What a year it has been! Plenty of excitement, plenty of MAKAN and also plenty of travel! We know y’all have been asking for more makan when we travel overseas and we’re (obviously) happy to oblige when we can

We were extremely honoured to be invited by the Korea Tourism Organization (Malaysia) to go on a trip to South Korea and explore not just the interesting spots to visit but also the interesting places to makan! And by interesting, we mean REALLY interesting (Ramyun and Budae-jjigae please wait in the queue LOL)

You can read about the highlights of our trip to Busan and Jeju in our upcoming posts (coming soon!) and definitely about all the makan places too. So here’s the next installment of our adventure in Busan

(BTW – head down to our Instagram profile page and watch all the IG Stories from the trip!)

Remember when I said they were bringing us to INTERESTING makan experiences in South Korea? Well, errrrr this is one of the places that definitely fits into that category! JENG JENG JENG!!

Namcheon Charcoal Grilled Eel 남천숯불장어구이 was quite an enigma. We headed there for dinner and because it was dark, I don’t really know how far we travelled to get there but it seems pretty rustic and definitely a very authentic experience.

We sat on the floor and I knew we were having grilled eel but… it was more than your average grilled eel experience.

Here’s a bit of the tame stuff first 😛 Some of the standard Banchan (aka side dishes) that come with most Korean meals I guess. Some Kimchi and some pickled stuff although there were some variations with the vegetables being used.

But hey, who am I kidding? This is all about the eel.
You can tell that Namcheon Charcoal Grilled Eel 남천숯불장어구이 is serious about its eel because their menu has pretty much just THREE items on the menu and they’re all eel!

ROUND ONE!

First up was probably the one I enjoyed the most 😛

The Sea Eel arrives at your table already grilled to a nice char. There’s a charcoal grilled built-into your table so the nice glowing embers keep the grilled eel nice and hot while adding a bit of extra char.

I’ll be honest and tell you that I’m actually not a big eel fan mainly because of my fishy-radar. But this was okay because this was Sea Eel (and not River Eel) plus it was really fresh! After the charcoal grill does its work, you’d be had-pressed to resist. But wait! We’re not done yet!

ROUND TWO!

I thought that the big bowl of Gochujang and minced Garlic was for dipping but boy oh boy was I wrong 😛 There’s actually a part of the grill that’s covered with aluminum foil specifically for use of this sauce!

So the grilled eel can also be coated in this Gochujang mix and left to grill for a little bit on the aluminum foil part of the grill. After awhile, the sauce because a little sticky and the eel is ready for devouring 😀 You can also enjoy it with a little Korean Rice served on the side too.

The most interesting way to eat the eel is actually as a wrap. They have these leaves (I forgot the name of the leaf sorry!) which you stuff with some eel, a little spicy sauce plus garlic/pickled lettuce/chili and then wrap up and stuff the whole thing in your mouth. The leaf itself has a very.. unique taste.. kinda like a little bittersweet and minty at the same time. But if that’s not your thing, they also have some good ol’ lettuce on the side too.

ROUND THREE!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Br2BTaEjTac/

OKAY I CAN’T BELIEVE I ATE THIS!! 😛

So what this is is Conger Eel… and it’s still squirming. Don’t worry, it’s not alive but it’s so fresh that it’s literally just been prepped before serving to you. Hence, the squirming is a result of the muscle spasms from the fresh meat being grilled.

As we have already established, I’m not a big eel fan and was NOT planning on eating this particular serving. But the lady who runs Namcheon Charcoal Grilled Eel 남천숯불장어구이 was so proud of her cuisine and eager to show us how it’s enjoyed in Korea. So when she picked up the grilled Conger Eel (that has already stopped squirming btw) and attempted to feed me, how could I resist right?

The texture was quite different from the grilled Sea Eel we’d had earlier. It was a bit more.. crunchy 😛

ROUND FOUR!

Surprisingly, the hotpot dish was the one I really couldn’t take! The Spicy Fish Stew comes bubbling hot and continues to appetizingly bubble as it sits on the charcoal grill. I’m not sure what fish they were using (or maybe it was eel also?) but my fishy radar went off the charts.

I sat this one out but it seems like everyone else was enjoying it 😀 And yes, as the name implies – it’s quite spicy!

This is actually an experience I quite enjoyed. Even though I’m not a fan of eel, I did give it a go because the place seemed really authentic. On top of that, the lady who ran the restaurant was really sincere and eager. I guess she was really proud to show us how this simple and unique food is enjoyed and savoured 😀

A Quick Word About Halal Food In South Korea

So in case you’re wondering, it’s (thankfully) getting easier to find Halal food in Korea these days. It may be particularly easier to find it in big cities like Seoul but cities like Busan and Jeju are doing their best as well.

You may see some of these labels when you visit restaurants that are suitable for Muslims to visit. They have 4 main categories that determine the ‘Halal-ness’ of an eatery. This is to be expected lah I guess especially where the Halal food scene is still developing.

The 4 categories are;

• Halal-certified (safest as the eatery is certified Halal by the Korea Muslim Federation)
• Self-certified (basically means eatery is Muslim-owned)
• Muslim-Friendly (serves Halal food but may serve alcoholic beverages) *most common*
• Pork Free (eatery does not have Pork but may serve non-Halal meat and/or alcoholic beverages)

It may seem complicated with 4 categories but as always, we can simplify it. Do your due diligence and do not be afraid to #AskTheQuestion especially since you’re travelling. Halal is an individual responsibility so get the info and make an informed decision. Look for these labels at the door. If there is any doubt at all, best to give it a miss

You can get useful information by clicking HERE and HERE!
Thank you Korea Tourism Organization for taking the initiative to spread more information about Halal / Muslim-travel in South Korea!

Namcheon Charcoal Grilled Eel 남천숯불장어구이

71-1, Hwangnyeong-daero 489 beon-gil,
Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea
Tel: +82-51-623-9276

Operating Hours:
10.30am til midnight DAILY
OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR!

This meal was part of a trip organized by the Korea Tourism Organization (Malaysia). We visited all kinds of cool places and plenty of Halal makan places including this one! All information (including prices, availability of item on menu and Halal status of establishment) are accurate at the time of posting. All photos used in this site are property of The Halal Food Blog unless stated otherwise.