Eel bowl spot near Seolleung Station after a wedding fair: Manmok

A place where quiet hospitality lingers, a table holding the gentle flavor of tender eel

Why we picked Manmok near Seolleung Station after a wedding fair

Manmok, near Seolleung Station, is a Japanese restaurant famous for its eel bowls, so the two of us, an engaged couple, headed there on the day we went to a wedding fair. The fair completely drained us.. body and mind both needed recharging, so we decided to eat something really delicious today and praise each other, and went looking for a good spot nearby..!

Then it hit us: eel bowl..! Not many places do eel well, but Manmok, famous for its eel bowls, was nearby, so I checked the Kakao reviews and went straight over. I run a blog myself, but a place only gets my full commitment if the Kakao reviews are good too!

Manmok is a Japanese restaurant near Seolleung Station that specializes in eel bowls and serves the true flavor of eel neatly and cleanly. It's close to the station, so it's easy to reach, and I'd recommend it to anyone in Gangnam looking for a calm Japanese restaurant. The space is tidy and really stylish, and I'd suggest it for dates, anniversaries, meals with parents and important business treats too.

Manmok hours, parking and corkage

Manmok is at 9 Seolleung-ro 82-gil, 1st floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and is open daily from 11:00 to 22:00. The break time is 15:00–17:00, and last orders are at 14:20 and 21:20.

• Location: 9 Seolleung-ro 82-gil, 1st floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• Hours: daily 11:00–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 14:20, 21:20
• Corkage available (free)
• Parking for 2 cars in front of Manmok (the space is tight, so it may be full)

Parking lots near Manmok

• WeWork Seolleung 3 parking lot – 428 Seolleung-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, spacious lot
• Samjeong Building parking lot – 7 Seolleung-ro 86-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, mechanical parking
• Areumville parking lot – 11 Seolleung-ro 86-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Areumville), mechanical parking
• Nice Park (Wondongbang Building) – 20 Teheran-ro 64-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, mechanical parking

What's the atmosphere like at Manmok?

Manmok is a quiet place to eat, with calm lighting and wooden interiors. The space is apparently one of Manmok's core values too. It offers a calm, steady mealtime in a room with soft lighting, upscale wood interiors and an understated use of empty space.

The use of space is stylish and tasteful.

Manmok eel bowl menu and prices

Manmok's eel bowl (unagi donburi) comes in half eel, whole eel and one-and-a-half eel options, and we chose the whole eel for ₩39,000. The menu was full of tempting eel dishes that made me want to try every one. For the other items, please see the menu photos attached.

Doesn't it look gorgeous? A bowl piled with a whole eel is so pretty (?) and the aroma made me so happy.

The set comes with salad and chawanmushi (savory steamed egg custard), so you eat vegetables and protein first and then get to the bowl~!

Where is Manmok's eel from, and how is it grilled?

Manmok uses only Gochang freshwater eel and grills it in the Kanto style, they say. Its eel comes only from Gochang, regarded as one of Korea's best eel-producing areas. They carefully select eel managed strictly from origin to sorting, which gives a clean, light yet deeply flavored result with no gamey smell.

Manmok's cooking method is different. Eel preparation is broadly divided into Kanto, Kansai and Nagoya styles, and Manmok sticks to the Kanto style, which brings out the eel's texture and lightness. The eel is grilled once, then steamed, brushed with a secret sauce and grilled over charcoal two more times, which cuts the grease and leaves only tenderness and depth. Eel prepared this way isn't greasy but clean, leaving a comfortable aftertaste that doesn't weigh on you after the meal.

How did Manmok's whole-eel bowl taste?

The eel in Manmok's whole-eel bowl was so tender that a big mouthful was hugely satisfying. That satisfaction when a mouthful of tender eel fills your mouth was just so big. It was sooo good that my partner and I went wide-eyed and almost fainted...

It was sooo good with rice too. The eel, the sauce and the texture of warm rice went together really well.

What dessert does Manmok serve?

After the meal, Manmok gave us matcha ice cream and black tea ice cream as a final dessert. It left us feeling fresh and let us finish a really happy meal.

With ingredients, cooking and space all packed into one bowl of eel, Manmok is a place where I hope you'll have a quiet but long-remembered meal.