Cheongju grilled eel restaurant with staff grilling: Samhwa Susan

Where is Samhwa Susan, and was there a wait?

On a weekend evening, I went to Samhwa Susan (삼화수산) in Nami-myeon, Seowon-gu, Cheongju for grilled eel. Its address is 269 Daerim-ro.

There were customers waiting when we arrived. We had reserved ahead, so we went in without waiting.

What was the atmosphere like for a family meal?

High chairs were available, and most customers when I visited were dining with their families. Even though the restaurant was fairly large, every table was occupied, and it was lively and noisy with many people having drinks with their eel.

What comes with an order of grilled eel?

We ordered 1 kg of grilled eel. It came with teriyaki sauce, shredded ginger, onion, garlic chives, lettuce, and other accompaniments.

We could get more side dishes from the self-serve bar.

The prepared eel was thick and glossy.

Sushi and clam soup came with the meal as well. I usually like clams, and I especially liked the refreshing broth. It was raining heavily that day, so the warm soup suited the weather even better.

Do you need to grill the eel yourself?

It was convenient because the staff cooked nearly all of the eel for us. As it turned golden on the grill, it gave off a nutty aroma.

I tried the first piece without any sauce. It was crisp on the outside and moist inside.

Which accompaniments went well with the eel?

I liked the combination of teriyaki sauce, shredded ginger, and a little muk-eunji (aged kimchi). The sharp ginger balanced the eel's rich flavor. It was also good wrapped in ssam greens with a thick piece of eel, garlic, and ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste).

How was the Hangang ramyeon to finish?

When we had almost finished the grilled eel, we ended the meal with Hangang ramyeon (instant noodles). At the time of my visit, it was free if you wrote a Naver receipt review.

The noodles stayed pleasantly chewy rather than getting soggy. Its spicy, deep broth cleared away the rich feeling left in my mouth after the eel.

I was satisfied with the food, but there were so many customers that we finished in 40 minutes and left quickly. On the way out, I also saw eel extract for sale. I thought it could be suitable for a meal with parents, though the busy, noisy atmosphere that day is worth keeping in mind.