Myeongjin Pungcheon Eel, Gochang — Pungcheon eel over charcoal, at the day’s market price

Sangha-myeon, Gochang. Once the sun goes down the road turns dark and a single blue neon sign stands tall and narrow against it. Myeongjin Pungcheon Eel, Charcoal Grill.

The pungcheon in pungcheon eel is not a place name. It refers to the brackish stretch where seawater pushes up into a river, and to the wind said to follow that water inland. The Incheon River in front of Seonunsa Temple in Gochang is the stretch best known for it.

This restaurant sits in Sangha-myeon, on the seaward side of Gochang. It is just off the tourist route, with a tractor parked in the car park and quiet all around.

There is effectively one thing on the menu: eel grilled over charcoal. The price list says only market price, and the day’s figure goes up on a sheet of paper in handwriting.

On the price — a restaurant whose list says only “market price”

The price list on the wall is plain. The top line reads grilled eel — market price, and below it chobeolgui — market price. No figures are printed on it at all.

Instead, a sheet of A4 is taped above it. Eel price, 3 for 72,000. Handwritten. That was the price on the day of the visit, and a week later a different number may be up there.

With farmed eel, the price at source keeps moving with feed costs and how much is going to market. Rather than print a figure and then fail to hold to it, this place writes a new one out every time. It is inconvenient, and it is honest.

The remaining lines are fixed. Clam kalguksu 9,000 won (minimum two portions), doenjang jjigae 2,000 won, rice 1,000 won. For drinks, bokbunja large 35,000 won · small 12,000 won, soju 5,000 won, beer 5,000 won, makgeolli 3,000 won, soft drinks 2,000 won. Baekseju, ogapi and mulberry wine are listed by name with no price against them.

You order by marking a sheet clipped to a board yourself. Grilled eel by four, three or two; chobeolgui; drinks; doenjang jjigae; rice; clam kalguksu — and the list ends there.

Myeongjin Pungcheon Eel at a glance (checked 2026-09-19)

Item	Details
Address	24 Sangha 1-gil, Sangha-myeon, Gochang-gun, North Jeolla
Phone	063-563-0250
Hours	Daily 10:00~22:00 (as listed on Google Maps)
Grilled eel	Market price — 72,000 won for three eels, per the notice posted on the day of the visit (2026-09)
Chobeolgui (first grilling)	Market price
To eat with it	Clam kalguksu 9,000 won (minimum two portions) · doenjang jjigae 2,000 won · rice 1,000 won
Drinks	Bokbunja large 35,000 won · small 12,000 won · soju 5,000 won · beer 5,000 won · makgeolli 3,000 won · soft drinks 2,000 won
Rating	Google Maps ★4.1 (220 reviews) — below this site’s standard (★4.5, 100 reviews); disclosed in the article

Grilling — skin side first, and for a long time

The eel arrives already prepared, laid out on a wire grill. Each one has been split and opened flat, so it runs about two hand-lengths. The skin side is dark and the flesh side pale.

The grilling is done for you by the staff. Wearing gloves, they turn the whole wire grill over as they work, and at the start they leave the skin side down for a long time. The fat renders out of the skin and drops onto the charcoal, and the smoke that comes off it is half of what this place smells like.

Turned onto the flesh side, the colour changes. The pale flesh swells and splits along the grain, and the edges go golden. From this point it moves fast and you should not look away.

Once it is done they cut it into pieces with scissors. Cut, the flesh curls up and stands on end on the grill. When it does that, it is ready.

Eating — salt first, sauce later

Salt-grilled is the default here. It goes on the fire with a light scattering of coarse salt, and shredded ginger goes on top as you eat. The eel is rich enough that without the ginger you would tire of it by the third piece.

The flavour is plain and strong. The skin side is chewy and the flesh side breaks along the grain. It is fatty without being cloying, because a good deal of that fat went into the charcoal. Chew it and a sweetness stays behind.

Lettuce and perilla leaves come out by the basket. For wrapping eel, ginger and salt work better than ssamjang. The bitterness in the leaves clears the fat.

The usual thing to drink with eel in Gochang is bokbunja, and this place keeps it in large and small. It is sweet and dense, which suits rich meat, but its low strength is not a reason to underestimate it.

To finish — clam kalguksu, 9,000 won

Once the eel is gone you order something brothy. Clam kalguksu is 9,000 won and comes with a two-portion minimum. It arrives in a large bowl, the broth clear rather than milky.

Young courgette and spring onion go into a clam broth, and the noodles are hand-cut kalguksu. The seasoning is light, so it does the work of rinsing away the fat of the eel. Some add doenjang jjigae at 2,000 won alongside it, and the fact that a 2,000-won jjigae exists at all tells you what part of the country you are in.

If you would rather finish on rice, a bowl is 1,000 won. A spoonful of plain rice into a mouth still coated with eel fat works just as well.

Map and practicalities — getting there, hours, and the rating

Address 24 Sangha 1-gil, Sangha-myeon, Gochang-gun, North Jeolla (as listed on DiningCode)
Phone 063-563-0250
Hours Daily 10:00~22:00 (as listed on Google Maps)

This is a hard place to reach by public transport. Assume you are driving; there is room to park in front. It fits naturally into a route that takes in Sangha Farm or Gusipo Beach.

The rating, stated honestly. This site uses ★4.5 with at least 100 reviews on Google Maps as its recommendation threshold. As of September 2026 Myeongjin Pungcheon Eel sits at ★4.1 from 220 reviews. The review count is enough, but the star rating falls short of the standard.

There is usually one reason eel restaurants score low: they are expensive. Between the market pricing and a figure in the 70,000-won range for three eels, it is a daunting number for anyone seeing it for the first time. The reviews that rate this place highly, by contrast, talk about the skill of the grilling and the smell of the charcoal.

So it is fairer to put it this way. If you have already decided to drive to Gochang and eat pungcheon eel, this is a sound choice. If you want to see the price before you decide, ring ahead and ask what the market price is that day.

FAQ

How much is the eel?

The price list says only market price. Per the notice posted in the restaurant on the day of the visit (September 2026) it was 72,000 won for three eels, and that figure changes over time. Calling 063-563-0250 before you go is the surer way to know the day’s price.

Is the pungcheon in pungcheon eel a place name?

It is not. It refers to the brackish stretch where seawater pushes up into a river, and to the wind that follows the water inland. The Incheon River in front of Seonunsa Temple in Gochang is the stretch known for it.

Do I grill the eel myself?

The staff grill it. They leave the skin side down for a long stretch, turn it onto the flesh side, and cut it into pieces with scissors once it is done.

What should I finish the meal with?

Clam kalguksu at 9,000 won is the usual choice, with a two-portion minimum. Finishing with doenjang jjigae at 2,000 won or a bowl of rice at 1,000 won also works.

Can I get there by public transport?

Not easily. The location assumes you are driving, and there is room to park in front. It fits naturally alongside a day taking in Sangha Farm or Gusipo Beach.