Yeouido eel house for an autumn lunch with a friend: Daedong Jangeo

I was looking for a good autumn tonic meal with a friend I hadn't seen in ages, and Daedong Jangeo (대동장어), a well-known Yeouido favorite, caught my eye. Here's my review of a lunch set where a thick eel comes out whole, and I definitely got my fill of stamina food!

Daedong Jangeo Yeouido: location and opening hours

Daedong Jangeo Yeouido is on the ground floor of the Oakwood Yeouido Park Hotel, a 4-minute walk from Exit 3 of National Assembly Station on Line 9. It's open Monday to Friday 11:30–22:00 (break time 15:00–17:00) and Saturday to Sunday 11:30–22:00, with last order at 21:00.

Exterior and valet parking

I visited for the lunch set on a day when it was pouring rain. A friendly valet staff member showed us to the entrance.

All seats are private rooms: what's the atmosphere like?

The interior is seriously elegant and grand, isn't it? Every seat is a private room, so you get privacy too.

I had booked ahead, so they showed us to a room already set up like this. The space is roomy, and up to 4 people can sit comfortably.

Daedong Jangeo Yeouido menu and what we ordered

We ordered the grilled eel set (jeongsik, a full set meal) for 2.

The table was first set up for grilling eel, but we had another appointment afterward, so we ordered the lunch set instead.

Ta-da, the table was changed in no time! For the set meal, they neatly cover the grill and hood and put the side dishes on top of the cover.

What does the grilled eel lunch set look like?

The lunch set at Daedong Jangeo Yeouido starts with mukbap (chilled acorn jelly soup). It's tangy and refreshing, a perfect appetizer. While you're slurping it down, the grilled eel set shows up soon after.

The grilled eel set was ready super fast. Rice, seaweed soup and one plump eel, served whole.

I was shocked at how big the eel was, but they told us this is a mudflat eel served only in the set, and the grilled eel on the main menu uses a much bigger freshwater eel!

Mudflat eel flavor and texture

The grilled mudflat eel smells so nutty and rich. Let me try it~! I dipped it in the sauce that came with it and took a bite. Even in the animated clip you can see the springy flesh, right?

The skin is chewy like collagen, and the flesh is firm and full of rich flavor. I was startled from the very first bite.

Side dishes: ginger, white kimchi and pa-kimchi

I guess they make the ginger preserve themselves, because it was crunchy with no sharp heat. I'm a ginger hater and still kept reaching for it~

When the rich eel oil starts making you dizzy, a piece of cool white kimchi (baek-kimchi) resets your throat.

Daedong Jangeo Yeouido is good at side dishes too... the pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi) and pickled chili peppers are total works of art! They go great with the eel, and yes, I got a refill of the pa-kimchi twice, our little secret.

Dessert: schisandra tea and yakgwa

We finished with sweet-and-tangy schisandra tea (omija-cha) and yakgwa (a traditional honey cookie). The set itself is generous, and with the starter and dessert too, it was a really filling meal, haha

Overall verdict on the Daedong Jangeo Yeouido lunch set

Elegant eel restaurant, friendly service, and chewy, springy grilled eel that made me exclaim out loud: that was the lunch set at Daedong Jangeo Yeouido. The location is great and the price is reasonable, so it's a perfect choice for an important gathering or when you need a tonic meal like I did.

If you're wondering where to have a filling, tasty lunch in Yeouido, I recommend the grilled eel lunch set at Daedong Jangeo Yeouido!