Pungcheon Jangeo 풍천장어

Each diner orders at least one whole eel, and staff move the pieces around a domed grill over hot charcoal so nothing scorches. Crisp-skinned and plump, the charcoal-grilled eel needs little more than a pinch of salt and some chives. Garlic cloves roast at the edge of the grill, basted in eel fat, and when the smoke gets heavy, staff grill at a side table and bring the pieces over already cut. The finish comes as kimchi mari guksu, cold noodles in a sweetish kimchi broth that cuts the richness. A long-running spot in Yeonnam-dong, it draws plenty of foreign tourists, and in high summer the smoke makes the room feel warm.