jangduk pungcheon eels — Restaurant in Busan

My partner and I visited this restaurant on Saturday, January 25, 2025, around 12 pm. We had just arrived in Busan the night before, so I planned out our day and found this place nearby. Since we’d never been to a restaurant specializing in eel, we were excited to try it! Until now, I had mostly only eaten eel in sushi.

When we entered, I said hello, two people (두 명이요 du myeong-i-yo), and our waitress, 윤가영 (Yoon Gayeong), warmly welcomed us and led us to our table. The restaurant was already busy despite just opening! She handed us a bag for our coats and a menu while saying something in Korean, which I assumed was an instruction to place our coats in the bag. Since I’m still learning Korean, I asked if she spoke English, and she kindly brought over an English menu.

We ordered two orders of freshwater eel (one order required per person) and one seafood ramen. 윤가영 brought over our side dishes, most meant to pair with the eel, and kindly explained how to properly mix and eat one of them (a dish with raw meat and seaweed). Many waiters don’t always explain the proper way to eat a special dish to foreigners, so we really appreciated the gesture.

Everything was so delicious! Two male waiters cooked the eel for us on the grill and did it very professionally. I used my translator app, Papago, to tell one of them (he was a bit more stocky) that he was professional and we appreciated him cooking for us. He smiled very heartily and said thank you in Korean. When the eel was done cooking, he brought over a handout of recommendations of how to eat the eel deliciously. There were 4 recommendations on it. For example, eel + perilla leaf, white kimchi, ginger salad, special soy sauce, and wild ginseng root. The slimmer male waiter later returned to help us trim off the burnt edges of our eel. So attentive! The seafood ramen was also flavorful and packed with seafood!

Our waitress was so incredibly kind and thoughtful. I had a bandage over my nose so some of my vision was obstructed when looking down. I’m also not great at chopsticks in general either lol. She came over with wooden chopsticks and said something in Korean but I didn’t understand, so she typed on her phone to translate for me. She wanted to give me wooden chopsticks so it’s not as slippery for me. I was really touched that she was so attentive and went out of her way to do that for me. 🥹❤️

We were too full to finish, so I asked the slim male waiter “포장해 주세요 pojanghae juseyo” if we could get our food to go. I had to repeat it once, but he quickly understood and responded, “Ahh, 포장이요, pojang-i-yo.” A few moments later, our waitress returned with our food neatly packed in a bag. She said something in Korean and “gift” in English, but I didn’t fully understand. When she typed it into her phone, it read, “Would you like a gift?” I replied, “Ohh, yes yes (네 네),” and she returned with two bookmarks. I thanked her and said they were cute (귀엽다, gwiyeopda).

Later, while we were paying, she held up two small square packets and asked me something in Korean. Again, I didn’t quite catch it, so she showed me her phone, which said, “Shake the packs to activate the hand warmers.” I was so touched that she even thought to give us hand warmers too.

I very much appreciated that she spoke Korean with me, even though it would have been easier to use the translator app. It gave me the chance to practice and made me feel more welcome in a new country. I’m still at an early stage of learning how to converse. I felt bad that I couldn’t respond in Korean whenever she said something to me, so I typed on my phone that I’m still learning but have been studying a lot on the plane and in my free time. I showed her what I typed, and she looked proud of my efforts, which was sweet and encouraging.

The bathroom even had mouthwash and dental flossers!

This restaurant was truly an amazing experience. Excellent food and the staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. 10/10 recommend it to anyone visiting Busan!

Thank you for your kindness, 윤가영! ☺️❤️ Wishing you the best...

Absolutely delicious grilled eel — tender, flavorful, and clearly made with care. The side dishes were well-balanced, and everything tasted fresh and thoughtfully prepared. If you’re a fan of eel, this place really delivers on quality.

The atmosphere is traditional and calming, perfect for a quiet meal. Emphasis on quiet. We visited with our baby and were gently told that the baby was a bit too loud for the setting. So while the food is fantastic, parents with young children might want to know in advance that the environment leans more toward a peaceful, grown-up dining experience.

All in all, highly recommend for the food and ambiance — just maybe leave the baby at home if they’re not in a...

My recent experience with a perfectly grilled filet of freshwater eel was a revelation in texture, flavor, and culinary tradition.

From the first bite, the eel was meltingly tender with a buttery richness that’s unique to this fish. It had been expertly prepared: filleted with precision, grilled over charcoal, and lacquered with a sweet-savory tare sauce that caramelized beautifully at the edges. The smokiness from the grill mingled with the umami depth of the sauce, creating layers of flavor that danced...