Haeundae Japanese restaurant with Osaka-style eel: Yuok

Today, I went to Yuok (유옥), a Japanese restaurant in Songjeong, with my baby and husband~ A proper nourishing meal for my husband, who has worked as hard as I have taking care of the baby since I gave birth!! Eel, no less 🫴🏻

Yuok hours and parking

• Hours: 11:00–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 21:30
• There is dedicated parking in the restaurant building. If it is full, you can park near the restaurant.
• Pets must be in a carrier.

Yuok's exterior was so pretty that you could spot it from far away 🥺 It feels like a big house, and somehow like being in Japan, which was so fascinating~ The garden was beautifully kept, so I looked around a little before going in.

There were fish living in the pond and the outdoor tank. I can't remember what these fish are called... (Does anyone know?) They were so cute and pretty, kind of like carp?! There were black carp too, and they were adorable haha. There are even chairs, so it seems like a nice place to sit and watch with a child.

Window seats with baby chairs

There were table seats and counter seats, but my husband and I sat by the window ☺️ They have baby chairs here too! Each table had one cute little ornament, which made looking around fun. We sat at the table with a cat. 🐈⬛

We ordered the Jumbo Unaju set and the Tori-don set! They also sell children's lunch boxes separately, so I recommend it to anyone looking for a restaurant to visit with kids in Songjeong 👍🏻

There was a guide on the table for how to eat everything deliciously~ Apparently, following things like this is how you really get the best flavor?? They are also running a review event, so grab a beer or drink‼️

They normally serve rakkyo (pickled scallion bulbs) and ginger, but they asked whether we needed kimchi too, so we requested some.

Jumbo Unaju with eel over rolled omelet

The set came with a huge unaju (eel rice bowl) and egg, fried tofu, salad, wasabi, shredded seaweed, soup, broth for ochazuke (rice in tea or broth), and plum tea for dessert. Even when I barely started cutting it, it sliced so softly...

The owner said it was Osaka-style eel rice bowl: fresh eel is grilled right away over charcoal with tare (seasoned) sauce, so the skin is crisp while the inside stays moist! A thick, soft Japanese rolled omelet lies over the rice, with golden eel on top. 🤤

I tried a piece of eel and it truly melted in my mouth. There were no bones, so it just slid right down. The rice was fluffy and soft too, so I was sad to see every bite disappear ㅠㅠ Even though we came right at opening time, it filled up so quickly?! I recommend going early ☺️

Moist chicken-thigh Tori-don set

I ordered the tori-don (chicken rice bowl), piled high with tender chicken thigh. Can you see it? It was seriously tender and moist, with a savory sauce and just the right seasoning—totally my kind of tori-don!

They were both so delicious that I thought I absolutely had to try the salmon rice bowl I love next time~ No, actually, I should come for dinner next time 🤤

Set side dishes

The fried tofu seemed lightly coated in glutinous-rice flour, and its batter was wonderfully chewy, so it was delicious.

The salad had a refreshing yuzu flavor too, and I happily ate it up because it was nicely sweet 🍋

Whenever my throat felt a little dry while eating, I washed it down with the miso soup.

I made ochazuke as the delicious-eating guide mentioned earlier. I sometimes buy ochazuke powder at home and eat it with rice—how did Japanese people come up with something this tasty?

The plum tea for dessert was so rich and delicious that my husband and I polished everything off, without leaving even one side dish!

I think I could eat two bowls~~ I've been eating like a pig lately while raising Juwon. On the way out, they even had sweet candies ready at the entrance, so my husband and I each grabbed one ☺️ They were just perfect for freshening up the palate, you know?