3-person eel set with Tongyeong oyster jeotgal in Jungnang

A Sagajeong meetup spot with wild ginseng-cultured root added for extra nourishment A story about Cheonsangae Jangeoga

This summer was seriously brutal, ugh... but even so, the seasons keep turning with time, haha. These days the mornings and evenings have gotten cool, and with the temperature swings I figured I'd better watch my health during this changeable season! So, of course, I went out for eel — the food that instantly comes to mind for stamina.

Cheonsangae Jangeoga Myeonmok Sagajeong Branch / 370 Myeonmok-ro, 1st floor, Jungnang-gu, Seoul, South Korea

How far is it from Sagajeong or Myeonmok Station?

This Myeonmok-dong restaurant, Cheonsangae Jangeoga, sits right between Sagajeong Station and Myeonmok Station. If coming from Sagajeong Station, it's 380m from Exit 1 heading toward Myeonmok Station; if coming from Myeonmok Station, it's 380m from Exit 2 heading toward Sagajeong Station.

Weekday lunch special prices

• Snow Mushroom Wild Ginseng Eel ₩79,000 ▶ ₩59,000
• Wild Ginseng Eel Soup Set ₩16,000 ▶ ₩9,000

As a great Sagajeong meetup spot, Cheonsangae Jangeoga is also a Myeonmok-dong lunch spot where you can enjoy great value with the weekday lunch special!

100% domestic freshwater eel

Cheonsangae Jangeoga Myeonmok Sagajeong Branch follows the principle of domestic Japonica freshwater eel plus in-house preparation — using only domestic Japonica freshwater eel shipped directly from Jeolla-do, and handling the eel fresh in-house every day so you can taste it at its freshest.

Business hours

Mon–Sun 11:30–21:30 / break time 15:00–17:00 📌 Closed Sep 24–25 for Chuseok holiday

Toemaru-inspired Korean-style interior

The interior is clean and spacious, making it a great Sagajeong meetup spot — the Korean-style decor captures the feel of a traditional toemaru (wooden porch), giving off a sense of comfort and warmth at the same time!

The menu is organized into 2-person, 3-person, and 4-person sets, so it's convenient to order according to your headcount. My friend Dakkong-yang couldn't make it that day, so we ordered the 3-person set.

The basic table setting and wild ginseng-cultured root

The basic table setting was laid out quickly! The side dishes went great with the eel, so we finished them all without leaving anything.

In particular, wild ginseng-cultured root comes out alongside — apparently it's an ingredient supplied to five-star hotels, said to help with immunity and fatigue recovery. So eating it together with eel seems to create even more synergy as a nourishing meal!

If any side dish runs low, you can use the self-serve bar. There was kimchi and peppers at the self-serve bar that weren't part of the basic setting.

Eel grilled over 1000°C oak white charcoal

1000°C oak white charcoal! Just by looking at it, you could tell the charcoal was good quality — apparently the strong, even heat of white charcoal makes the outside crispy, the inside moist, and drains out the excess fat!

Out came big, hefty eels! Since it was the 3-person set, three eels arrived. Cheonsangae Jangeoga, which I recommend as a Sagajeong meetup spot, has staff do the grilling for you, so all you have to do is enjoy eating!!

The eels were so plump they wouldn't all fit on one grill plate at once, haha. So the staff cut them up and grilled them in batches.

They start with an initial sear like this — the charcoal's heat was so strong that the eel cooked really quickly!

The staff member's skilled eel-grilling technique~~ Whether it's meat or eel, the taste really differs depending on how it's grilled — since someone with real technique was grilling it, the eel came out crispy outside and moist inside^^

The seared eel gets cut up neatly on the plate~~

Then it goes back on the grill to finish cooking~ With such plump flesh, there's no way it could be anything but delicious!

The power of 1000°C white charcoal!! It turns golden brown and delicious in no time~~

Finally! The grilled eel is complete!! My hungry companion Minkkong-gun, fresh from working out, started reaching for it with his chopsticks right away, haha~~

See how nicely golden brown it turned out? Haha. So glossy too~~ It totally looks mouthwatering!

The good stuff deserves seconds~~~~ So tender and soft~~ Each eel was big, so the portions were generous, and we could take big satisfying bites^^

Doenjang jjigae and eel sushi included in the set

And then, the doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) that came with the set! This spicy, refreshing stew really cut through the richness of the eel~ They gave us two servings of doenjang jjigae, so we enjoyed it even more.

There's also sushi rice provided so you can make your own eel sushi~~ Placing a big chunk of eel on top completes a premium eel sushi.

Loading the special eel sauce with plenty of ginger and wild ginseng-cultured root, then topping the eel with it, was an amazing combo!! The slightly bitter wild ginseng-cultured root cuts through the eel's richness so you never get tired of it~ Eel meeting wild ginseng — totally a premium nourishing dish!

Tongyeong low-sodium oyster jeotgal, a special treat

And another special treat, Tongyeong oyster jeotgal!! This low-sodium version apparently uses oysters meant for export, aged with domestic low-sodium salt to bring out deep umami. My husband, who said he wasn't going to eat rice, took one look at the oyster jeotgal and immediately ordered a bowl of rice.

Topping the eel with Tongyeong oyster jeotgal loads it with umami seasoning, taking the eel's flavor to another level!

The snow mushroom (white tremella mushroom) pairing

Cheonsangae Jangeoga has yet another special pairing!! This is snow mushroom, also known as white tremella mushroom~~ It's called snow mushroom because it looks like a snowflake. It's a pretty mushroom to look at too~^^

Grilled over charcoal, snow mushroom gets a crispy, unique texture that keeps you reaching for more!!

Lightly grilled, it's chewy; grilled golden and crispy, it's crunchy like a snack — so it's fun to eat either way!

This mushroom pairs well with eel too, giving you a special way to enjoy the eel. As a great Sagajeong meetup spot, Cheonsangae Jangeoga lets you try snow mushroom, wild ginseng-cultured root, and eel together in the Snow Mushroom Wild Ginseng Eel — Korea's first such dish!

Dessert: nurungji, charcoal-grilled potatoes, and janchi guksu

For dessert, nurungji (scorched rice)~~ Its nutty flavor is great for filling you up!! Topped with kimchi and Tongyeong oyster jeotgal, it kept going down easily even when we were already full, haha.

And that's not all — you also get to try potatoes that had been roasting in the charcoal!! Nice and fluffy~~ These potatoes were delicious too, haha.

Lastly, we ordered janchi guksu (banquet noodles)!! With a rich anchovy broth full of umami, we cleaned up even the broth, haha.

Even Minkkong-gun, who said he was full, tried a bite of the janchi guksu, said it was delicious, and asked for another bowl, haha.

A nourishing meal and meetup spot for the changing season

Cheonsangae Jangeoga, a great Sagajeong meetup spot, is the place to try Korea's first-developed Snow Mushroom Wild Ginseng Eel — a premium nourishing combination of snow mushroom, wild ginseng-cultured root, and eel! The interior is clean and the seating is spacious, making it perfect as a Sagajeong meetup spot.

The older I get, the more I feel that the best gift you can give your body is to properly eat food that's good for it~ Now that the sweltering summer is over and the cool air of the changing season has arrived, be sure to take care of your health with a nourishing meal!