Daechi-dong eel restaurant with Gochang freshwater eel lunch: Manmok

I tried a Kanto-style eel rice bowl at a Daechi-dong restaurant! This is Manmok near Seonleung Station, and the upscale atmosphere really stood out.

What is a Kanto-style eel rice bowl?

Eel rice bowls — grilled eel on rice — come in a few styles: Kanto, Kansai, and Nagoya. The Kanto style grills the eel once, steams it, then brushes on sauce and grills it again over charcoal, giving it a soft texture and a light, clean flavor. Most places around here serve the Nagoya style, so it's a treat to find Kanto style at Manmok!

Manmok, an eel rice bowl specialist, is especially popular with office workers nearby. Lunch is ₩26,000 for a half serving and ₩39,000 for a full serving, while dinner brings out the premium eel nabe and premium grilled eel. I'll go through it all in detail below.

How to find Manmok near Seonleung Station, and parking

Manmok sits near Exit 2 of Seonleung Station, with room for about two cars to park in front of the restaurant. Being close to the subway makes it easy to reach by public transit too.

• Address: 9 Seonneung-ro 82-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• Hours: 11:00-22:00 (break time 15:00-17:00)

I arrived at Manmok, just a short walk from Exit 2 of Seonleung Station.

There's parking for about two cars right in front of the restaurant. It's worth calling ahead to check availability. The nearest paid lot is at WeWork Seonleung 3.

Inside Manmok: atmosphere and seating

One reason I'd recommend this Daechi-dong restaurant is the interior — upscale, calm, and cozy all at once. The wood finishes and soft lighting make for a quiet space that almost feels like being in Japan.

There are wide, comfortable table seats too, good for groups or for hosting a meal for someone special.

There are also tables set up for solo diners — a nice spot to enjoy an eel rice bowl on your own.

Manmok menu and lunch prices

The eel rice bowl is ₩26,000 for a half serving and ₩39,000 for a full serving. Since there's a half-portion option, a lot of the women there were ordering it — great for lighter appetites too!

The dinner menu is separate: [dinner only] premium eel nabe ₩69,000, [dinner only] premium grilled eel (seasoned or salted) ₩55,000, and [dinner only] hanwoo nabe ₩63,000.

What sets Manmok's eel rice bowl apart is the use of Gochang freshwater eel. It's grilled once, steamed, then grilled again over charcoal — the Kanto method — which keeps it light and tender. That process also cuts down on any greasy heaviness.

For drinks, there's draft beer and highballs — Suntory, Balvenie, Yamazaki, Hibiki, and Hakushu highballs.

I had somewhere to be afterward, so I ordered a soda instead. Even so, the glass came with those big chunky ice cubes usually reserved for highballs!

What comes with the full eel rice bowl set

The full course arrives neat and tidy.

Alongside the eel rice bowl comes suimono (clear soup) with matsutake mushroom, soft chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), and a salad with tsukemono (pickles) and sesame dressing.

Side dishes include mu-saengchae (seasoned radish salad) and baek-kimchi (white kimchi), plus sansho pepper on the side to add as you like.

Most eel rice bowl restaurants serve a basic broth, but Manmok's suimono is a nice point of difference — a clear soup with generous chunks of matsutake mushroom.

That glossy sheen on top — it couldn't possibly taste bad!

How did the Gochang freshwater eel taste?

I started with a big bite. The tenderness hits you right away. The sauce isn't overpowering either — it's light and clean. A friend of mine who travels to Japan often said this was even better than what she's had there, which made me weirdly proud.

Put a piece on the rice with a bit of wasabi on top, and it's a winning combination.

It leaned more soft and light than greasy, so I cleaned my full serving without any trouble!

Dessert is ice cream, with a choice of matcha or black tea. Sweet and rich — the perfect way to close out the meal.

Is Manmok worth a Daechi-dong lunch?

The eel was light and tender, the kind of meal I'd want to bring my parents to. It's a great pick when you're after an upscale restaurant in Daechi-dong. The calm interior makes for a quiet, cozy dining experience.