Stone Plate

Salt-Grilled Eel

Perilla Oil Makguksu

I went on an outing to Seoul after a long time.
Hearing that there was a Minumsa pop-up store in Yongsan, we headed to Yongsan early.
After registering on-site for the pop-up store, we decided to look for a restaurant nearby.

There were many appetizing spots nearby.
Among them, we picked eel, a dish we don't usually eat often.
Seeing good reviews online, we decided to go without hesitation.

Reservations for our desired time slot were already full.
We visited the restaurant with some worry.

As expected, we were briefly disheartened when told there were no seats available because we hadn't made a reservation.
Fortunately, the staff said that if we could finish dining within one hour, we could take a seat, allowing us to barely get in.
We don't really drink alcohol and don't eat slowly, so one hour was more than enough.

Since it was a dish requiring cooking time, we first ordered 2 servings of Salt-Grilled Eel.
Only then were we guided to our table.
Since we only had one hour, we immediately placed an additional order for Perilla Oil Makguksu right away.

After waiting anxiously for about 20 minutes, the pre-grilled eel was neatly served.
Not having to grill it ourselves at the table was great, allowing us to eat cleanly and comfortably even in the hot weather.

The Eel had a soft and tender texture rather than being crispy.
The accompanying mushrooms and vegetables were also delicious.
In particular, there were plenty of mushrooms, and eating just the mushrooms tasted as savory as meat, which was very impressive.

Not long after, the Perilla Oil Makguksu came out as well.
We were able to enjoy it alongside the eel.

Having eaten Perilla Oil Makguksu at so many places before, I couldn't help comparing it.
The taste was fairly standard and subtly mild.
It wasn't bad for our palate, but I wished there had been slightly more perilla seeds.

Overall, it was a restaurant where you could enjoy a healthy, wholesome meal.
Because they use domestic sea eel, the price was a bit high relative to the portion size.
Still, it wasn't an unaffordable price.
Next time, it would be good to order an extra single serving as well.