# Pyeongdong eel restaurant, thin eels and perilla eel soup: Yuil Jangeo - By Yuna Baek (https://superchart.com/en/@yangnim-low-shelf/) - Written Sep 22, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gwangsan, Gwangju - Sponsored: This post was written after a sponsored visit to the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@yangnim-low-shelf/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@yangnim-low-shelf/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/index.md) ## In short Yuil Jangeo is a charcoal-grilled eel restaurant on Donggok-ro in Pyeongdong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, run directly by the Hosan eel farm. On a weekday evening the writer chose two thin eels at the display counter and paid for them up front, ate them half-grilled with salt and spicy sauce, then finished with the dessert eel soup topped with perilla powder for 5,900 won. Even with charcoal the room stayed cool and comfortable, making Yuil Jangeo an easy pick for work dinners and family gatherings. ## Good to know - **Address**: 343 Donggok-ro, 1st floor, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju (365-11 Bongnyong-dong) - **Hours**: Daily 11:00–21:00, last order 20:30 - **Closed**: Chuseok holiday, September 25 - **How to order**: Choose your eel at the display counter and pay for the eel first; table setting and extras are paid at the end - **Dessert eel soup**: 5,900 won (rice included) - **Ssaki eel soup**: 3,000 won extra - **Lunch**: Lunch specials such as sauce-grilled eel, eel tteokgalbi (grilled patty) and eel soup - **Parking**: Large lot at the back - **Seating**: Wide tables, with inner rooms and a group room - **Price reference**: ₩5,900 ≈ $4.3 · ₩3,000 ≈ $2.2 (2026-09-22) *as written by the visitor on Sep 22, 2026* My blog's been quiet for a while since work got busy haha... but I'm back at it now!! Here's my review from last week of an eel spot in Gwangsan, Yuil Jangeo. ![Grilled eel table setting at Yuil Jangeo in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-01-tbiac-1200.webp) ![Eel placed on the charcoal grill at Yuil Jangeo](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-02-1fam7-966.webp) ## Where is Yuil Jangeo, and what are its hours? Yuil Jangeo is a grilled eel restaurant on Donggok-ro in Bongnyong-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. It's open daily 11:00–21:00, last order 20:30, and closed for Chuseok on September 25. It's just a bit past the Gwangju Songjeong Outlet, heading toward Naju. Since it's out on the edge of the city, it has a big parking lot and group rooms — on a weekday evening it was full of what looked like company dinners and get-togethers haha. During the day they also have lunch specials — seasoned grilled eel, eel tteokgalbi, eel soup — at a good price, so I should try visiting in daytime too! ![Exterior of Yuil Jangeo on Donggok-ro and its parking lot](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-03-1t7hj-966.webp) ![Rear entrance sign at Yuil Jangeo](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-04-5gwe9-966.webp) ![Usage instructions sign at Yuil Jangeo](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-05-79qfm-966.webp) ## How ordering works: pay for the eel first At Yuil Jangeo you pick the eel you want from the display case by the counter, pre-pay just for the eel, and then head in. The eel you paid for gets pre-grilled once and brought to your table, and everything else — table charge, extras — gets settled at the end haha. There's a big lot out back and the rear entrance is clearly marked. Past the restroom on the right there's a sign with Yuil Jangeo's usage instructions! We went on in! ![Eel display case beside the counter at Yuil Jangeo](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-06-y2ont-966.webp) ![Eel packs divided by portion size](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-07-4vzkf-966.webp) ![Single-portion eels displayed on the counter](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-08-1qr6v-966.webp) ### Why we chose two thin eels The eel counter is divided into portions for two, three, and four people, so you just pick what you want! We're not big fans of really thick eel, so we chose the pack with two slightly thinner eels! There were also single eels displayed separately, so we figured we could add one more if we ran out haha. You pay for just the eel first, and then they show you to your seat! ![Wide table seating inside Yuil Jangeo](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-09-11h4f-966.webp) ![Inner room seating at Yuil Jangeo](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-10-yaw1m-966.webp) ## Wide tables, private rooms and the room's feel Yuil Jangeo, this eel spot in Gwangsan-gu, is run directly by the Hosan eel farm, so the eel felt fresh and good value! There's a separate table charge, but the eel price itself is... really