Whole-eel hitsumabushi set for a couples' date near Yeoksam: Unagiwa

A Gangnam eel restaurant doing authentic Nagoya-style hitsumabushi — "Unagiwa" ⏰ Closed Sat & Sun, open 11:00–21:00

An authentic Nagoya eel bowl restaurant for date day in Gangnam

Hi, it's Yoonjjok ٩(๑>ꇴ< ๑)و

Today was date day in Gangnam, and I finally tried the eel rice bowl I'd been curious about forever 🫶 This place claims to make it exactly the authentic Nagoya way, and honestly I liked it even more than the eel bowls I've had in Japan.

⭐️Yoonjjok's recommendation points⭐️

• 100% domestic, antibiotic-free japonica eel
• Authentic Nagoya-style hitsumabushi
• Eel grilled directly over charcoal
• A whole eel served in one set
• Various toppings and ochazuke to suit your taste

The eel tasted great and the whole spread was so neat that it'd be a good place to bring your parents too 👍

Location and atmosphere: 3 minutes from Exit 7, Yeoksam Station

📍 This is "Unagiwa," a Gangnam eel bowl restaurant at 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Exit 7 of Yeoksam Station.

The interior is full of Japanese vibes 🇯🇵🇯🇵 — a clean space with an overall upscale mood, so it seemed like a great spot for hosting guests or bringing your parents.

The tables can be separated with blinds, so it's also great for small groups and larger parties!!

Hitsumabushi vs unadon — what's the difference?

The signature menu items at this Nagoya-style eel restaurant "Unagiwa" are hitsumabushi and unadon.

Hitsumabushi is grilled over charcoal in the traditional Nagoya method, while unadon is the more familiar-looking eel rice bowl — but here the eel is steamed once more to make it extra soft, so it takes about 10 minutes after ordering.

<Naver receipt review event> One free matcha pudding, shio kombu squid, or umeboshi ade per person — you can grab dessert too after your meal, so definitely check out the review event!

What's in the ₩38,000 hitsumabushi set

Hitsumabushi set ₩38,000 — I ordered the hitsumabushi set that comes with a whole eel. This place makes its eel bowls the authentic Nagoya way, and they only use 3.5–4 chi (Japanese sizing) eel that's 100% domestic, antibiotic-free japonica eel from their own farm in Ganghwa Island — which is supposedly why the eel is so tender.

The side dishes ranged from soybean paste soup to salad, steamed egg with chives, perilla leaf, three kinds of seaweed toppings, plum gochujang, pickled ginger, and gungchae (aster greens) — a satisfying variety that all paired well with the eel.

Especially the Japanese-style steamed egg — total winner 🫶🫶

It melts in your mouth, so soft, and inside there are finely chopped shiitake mushrooms giving it a subtle aroma and such a luxurious flavor!!

How was the eel?

⭐️Today's ridiculously good-looking main event⭐️ The eel came out packed edge to edge, not a gap in sight.

The eel pieces were plump and large, glistening with a glossy sheen — they looked so delicious.

They only use freshwater eel certified antibiotic-free from Ganghwa Island, and I barely noticed any of that typical fishy eel smell — it was clean and savory, so I could really taste the eel itself 👍

Four ways to enjoy hitsumabushi

⭐️How to eat hitsumabushi the delicious way⭐️ The staff recommended four methods.

• First, taste the eel bowl in its original, plain form
• Second, top it with wasabi and chives
• Third, pour over seaweed flakes and hot broth to eat it like ochazuke
• Fourth, top it with plum sauce

I tried three of the four methods, and each gave a totally different feel, so I'd recommend finishing with whichever combo suits your taste!!

1. The eel's original flavor

✔️ First up was tasting the eel's original flavor, and it was great.

The seasoning wasn't overdone, so even eaten with rice, the eel's clean flavor came through with good savory depth, and since it's grilled directly over the fire right after ordering, there was a subtle smoky aroma rising off the eel.

2. Perilla leaf + wasabi combo

✔️ Second, adding toppings to your own taste!

Perilla leaf + wasabi is my favorite combo pick!!💚 The fragrant perilla leaf with the sharp kick of wasabi cut cleanly through the eel's rich flavor — genuinely so, so good (my husband's favorite combo too) 👍👍

3. Poured with broth as ochazuke

✔️ Third, I poured broth over it to eat it like ochazuke, and it went down so smooth and easily. Everything gets much softer this way, so it seemed like something older folks would love too!! It'd also work well as a family dinner spot.

In summary

Confirmed double thumbs-up from my husband 👍👍 With a whole eel piled on top, it was the kind of meal that makes you say you feel restored 🫶

⭐️Yoonjjok's recommendation points⭐️

• A hitsumabushi topped with a whole eel
• Clean, savory antibiotic-free japonica eel
• Subtle charcoal aroma and moist eel texture
• The fun of eating it three different ways
• A neat, upscale space with real Japanese vibes

If you're looking for a proper eel rice bowl in Yeoksam, I recommend this Gangnam eel restaurant, "Unagiwa" 👍