Pyeongdong eel grill, 4 eels for ₩60,000 before summer: Yuil Jangeo

I visited Yuil Jangeo (유일장어), a freshwater eel restaurant near Pyeongdong in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, with seriously great value.

It runs its own fish farm, so there's no distribution markup, and prices are about as low as you'll find anywhere in Korea. Let me tell you about the lively taste of eel on a charcoal grill.

What kind of place is Yuil Jangeo?

Yuil Jangeo is a freshwater eel direct-sales shop and self-grill restaurant on Donggok-ro, near Pyeongdong in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. Summer is coming and I wanted a stamina meal, so this is the Gwangju eel spot I went to.

When people say "good-value eel," you often picture an all-you-can-eat place with lower quality. But Yuil Jangeo is run directly by the farm itself, and the freshness was on another level.

By cutting labor costs and middle-man margins, it lets you taste top-quality eel at direct-sale prices that are about the lowest in the country.

This is probably the hottest eel spot in Gwangsan-gu for plump eel at an incredible price, and I'll tell you all about how I grilled it myself over charcoal and was amazed.

What are the interior and rooms like?

The restaurant has a wide, open, comfortable hall plus private rooms. The tables are nicely spaced, so even though it was packed, it never felt crowded.

One side has room-style dining areas, which look great for family gatherings, company dinners and group events. Ventilation is good too, so the air was very clean even in a charcoal grill restaurant.

How much are the eel and the table setting fee?

Eel is priced at ₩29,000 per kg of live eel (600g after preparation), and the table setting fee is ₩4,000 per adult and ₩2,000 per elementary school child. The menu and notices on the wall really boosted my trust.

The price per 100g of boneless eel is posted, so you pay honestly for the weight of the eel you picked. For takeout, there's a 10% discount on prepared eel and 5% on pre-grilled eel. It's great for grilling at home or taking camping.

Given the quality of the side dishes and the charcoal, the table setting fee is completely reasonable.

All eel is self-grilled, but it comes already pre-grilled and neatly cut into pieces like this.

If grilling feels too hard, you can ask the staff for help, but even beginners can do well by flipping it top and bottom.

Picking your eel from the showcase

One of Yuil Jangeo's biggest strengths is that you can see and choose neatly prepared, packed freshwater eel in the refrigerated showcase.

Each pack has a label with its exact weight and price, so you just pick according to your group size. Since the value is so good, I recommend choosing a bit extra and grilling plenty.

This is the gorgeous eel I picked up. Even through the wrap, you could see how thick and firm the flesh was.

The domestic freshwater eel had a lovely milky, clear freshness, and it was cleanly prepared, so my expectations were sky-high before I even started grilling.

I chose 4 eels for about ₩60,000. Good value and good quality, so I was happy.

What comes in the basic table setting?

The basic setting at Yuil Jangeo is seaweed soup in an earthenware pot, green onion kimchi, pickled perilla leaves, pickled radish wraps (ssambu), lettuce wraps, chili peppers, shredded ginger, raw garlic and ssamjang (dipping paste). After I picked my eel and sat down, a tidy table was set quickly.

There's a hot, rich seaweed soup bubbling in its pot, and side dishes that go perfectly with eel. Tangy, refreshing green onion kimchi, pickled perilla leaves, pickled radish, fresh wrap vegetables and spicy chilies, all neat and uncluttered.

The shredded ginger, raw garlic and ssamjang, the essentials for grilled eel, come in generous amounts. If you run short, you can refill at the self-bar on one side of the restaurant, which was kept very clean.

The crunchy napa cabbage kimchi and green onion kimchi were so flavorful that you can eat even more eel with them.

How to grill eel on a charcoal grate

The key is to turn the pieces on a well-heated charcoal grate so they don't stick, and to cook them standing up. The strong charcoal fire was full, and the eel started sizzling the moment it went on.

It's self-grill, but the eel is cut cleanly, so just turn it carefully so it doesn't stick to the grate. Since it's sliced so nicely, the trick is to stand the pieces up and keep grilling until done.

Seeing the eel pieces lined up in a neat row made me feel oddly reassured.

As the fat drained off on the grill and the outside turned crispy while the inside stayed juicy, the look of it was pure art.

How did the freshwater eel taste?

Each piece of charcoal-grilled eel was heavy and thick, nutty and clean with no fishy smell. I first tried one perfectly golden piece with no sauce at all.

A faint charcoal aroma soaked into the surface, and after the crispy bite, the nutty, clean eel juices burst in my mouth. Of course there was no fishy smell at all, and the chewy, savory flavor as I chewed was outstanding.

Put sweet-salty house teriyaki sauce and plenty of shredded ginger on the eel and you get the magic of nonstop eating.

I also strongly recommend a big wrap: a piece of well-grilled eel on a fresh perilla leaf with grilled garlic and green onion kimchi. The eel itself is so good that it works with any combination.

To enjoy such a luxurious, satisfying stamina meal at about the lowest prices in the country,

whenever I crave eel from now on, I'll definitely head to Yuil Jangeo in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju.

Who I'd recommend Yuil Jangeo to

Anyone after real value: if you've been let down by the quality of all-you-can-eat eel, or want to eat your fill of top-grade domestic freshwater eel at farm direct-sale prices with no distribution markup.

Charcoal grill fans: if you want the subtle smoky flavor of a real charcoal grate rather than gas, and the textbook crispy-outside, juicy-inside result.

Anyone planning a group meal: besides a clean, spacious hall, it has private rooms, so it suits family meals with parents or company dinners.

Yuil Jangeo hours, parking and address

Yuil Jangeo is open from 11:00 to 21:00, with last order at 20:30. There is a large parking lot.

• Hours: 11:00-21:00
• Last order: 20:30
• Parking: large lot, big enough even for tour buses, so beginners can park easily
• Address: 343 Donggok-ro, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju (1st floor)

Yuil Jangeo in Gwangsan-gu lets you eat plenty of good-value eel.