cheap haha. Inside there are plenty of inner rooms, and instead of small four-person tables, the tables are wide, so it never felt cramped — I really liked that! ![Basic table setting with pickled perilla leaves and green onion kimchi](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-11-k3r5d-966.webp) ![Self-serve side dish bar at Yuil Jangeo](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-12-1ok2n-966.webp) ### Banchan spread and the self-serve bar The basic table setting comes with things like pickled perilla leaves and green onion kimchi, but you can grab more side dishes from the self-serve bar! We got aged kimchi, salad, wasabi, and more. The self-serve bar was kept really clean too, which I liked even more haha. ![Aged kimchi and salad brought from the self-serve bar](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-13-iciqx-966.webp) ![Full spread of side dishes served with the eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-14-1rwj0-966.webp) ![Pre-grilled eel placed on the charcoal grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-15-12l8d-966.webp) ## Charcoal grilling without breaking a sweat They pre-grill the eel you picked and set it on the grill for you! One reason we fell for this place: usually eel restaurants get so hot you just want to pull the coals away fast, but not here!! The charcoal is burning away really strongly, but whether it's the ventilation or what, you can eat comfortably without breaking a sweat! That alone made me want to come back. ![Eel grilling until nicely browned](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-16-1x6qr-966.webp) ![Teriyaki sauce, spicy sauce, and shredded ginger](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-17-1t4d4-966.webp) ### Salt, spicy sauce and pickled perilla leaves We dipped it in the basic teriyaki sauce, and also went with the classic combo of pickled perilla leaf and shredded ginger! They also have a spicy sauce here, so it never felt greasy. All the side dishes were tasty too, perfect alongside the eel haha. Still, since Yuil Jangeo's eel is so fresh, just dipping it plain in salt was the most savory and delicious way to eat it haha. ![A piece of eel wrapped in pickled perilla leaf](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-18-1qu06-966.webp) ![Grilled eel dipped in salt](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-19-kgx7j-966.webp) ![Grilled eel with side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-20-191di-966.webp) ## Dessert eel soup with perilla powder, 5,900 won Once we got going we couldn't skip the eel soup, so we ordered it as an extra! Yuil Jangeo's dessert eel soup comes with a bowl of rice included and it's only ₩5,900 — cheap! You can even add a ssaki eel soup for just ₩3,000 more. Not only is the eel itself affordable, the dessert menu is cheap and varied too, so I'd say this place would be great with the whole family for the upcoming Chuseok holiday haha. Every table has perilla powder set out, so you can add as much as you like to taste haha. And the perilla powder here is the fine, hull-removed kind — the owner really knows what's good! When you order an extra dessert item, they also give you three or four more side dishes that aren't on the self-serve bar haha. ![The dessert eel soup ordered at Yuil Jangeo](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-21-1svvh-966.webp) ![Fine perilla powder set out on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-22-12c8u-966.webp) We moved the nicely browned eel over to the side of the grill and set the earthenware pot over the flame to eat it piping hot haha. We also put teriyaki-glazed eel over rice and enjoyed it as an eel rice bowl. ![Eel rice bowl with eel on top of rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-23-1hnx9-966.webp) Filling ourselves up with a bit of rice mixed in, plus kimchi! We ate a lot, and a good variety, haha. ![Eel soup with rice mixed in, served with kimchi](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner-24-1q25c-966.webp) ## When is Yuil Jangeo worth a visit? As a go-to restaurant in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, with affordable lunch specials and cheap eel for evening gatherings and get-togethers, plus dessert options, this was a place that would satisfy anyone, any age! It's not far from Songjeong Station either, so it's easy to reach on a drive out — a good spot for tasty, budget-friendly eel. ## Where it is - Yuil Jangeo (유일장어) - 343 Donggok-ro, 1st floor, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea - 전남광주통합특별시 광산구 동곡로 343 1층 - 35.1131541, 126.7794405 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%9C%A0%EC%9D%BC%EC%9E%A5%EC%96%B4/@35.1131541,126.7794405,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@yangnim-low-shelf/gwangju-pyeongdong-eel-weeknight-dinner/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt