Changwon eel restaurant to take your parents in summer: Daedo Jangeo

Why grilled eel with my parents in the dog-day heat?

I took my parents to Daedo Jangeo in Changwon for salt-grilled sea eel a few days before Chobok, the first of the three hottest days of summer. It's already mid-July, and today is Chobok. In other words, the real midsummer heat has begun.

Last weekend it was so hot that my girlfriend and I mostly stuck to dates at home. Even a short trip outside left us gasping, and when I went out for an evening walk around the apartment complex after sunset, it was the same story and I came right back. With the heat like this, you naturally look for air-conditioned date spots, and the easiest, most common one is a café, right? So we did nothing but café dates, haha. A cozy café, an LP café and a cat café, three cafés in two days. Three in a row, but sipping cold drinks in the cool air-conditioning was heaven.

When I got home after the weekend, my parents said they'd been so hot too, and worried about whether I was okay. But seeing how worn out they were from the heat, I got worried about them, so I went straight out to find a stamina-food place to treat them. Today for Chobok we made a meal-kit samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) together, and a few days ago we had grilled eel, the classic summer stamina food. Take your parents to Daedo Jangeo, the grilled eel place in Changwon, soon~ :)

Where is Daedo Jangeo and what kind of restaurant is it?

Daedo Jangeo is a grilled eel restaurant in Palyong-dong, Uichang-gu, Changwon, just across from Changwon Station. They say it has kept up its tradition for over 30 years, and it serves tender, savory Jinju-style grilled eel, smoked over briquettes and neatly cooked for you.

Since Changwon Station is so close, it's perfect for picking up family who come by train from out of town and having a family meal after a long time apart. When you haven't seen someone in a while, you want to treat them to something tastier and better for their health. And nothing beats eel in summer, so it's a great place to bring family and parents.

How does parking work at Daedo Jangeo?

There is parking right in front of the restaurant, and if it's crowded at lunch or dinner peak, you can use the public parking lot next door. The parking fee is covered, so there's nothing to worry about. Daedo Jangeo has also been selected as a Changwon recommended restaurant and is a Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs "Safe Restaurant."

What are Daedo Jangeo's dining hall and group room like?

Even though it has been open for quite a while, the inside is kept clean and pleasant, like a brand-new place. The main hall is spacious and there is a separate group room, so it's really good for group gatherings too. If you remove the partition in the middle of the group room, it can even hold very large groups.

Once you walk in, the counter is at the entrance on the right with the kitchen behind it. On your way out, you can have a cup of coffee too.

Daedo Jangeo's self-serve side dish bar and free sikhye event

In front of the kitchen there is a self-serve bar where you can help yourself to side dishes. Take as much as you like.

• Perilla leaves, chili peppers, lettuce
• Garlic, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste)
• Water kimchi, pickled onions and more

If you join the Naver receipt review event, you get sikhye (sweet rice drink), perfect for a hot summer day. It also comes out as a dessert after the meal, and it's tasty.

The hotel-like restrooms at Daedo Jangeo

The restroom on the left side of the kitchen is really clean. The interior is nicely done, and with mouthwash, toothpaste and disposable toothbrushes, it felt like a good hotel restroom.

What did we order at Daedo Jangeo?

We ordered salt-grilled sea eel, eel soup and steamed rice. I was looking forward to a real stamina boost.

The basic side dishes come in many kinds and are served very neatly. They say they use top-quality ingredients, and counting the wrap vegetables there are more than 10 side dishes.

Salt-grilled sea eel smoked over coal briquettes, served fully cooked

The biggest plus of the salt-grilled sea eel at Daedo Jangeo is that it's smoked over briquettes in the traditional Jinju way and comes out ready, so you don't have to grill anything yourself and can dig right in. There's a mini brazier under the eel to keep it warm so you can enjoy it hot, and onions are laid under the eel to eat together. It already looks really delicious, doesn't it?

Eel soup with jepi powder to cut the richness

While you're busily eating the salt-grilled sea eel, the eel soup and steamed rice you ordered as meal items come out too. When the grilled eel starts to feel a bit heavy, having the eel soup with jepi (Korean pepper) powder brings your appetite back and it's really good.

Would we take my parents back to Daedo Jangeo?

After such a hearty meal at Daedo Jangeo, I felt like I'd really had a proper stamina boost, and it gave me energy. That's why you have to eat stamina food in summer. I hope you eat well and get through the summer too! Daedo Jangeo, the grilled eel place in Changwon: I definitely want to go back~ :)