Gwangyang eel restaurant, 9-adult group, 4kg for ₩230,000: Deokeun

Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch: location, hours and parking

Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch (더큰장어 광양점) is at 101 Hangman 9-ro, Gwangyang-si, Jeonnam, and it's open daily from 11:00 to 21:30. Last order is at 20:30, and parking is available.

What is this big eel restaurant in Jungma-dong, Gwangyang like?

If you're looking for a big eel place in Jungma-dong, Gwangyang, Deokeun Jangeo is worth a visit at least once. The restaurant itself is spacious and comfortable, and above all the Yi Sun-sin Bridge view outside the windows lifts the mood. Getting that view while eating eel is a pretty big plus.

The first thing I noticed when we arrived was how huge the parking lot is. It's no trouble at all for a group, and with zero parking stress we started off in a good mood.

How ordering works: pick on the 1st floor, grill on the 2nd

When you walk in, you first choose your eel yourself. The showcase is packed with prepped eel, so you can see the freshness at a glance.

Once you've picked as much eel as you want and paid, you carry it straight up to the 2nd floor to grill and eat.

How many kg of eel for 9 adults, and what did it cost?

Boneless eel at Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch is ₩5,940 per 100g, so the price feels fairly easy on the wallet. People say you need about 250-300g of eel per person, and big eaters 300-350g, so we planned to order a generous 3kg or so for nine adults.

I meant to buy just 2 packs, but while picking in a daze I ended up at the register holding 3 packs. In the end I'd loaded up nearly 4kg.

Still, 4kg for ₩230,000 turned out to be a better price than I expected, so I was happy with it.

The 2nd-floor atmosphere and the self bar

The 2nd floor has widely spaced tables and a self bar where you can easily grab more side dishes. When I carried the eel upstairs it was really crowded, so I could tell right away how popular the place is. The mood was comfortable overall, and the self bar was well stocked, so we could take side dishes without feeling awkward.

How do you grill charcoal eel so it tastes good?

Each table at Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch has a separate guide on how to grill eel well, and following it meant no failures. After we were seated, the basic side dishes were neatly set out, then the charcoal came in and the real eel grilling began.

• Start with the skin side first
• The flipping timing matters
• Don't flip too often

Just following this much makes a real difference in taste.

The side dish that went best with eel: scallion kimchi

I dipped the golden-grilled eel in sauce, and eating it with myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic-like greens) made the flavor even richer.

The most memorable of all was the pa-kimchi (scallion kimchi). Eaten with the rich eel, it cut the greasiness cleanly and went really well.

Can you order eel tteokgalbi when going with a child?

Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch also sells eel tteokgalbi (grilled eel patties) as a side, and since there was a baby in our group, I ordered 3 extra patties. I ordered them without big expectations, but they were tasty and ended up being a surprisingly satisfying dish.

The texture was soft and the seasoning just right, not too strong, so it was no problem for a child and tasty enough for adults too. They're moist rather than dry, so the little one ate them without any fuss.

Side menu: eel soup and naengmyeon

There were also eel soup and naengmyeon (cold noodles) on the side menu, but I ordered so much eel that I ended up completely full on eel alone. Sadly I couldn't try the eel soup, so next time I'm thinking of leaving room to enjoy the sides too.

Overall verdict on Deokeun Jangeo Gwangyang Branch

• Spacious, great for group visits
• Very generous parking
• Nice mood with the Yi Sun-sin Bridge view
• Self bar and neat side dish lineup
• Satisfying eel quality
• The scallion kimchi pairing is the best
• The tteokgalbi is like a hidden gem

If you want to eat eel big, full and properly in Jungma-dong, Gwangyang, I recommend Deokeun Jangeo!