Grilled eel restaurant in Cheongju for a family dinner: Samhwa Susan

Samhwa Susan (삼화수산) is an eel restaurant in Nami-myeon, Cheongju, that I had visited several times with my parents. My husband had also been there several times for company dinners, and this time we went for dinner with our children.

Where is Samhwa Susan, and is parking convenient?

It is at 269 Daerim-ro, Nami-myeon, Seowon-gu, Cheongju. It took about 10 minutes by car from Gagyeong-dong, and the dedicated parking lot in front made it convenient to visit by car.

We arrived around 8 p.m. The restaurant was busy at first, but several groups left while we ate.

How much were the Pungcheon eel and table-setting fee?

At the time of our visit, Pungcheon eel was ₩50,000 per 1 kg, with 1 kg described as two servings. Takeout was ₩49,000 per 1 kg. The table-setting fee was ₩4,000 and was charged from elementary-school age.

Because the children had already eaten dinner, we first ordered 1 kg of eel. We added 0.5 kg while eating, for a total of 1.5 kg.

What came with the meal and was available at the self-service bar?

The side dishes included clam soup, sushi rice, ssam vegetables (wrap vegetables), shredded ginger, aged kimchi, and pickled perilla leaves. There was a good variety of sides to eat with the eel.

We could get more of any side dishes we needed from the self-service bar. The clam soup stood out most among the basic sides. Its broth was pleasantly spicy and refreshing, so I started eating it before the eel arrived; an extra order of clam soup cost ₩1,000.

When we ordered a bowl of rice, it also came with doenjang soup (soybean paste soup).

How was the eel grilled by the staff?

The eel that arrived was large and thick. The staff grilled it themselves, so we could simply sit and wait at our table.

After they began grilling, they did not turn the eel for quite a while, so I worried it might burn and was about to intervene. A staff member came over and told me it was not time to turn it yet, then turned it after we waited a little longer. Despite my concern, it cooked to a golden brown without burning.

Once we were told it was ready, I took a bite. The thick flesh was tender and savory, with a charcoal aroma as well. Since it had been a while since I last ate eel, it tasted even better.

Was the amount enough to share with children?

I thought the children would not eat much eel because they had already had dinner. But after tasting a bite, they kept eating, so the 1 kg we initially ordered was not enough.

In the end, we ordered another 0.5 kg and grilled it. After finishing the added eel, we were quite full.

Which side dishes went well with the eel?

I especially liked the combination of eel topped generously with shredded ginger. The sharp ginger paired well with the savory eel.

I also ate it with aged kimchi, or wrapped it in perilla leaves and ssam vegetables. Changing the side-dish combinations made it easy to enjoy until the end without getting tired of it.

That day, my husband and I also shared a bottle of beer. We ate bites of eel and drank beer with the meal.

Is self-service ramen available in addition to eel?

Self-service ramen was available for ₩4,000. At the time of our visit, there was also a notice saying it would be provided free with a receipt review.

How was it for a family dinner or company gathering?

I had visited several times with my parents, and this time the children ate the eel well too, so I was satisfied with it as a family dinner. The staff grilling and parking in front were convenient, and my husband had also used it several times for company dinners. It is worth keeping the table-setting fee and extra-menu costs in mind alongside the price of the eel.