Gangnam Japanese restaurant, eel bowl with sancho pepper: Manmok

On a day I met up with a close friend near Seocho, it was SO unbelievably hot — so we decided to treat ourselves to eel rice bowl as boyeoksik (a restorative meal) for surviving the summer, and headed toward Seonleung for lunch.

This was a restaurant I'd had my eye on for a while — the upscale interior caught my attention first, and it's known for serving thick cuts of eel!

The verdict:

• Really well-cooked, thick eel — so satisfying!
• Healing vibes in that gorgeous interior~

I left completely satisfied! Let me introduce it — Manmok (만목).

Where is Manmok? A 10-minute walk from Seonleung Station Exit 2

Manmok is within a 10-minute walk of Seonleung Station Exit 2. Being fairly close to the subway, it's easy to visit for gatherings, group outings, or work dinners!

You're greeted by Manmok's beautifully wood-finished exterior.

Inside Manmok: wood interiors and seating

Stepping inside Manmok, there's an overall classic, refined feel — probably thanks to the wood interior and soft lighting.

There are plenty of group tables set up too, so it felt like a lot of nearby office workers come here. Since we visited a bit late on a weekday lunch, though, there were fewer customers around.

Each seat has a different feel like this, so it's nice to pick a spot that matches your mood and purpose.

What we ordered: medium eel rice bowl, 39,000 won

Even the menu here feels upscale! We ordered:

• Eel rice bowl (medium, ₩39,000 each)
• Zero-sugar cola (₩2,500)

That's what we went with!

After a short wait, a full spread arrived — salad, clear soup, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), and sauces. My heart was racing~

A whole thick eel over rice with sancho pepper

A whole eel piled onto the rice bowl!! At ₩39,000 in the Gangnam/Seonleung area, that's a great price, and with such stylish interior too, it really felt like a solid choice...

Welcome, glistening, glossy eel!

Ugh, looking at these photos makes me want to eat it all over again...

This is the sancho pepper jar! Eel tends to be fatty, so sprinkling on some sancho powder adds a refreshing kick.

The mu-saengchae (spicy radish salad) and baek-kimchi (white kimchi) that came alongside cleansed the palate nicely with their cool flavor.

The eel really looked gorgeous, and the plating was on point...! A great place near Seonleung to treat elders or honored guests, and just as good for a family meal or outing!

The eel is so thick it fills your whole mouth! Piled onto fluffy, well-cooked rice, it's a flavor that has you eating away without even thinking!

Adding pickled ginger, wasabi, sancho, and the like lets you mix up the flavor (ajihen) as you go

Chawanmushi, clear soup and green tea ice cream

The chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), clear soup, and salad that came with it rounded out the meal with a healthy feel

Plump little shrimp inside a delicious chawanmushi, Japanese-style steamed egg

The green tea ice cream that finished it off was so satisfying — a meal that truly felt worth every won.

Why Manmok is worth it for eel rice bowl near Seonleung

There aren't that many places in Gangnam that do eel rice bowl really well, but Manmok nailed it on eel size, thickness, and cooking — plus the value for what you get made it feel like a great option near Seonleung for a boyeoksik meal, or for treating guests and honored company.

Or if you're planning a slightly upscale date near Seonleung in Gangnam, I'd genuinely recommend it for a lunch or dinner date too~

I left the restaurant feeling like this brutally sweltering summer had been washed away, filled up with a healthy kind of energy~ Time to gather my strength and wrap up fall and the rest of 2026!