Cheongju eel restaurant with clam soup and sushi rice: Samhwa Susan

Pungcheon eel in Nami-myeon, Cheongju: Samhwa Susan

Today I visited Samhwa Susan, famous in Cheongju for charcoal-grilled Pungcheon eel! The summer heat had really worn me out, and lately I have been feeling especially drained, so I decided it was time for some proper restorative food. I heard there was a place in Cheongju where you could have Pungcheon eel for about ₩50,000 per kilogram, so I rushed right over without a second thought ❤️

It is near the Korea District Heating Corporation!

Hours and parking

• Address: 269 Daerim-ro, Nami-myeon, Seowon-gu, Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea
• Hours: 11:10–21:00; last order 20:00
• Closed every Monday
• Large parking lot available
• It tends to be busy, so reservations are recommended before visiting

You will find Samhwa Susan as you head from Cheongju toward Nami-myeon. There was plenty of parking too, so visiting by car felt easy.

Samhwa Susan is an eel specialist serving Gochang Pungcheon eel. They say they keep prices reasonable by reducing distribution margins and labor costs! The eel price was seriously kind. These days, you often worry about the price before even deciding to eat eel, but here it is ₩50,000 for 1 kg!!

Plenty of seating for group gatherings

There were already lots of diners when we went inside. There were so many tables: 15 four-person tables on one side alone, plus 6 more in slightly separated spaces. It looked perfect for a group company dinner.

Here are the menu and prices. The table-setting charge is separate! The eel is sold as 1 kg, but after trimming it comes to around 600 g. The menu is nicely simple.

Alcohol and drinks are self-service, so bring them to your table and the staff will count them when you pay later.

You can order extra sushi rice and clam soup for an additional charge! For the rest of the side dishes, just use the self-service counter. There is also a self-service ramyeon (instant noodle) corner offered for writing a Naver review.

Side dishes and clam soup that pair well with eel

One thing I loved about Samhwa Susan was the variety of side dishes to eat with the eel! There was ginger and sauce that suited the eel, plus ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), pickled perilla leaves, pickled onions, and aged kimchi to cut through the richness—a really practical spread.

They also gave us leafy wraps and sushi rice. Serving sushi rice is such a thoughtful touch, isn't it?

And Samhwa Susan's signature clam soup! Its refreshing yet spicy broth paired so well with the eel, and I think people who enjoy a drink would absolutely love this combination 👍 Reviews from actual visitors also showed high satisfaction with the soup's clean, refreshing flavor!

Watching par-grilled eel finish over charcoal

This eel came out almost as soon as we sat down. It arrives about 70 percent par-grilled. It was not only affordable—the flesh was beautifully plump too, which I loved! Seeing it in person, I understood why it is known as such a good-value eel restaurant.

The charcoal arrived within a minute of sitting down, haha. Eel really does taste best grilled over charcoal.

Another advantage of Samhwa Susan is that the staff grill the eel for you! At eel restaurants, you can worry about it burning and keep turning it to make sure it is cooked just right, making it hard to focus on eating. Here, the staff handled it from the par-grilling stage and made sure it was ready to eat, which was so convenient! They were incredibly kind too ☺️

Watching the eel turn golden over the charcoal made my mouth water so much ㅜㅜ I was so sad that I could not drink alcohol... so I clinked glasses with cider instead. Once it is done, they cut it in half and move it to the side. You can eat it right away! They told us the skin side is fatty and cooks quickly, and can become tough if left too long, so take it off at the right time.

Eel combinations, from aged kimchi to sushi rice

One bite of the golden-grilled eel and the flesh was thick, tender, and wonderfully nutty. Some people cannot eat much eel because of its characteristic richness or fishiness, but perhaps because it was charcoal-grilled, it was clean and easy to enjoy. I cannot forget that first bite...

I diligently made little sushi-rice bites and tried them one by one with the side dishes.

Personally, I really loved wrapping the eel in aged kimchi. Put a piece of eel on the kimchi with pickled perilla leaf, and the sour, crisp flavors join the eel's nutty flavor, making it feel much less rich.

Place a piece of well-grilled eel on sushi rice with ginger or sauce, and you can enjoy it simply like eel sushi. The eel ssam (leaf wrap) was sooo delicious too!! They put on the remaining piece when we had nearly finished the first one. They controlled the timing so well without interrupting the flow.

There were peppers at the self-service counter, so I sliced some and ate them with it—and that was the best combination, haha! I totally recommend the peppers to anyone who likes spice! I kept thinking, why did I not bring some from the beginning ㅜㅜ We ate so, so well!!

Finishing 1 kg between two people

On the way out, I saw that they also sell eel extract! It seems like it would be good for anyone feeling low on energy. Even with just 1 kg of eel, the two of us were incredibly full. This was my first time enjoying eel this well without feeling burdened by the price! I was very satisfied ✨

It was fun eating each piece of eel in different combinations, and every single one was delicious! Above all, I loved that we could eat proper eel until we were full with comparatively less price pressure. I came for restorative food and left feeling like I had taken care of the flavor too 💗

When the heat has worn you down and your energy is low like these days, I think you need eel once in a while. It would be a great place when you want proper restorative food—for a family meal, dinner with your parents, a gathering, a company dinner, or simply a hearty meal.

What I loved most was being able to eat proper eel until I was full with comparatively less price pressure.