I ate it in Korea! The best charcoal-grilled "eel dish" of my life, definitely going back!!

Could this become the new standard for gourmet travel in Korea?

This might just become the new standard for gourmet travel in Korea,charcoal-grilled eel.
It is incredibly delicious! It was so exquisite that I just have to share it.

"You can eat charcoal-grilled eel in Korea"

Korean food where you grill eel over charcoal instead of meat?What is that, it sounds delicious.
Doesn't it look even more delicious when you see the photos?I'm definitely going!
So, the main goal for this Korean gourmet tripwas decided to be
this "eel specialty restaurant."

The place we visited on this trip is
a restaurant with several locations in Seoul

【Pungcheon-ga】
A charcoal-grilled eel specialty restaurant in Seoul

Access by subway

We usedthe Shinbundang Line, Yangjae Citizen's Forest Station.Even so, it was about a 10-minute walk at a leisurely pace.
When we entered, the restaurant was huge! It had high, vaulted ceilings,
and the entire wall was made of glass, giving it an open feel.
The tables were black and sturdy, reminiscent of a yakiniku restaurant. Every seat looked like a booth.The many spherical orange lights hanging from the ceiling reflected off the glass walls, giving it a stylish and mature impression.
The interior is modern and quite cool.

However, the staff member, a Korean madam with a strong perm that looked like it came straight out of a Korean drama, had a friendly... what you might call"Omma (auntie)"vibe, and the gap between the cool interior and the Omma was strangely comforting.

The seat we were guided to was a slightly darker booth in the back, past the wide open space.
A menu was placed on the grill on the table.

The menu was in Korean and I couldn't read anything, so I used my smartphone's translation function to read it.
Omma also taught us using gestures and Korean.
We ordered two eels and a bottle of beer for the two of us.Before the eel arrived at the table, several banchan (side dishes) like chive kimchi and macaroni salad were laid out.

The moment the charcoal was placed under the grill, my face instantly heated up.
The heat was intense. It felt like our faces were going to be grilled along with the eel.

At this restaurant, the staff stays with you and carefully grills the eel for you. Our table was grilled by a cute, smiling Omma.

When we said "It looks delicious,"
Omma also mimicked us (behind our backs) saying "Oishii-sou."

Honestly, I haven't been the type of person to get excited by the word "eel" until now.
I placed eel on the same level as ordinary fish dishes.…However…
As I watched the eel gradually grilling in front of me, I felt my excitement rising.
The meat was thick and looked delicious!Once it was grilled to a nice, fluffy texture, Omma cut it into bite-sized pieces with scissors.

She also flipped both sides to make sure the surface was crispy.
We waited for it to finish grilling while listening to the sizzling and popping sounds.

Wow!! It grilled up so deliciously!!
Time to eat!!And here, Omma taught us how to eat it.

How to eat charcoal-grilled eel (1)

First, take the piping hot, freshly grilled eel and dip it into a sweet and savory Korean-style sauce.
"Wow, so good."

Crispy and fluffy. Even though it was just grilled, the surface had a light, crispy texture as if it were coated in a thin batter. It was likely shallow-fried in its own fat.
The sweet and savory sauce soaked into the crispy parts,creating a crispy, juicy texture.
And then, the moment after the crunch, the thick meat was fluffy, moist, and delicate.
"What is this... delicious. Too delicious!! What should I do?"
Until now, I was convinced that Japanese eel was the best in the world, but it seems that was just my assumption. I shouldn't be bound by stereotypes; I need to see more of the wider world.

How to eat charcoal-grilled eel (2)

After that, eat it with the provided condiments like shredded ginger. The freshness of the condiments goes so well with the savory, sweet-sauce-coated, crispy-fluffy eel!!

This is Korea! How to eat charcoal-grilled eel (3)

Finally, wrap these in vegetables like leaf lettuce or perilla leaves and eat them!

Inside the leafy greens, the hot eel and the aroma of ginger.
We're eating eel like it's a salad!!This way of eating is delicious!
My friend also,

"The most delicious way I've ever eaten eel"

is what they said. I strongly agree.

We also ate grilled garlic and tteokbokki, and with the banchan (side dishes), vegetables, and beer, we were completely satisfied!

[Charcoal-grilled exquisite eel / Summary]

We ordered two large eels and three bottles of beer,
which came to about 5,000 yen per person in Japanese currency.Although it's a bit far from the tourist areas, it's accessible by subway. The taste and service were both very satisfying and it was delicious!
This might really
become a new staple gourmet for trips to Korea.

I will definitely go back to eat it again!

[Store Information]
■ Store Name: Pungcheon-ga Seocho Direct Store■ Address: 4, Gangnam-daero 4-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul
■ Access: About a 7-8 minute walk from Sinbanpo Station on Subway Line 9, or about a 10-minute walk from Yangjae Citizen's Forest Station on the Shinbundang Line■ Business Hours: 11:30 - 22:00 (Last Order 21:30)