seolleung-kanto-eel-manmok/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt