Pyeongdong eel restaurant with whole-eel soup in a room: Yuil Jangeo

Today I want to introduce a really good eel restaurant in Gwangju. My father said he had no energy, so I took him out for eel, which he loves! Eel just feels like the safest, best choice whenever I'm taking out elders or my parents, so I end up going back to it a lot haha.

Today's spot is Yuil Jangeo (유일장어), located in Pyeongdong, Gwangsan-gu. Big parking lot, delicious eel — I recommend it. This is my Gwangsan-gu eel restaurant pick.

• Hours: 11:00–21:00, no break time
• Parking: on-site lot available
• Baby chairs, group seating, private rooms

Parking and first impressions at Yuil Jangeo

The Yuil Jangeo parking lot is huge. When you're taking parents or elders out, finding a place with plenty of parking always matters, and here you don't have to worry about it — the lot is spacious and the visit is stress-free.

The restaurant itself is really spacious too — even from the outside it looked big and clean.

Inside, the space was easily big enough for group dining, and the tables were wide so you can eat comfortably. The spacing between tables was generous too, which I liked.

What are the private rooms like?

Yuil Jangeo also has private rooms, so you can eat privately. It's quiet, which makes it really nice for bringing along elders.

The inside of the room is comfortable and roomy enough that a large group can enjoy a meal easily. It'd be a great pick when you want a quiet, private meal.

Choosing domestic freshwater eel by headcount

Yuil Jangeo's prices are reasonable — really good value. They only serve domestic freshwater eel, and it's priced affordably. Yuil Jangeo says they cut out middle distribution steps to sell good-quality eel at a lower price.

They also sell eel for takeout separately, just so you know haha.

The eels are displayed by headcount, so you just pick according to how many people you have — very convenient. The eels were really firm and plump. Just looking at them made my mouth water. After picking, we went to our seats. The eel comes pre-grilled.

The basic side dishes: lettuce wraps, pickled radish, pickled onion, and other sides that go well with eel.

They also brought over a charcoal fire. Eel has to be grilled over charcoal to be really delicious — the charcoal here was great and lasted a long time.

We also ordered eel soup on top of that. Once they told us a whole eel goes into the soup, there was no way I wasn't ordering it.

Rice was served by a robot — pretty neat haha.

How does the pre-grilled charcoal eel taste?

A staff member set the pre-grilled eel on the grill plate for us. Having the eel already pre-grilled made things really easy.

Doesn't the eel look really plump and firm? It looked so delicious. Eel with meat this firm tastes so much better!

The eel turning a nice golden brown. Because the charcoal was so good, it cooked quickly. The staff laid it out neatly, so all we had to do was flip it.

The portion was generous and it was cooking up so nicely. One bite in, it was chewy, springy, and rich. Seeing my father, who'd had no energy, eat it happily and say it was delicious made me really happy. Eel really is the answer haha.

Jangeotang (eel soup) with a whole eel inside

The eel soup arrived. The portion was huge — I really felt what good value this place offers.

I was surprised to find a whole eel inside. Biting into the chewy, springy eel felt great. The soup's broth was also rich and delicious — a flavor pretty much anyone would like without exception. I recommend it.

We set aside the pieces that finished grilling to a nice golden brown. They looked so appetizing. Wrapped in a lettuce leaf, the taste was outstanding. The moment I ate it, I felt energy surge back.

I took a photo of the plump, firm flesh. Eating such firm eel was so delicious that my energy came right back.

Is Yuil Jangeo worth it for a meal with parents?

The eel was so good we finished it in no time. The price is affordable but the flavor is outstanding, so it's an eel restaurant I recommend. Yuil Jangeo has a spacious dining room, plenty of seats, and private rooms too, so it's a great place to bring along elders or parents! If you want good-quality eel at an affordable price, I recommend Yuil Jangeo. It's really delicious haha.