Sagajeong eel restaurant for a couple on a hot day: Cheonsangae

It's been so hot lately that I desperately needed some stamina food 🥵 So this time I went for eel at Cheonsangae Jangeoga Myeonmok Sagajeong Branch (천상애장어가 면목사가정점), a well-liked spot in Myeonmok-dong!

Cheonsangae Jangeoga Myeonmok Sagajeong Branch

I went because I'd heard the set menu was good, and the meal was much more satisfying than I expected, haha. The eel was tasty and the service was great, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a place for a family dinner or a company gathering!

If you're looking for somewhere to eat near Sagajeong, there's also a lunch special (called Jeomsin Teukseon), so I thought it would be a really good meeting spot near Sagajeong Station 😊

What's the atmosphere like inside?

Interior

The restaurant looked spacious~ It was evening, and there were quite a few families and groups, but the tables were spaced widely and the place was clean, so it was comfortable to eat in!

I thought it would work well for company dinners and family meals, and also for friends. If you're looking for a place to eat near Sagajeong, I'd recommend it as a gathering spot near Sagajeong Station. The mood was relaxed even for big groups 👍

There's also a unisex restroom inside the restaurant~

The ₩79,000 two-person set

Menu

We ordered the two-person set (₩79,000)! It came with 2 large eels, stone-bowl sushi, Tongyeong salted oysters (eori-gul-jeot), soybean paste stew and a roasted potato, a really full set. We were very hungry, lol, so I worried a little that it might not be enough for two... but that was needless worry~ The portions were generous and every item was satisfying 👍

The side dishes were neatly done too: lettuce, perilla leaves, shredded ginger, garlic, pickled onion, seasoned chives and jangajji (pickled vegetables), a great lineup to eat with eel, so my chopsticks kept going back.

Domestic hovenia tea!

The eel sauce was especially memorable. It isn't just sweet; it has a deep savory richness, and dipping the eel in it really brought out the flavor.

Seolhwa wild ginseng eel, snow mushroom and tableside grilling

After a short wait the eel came out, and the plump white flesh curled up looks so cute, doesn't it, haha! Along with two big eels, they put a huge snow mushroom on the grill too.

✨I heard Cheonsangae Jangeoga serves Seolhwa Sansam Jangeo, the first of its kind developed in Korea: snow mushroom (seolhwa mushroom) + cultured wild ginseng root + domestic eel, a premium restorative combination packed with flavor, aroma and nutrition! The cultured wild ginseng root is an ingredient supplied to 5-star hotels and said to help immunity and fatigue recovery, the snow mushroom adds health benefits and a unique texture, and the domestic eel boosts stamina!

And a staff member grilled everything for us from beginning to end, so the meal was really easy.

They timed the grilling perfectly and cut the pieces into bite sizes, so we could just chat and eat. It was so nice. 😊

The golden-brown eel was crispy outside and really moist inside~ With the first bite, the eel's nutty flavor and juices filled my mouth, and I immediately understood why it's famous as stamina food.

Topping it with shredded ginger cut the richness and made it much fresher.

I thought the snow mushroom grilled alongside was just a side at first, but soaked in eel fat and grilled, it was chewy with a faint sweetness, and really delicious.

Dipped in the sauce, the mushroom was just as hard to stop eating as the eel.

Partway through, my husband suddenly said he hadn't had bok-sa (a soda-and-makgeolli-style mixed drink) in ages and ordered one, lol. Made in a nostalgic kettle.

Stone-bowl sushi, Tongyeong salted oysters, soybean paste stew and nurungji tea

The Tongyeong salted oysters came with the stone-bowl sushi! Personally, they surprised me the most. It was my first time getting salted oysters at an eel restaurant, and the oysters were big, with no fishy taste and really great savory depth.

Putting a piece of eel on the sushi and adding a little salted oyster on top was the best combination. These are rice thieves; I could finish a whole bowl of rice with just the salted oysters.😂

The soybean paste stew in the set was better than expected too. It had plenty of tofu and vegetables, and the broth was rich and earthy, perfect for a spoonful between bites of eel, haha.

Eel, a bite of stew, then eel again, and my spoon just wouldn't stop~

Near the end of the meal they gave us nurungji tea (scorched rice tea) as a freebie, and it was a real treat too. I was already full, ㅠㅠ but the hot tea settled my stomach and I kept drinking it... haha.

We finished with the roasted potato! 🥔 It came baked in foil, fluffy and moist, nice as a dessert.

I was too full to finish everything, but it was really good😋

A free eel for pregnant women, police officers and firefighters

I also learned about a nice perk while there: police officers, firefighters, guests aged 80 and over, and pregnant women get one eel free when they visit!

I'd never seen an event like this, so it was really interesting. If it applies to you, definitely take advantage~~ If I'm ever pregnant, lol, I'll come back for a proper stamina boost. Though it's so tasty I'll probably go again before that🥰

Overall, the set was great value for the price, and the eel's freshness and flavor and the staff's kind service all satisfied me~ If you want to enjoy good eel, need a stamina boost, or are looking for a place for a family meal or group dinner, give Cheonsangae Jangeoga Myeonmok Sagajeong Branch a try! It's a hearty, satisfying meal and I recommend it! 💕