Nowon eel restaurant: two finish a non-greasy set for 3, Cheonsanga

Before the weather turned properly cold, I wanted a really good eel meal to build up some stamina. While looking around, I heard there was a place nearby famous for eel, so I went to Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch (천상애장어가 하계점).

Normally with eel, it's delicious at first but gets greasy and I can't eat much. This time we ordered the 3-person set for just two of us and still enjoyed it to the very end. Since the staff grilled everything from start to finish, we could just focus on eating. A great eel place in Nowon.

Where is Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch, and is there parking?

Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch is at 67 Hangeulbiseok-ro 1-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul, on the first floor, and there is parking in front. Junggye Homeplus and 2001 Outlet are nearby, so it wasn't hard to find. It's also close to the Buk Seoul Museum of Art and Nowon Eulji University Hospital, so it's a handy spot to stop for a meal along with other plans.

We arrived right at the weekday 11:30 a.m. opening. The exterior was clean, and in front there was a parking area and a standing sign announcing the weekday lunch special.

Interior, self-serve bar and group seating

Inside, wood-toned decor and lighting made it feel neat and calm. The space is large with plenty of seats, so it looked good for bringing parents or having a slightly special family meal.

According to the restaurant's notice, it can seat groups of up to 66, and high chairs and children's tableware are available. You can walk in without a reservation and be seated in waiting order, but for bigger gatherings it's better to book ahead.

The self-serve bar had plates, utensils and basic side dishes. When you eat eel in lots of combinations, the banchan (side dishes) disappear fast, so being able to fetch more yourself was convenient.

Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch menu and prices

You order on the tablet at the table. The menu is divided into eel sets, weekday lunch special, eel soup, extra items, complimentary nurungji sungnyung, Korean beef sirloin, eel extract, and takeout.

What's in the eel set?

The set comes with large eel sized to your party, plus dolsot sushi (sushi on a hot stone bowl), eolgul jeotgal, doenjang stew and nurungji sungnyung.

Weekday lunch special until 2:30 p.m.

The weekday lunch special can be ordered until 2:30 p.m. The regular set and the basic lunch special differ in whether dolsot sushi and eolgul jeotgal are included. Rather than just comparing prices, pick by the combination you want to eat.

Hanwoo sirloin and eel extract

For anyone who can't eat eel, there's Korean beef sirloin at ₩40,000 for 150g. It's a reserve-ahead item; the notice says same-day preparation is possible but you must reserve before 11 a.m. that day, so ask according to your companion's tastes.

Eel extract is sold at ₩100,000 for a box of 50 packs and ₩180,000 for 2 boxes (100 packs).

Is a 3-person eel set enough for two?

I really wanted to build up my stamina that day, so the two of us ordered the 3-person set for ₩104,000. You can choose between eolgul jeotgal and deodeok (mountain root) pickles, and I picked the eolgul jeotgal.

The restaurant states it uses domestic Japonica freshwater eel, with domestic charcoal and sun-dried sea salt too. There was even an origin certificate for the eel in the shop, and seeing it myself made me trust the place more.

First came ssam vegetables (leaves for wrapping), scallion kimchi, pickled onion, white kimchi, pickled perilla leaves, plus onion, ginger and sauce. With so many sides to go with the eel, I was already wondering how to combine them.

After a short wait, they added charcoal, quite a generous amount. Then the eel arrived and its size caught my eye right away. It looked plump and fresh and I was excited, though part of me wondered if it was too much for two.

The staff grill the eel for you from start to finish. Watching them grill and cut it so skillfully, I just wanted a bite already. You don't have to watch the timing, so it would also be easy to chat with family while eating.

Doenjang stew, stone-plate sushi and eoriguljeot

While the eel grilled, the doenjang stew, dolsot sushi and eolgul jeotgal came out too. The 3-person set comes with two stews, so each of us had one. It was spicy and sharp, nice between bites of eel.

The dolsot sushi came as 3 pieces, and each was quite big. Cut in half, it was effectively like sharing 6 pieces.

The eolgul jeotgal was less than I expected. Still, it smelled nutty the moment it arrived and looked delicious, and it was nice in small dabs on the eel. If you want plenty, you can order extra.

Is the charcoal eel at Cheonsanga Jangeoga greasy?

The charcoal eel was much lighter than I expected, even with just sauce and ginger. To my taste it had no fishy or greasy feel and was clean, among the best eel I've ever had.

A staff member told us it's a good flavor for people trying eel for the first time, and after tasting it I understood what they meant.

I tried it with scallion kimchi, then as a wrap in a pickled perilla leaf topped with scallion kimchi. The combination with white kimchi was good too. Switching sides made the same eel taste different with every bite.

They said the banchan are made fresh in the kitchen every day. Each one really was tasty, so I kept reaching for the sides as well as the eel.

On the dolsot sushi I put eel and wasabi. Adding a little eolgul jeotgal on top made yet another combination. That was the moment I got why the eel set comes with dolsot sushi.

At first I thought, "There's so much, are we going to leave some?" But trying all those combinations, we finished it before I knew it. Usually I slow down because eel gets greasy, but this time I enjoyed it to the last piece, and that's what I remember most.

Finishing with complimentary nurungji sungnyung

After finishing the eel, we asked for the complimentary sungnyung (scorched rice tea). Ending with the warm sungnyung felt hearty. Having it with leftover doenjang stew or the eolgul jeotgal seasoning was a treat too.

With eel, sides, stew and sungnyung, it felt like I'd had a properly good meal.

Review event, corkage and group bookings

When we visited, Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch was running an event: write a Naver receipt review and get a drink or 5 pieces of dolsot sushi. If you liked the eel-on-dolsot-sushi combo, it's worth a look.

Corkage was listed at ₩5,000 per bottle, and a group-booking perk of wild ginseng liquor was also advertised. Check the conditions when you book.

Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch: final verdict

Cheonsanga Jangeoga Hagye Branch is a Nowon restaurant I'll remember for the light flavor of the eel itself and the ease of having it grilled for you. Mixing in the many sides and dolsot sushi was fun, and the two of us happily finished the 3-person set.

You can park in front and the interior is spacious, so it comes to mind when looking for a Hagye-dong place for a hearty meal with parents or family. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to build up stamina with an eel set before it gets colder.