Exploring Jeonju's Unique Eel Cuisine
During the Chuseok holiday, we took a trip to Jeonju!
After experiencing a scorching summer, we thought it would be nice to reward ourselves with some healthy food. While searching for good places to eat in Jeonju's new city area, we stumbled upon a restaurant that specializes in eel. The combination of eel and deodeok (a type of root vegetable) sounded intriguing, and we were curious about how it would taste. Would the kids like it? This curiosity led us to Sampo Eel in Jeonju.
At first, I was surprised by its completely different appearance from the usual dishes I had seen. However, as soon as I took a bite, all my worries melted away. The spicy and rich seasoning of the eel combined with the sharp taste of deodeok truly made it a nourishing meal.
Sampo Eel is located at 45-20 Hongsanbuk-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju, South Korea. The restaurant's exterior is clean and well-maintained, reflecting the tidy atmosphere of the new city area. The interior is equally neat, contributing to a pleasant dining experience.
Parking is available right in front of the restaurant. If that area is full, there's a public parking lot just behind it, where you can get two hours of free parking after mentioning your car number when you finish your meal.
The inside of the restaurant was spotless, with neatly arranged drinks in the refrigerator indicating good hygiene practices. The restroom is conveniently located just outside the back door, allowing us to wash our hands before diving into our meal.
The main dish I ordered was spicy deodeok grilled eel, and I also added eel soup. The food takes about 15 to 20 minutes to prepare, so while waiting, we enjoyed a variety of side dishes that were served, starting with eel porridge.
There were many types of side dishes, and the portions were generous. I particularly loved the sweet and tangy sweet potato stem kimchi, which had a crunchy texture that suited my taste perfectly.
Finally, our main dish arrived, and it was more than enough for two people. The sight of the eel sizzling in the cast iron pot was impressive. The eel soup was rich and served in a hot stone pot, keeping it warm until the last bite.
As we started to eat, both kids were delighted. The combination of the spicy seasoning from the deodeok and the eel created a flavor that was both sweet and savory, making it enjoyable even without additional sides. Placing a piece of eel on a bowl of white rice was simply delicious.
In summary, dining at Sampo Eel was a unique experience. The eel dishes were flavorful without being overly greasy, thanks to the spicy sauce and deodeok. The eel soup was especially outstanding, with a rich broth that went down smoothly. I understand why eel soup is popular for lunch; I highly recommend trying it!
Here are some images from our visit:
Want to reserve this place?
Use WassupKorea’s reservation service
to book your preferred time easily.
Ask the AI below. 👇
No comments yet.
