Sadang Japanese restaurant for a lunch date: Bunko Dining eel set

This is my review of Bunko Dining Sadang, where I went while looking for a nice lunch spot near Sadang Station. Sadang is such a convenient place to meet up, so lots of people look for somewhere for a lunch gathering, a date, a wedding-invitation meetup or a blind date, right?

I was also looking for a tidy place to eat around Sadang this time, and I was happy with it: the food was well put together and the restaurant had a calm atmosphere.

Location and parking of Bunko Dining Sadang

Bunko Dining Sadang is about a 2–3 minute walk from Exit 11 of Sadang Station on Line 4, so it's easy to get to.

Since it's not far from the station, it's no hassle on hot or rainy days, and it works well as a meeting point. For drivers, the restaurant's notice says to use the public parking lot behind the S-OIL station in Bangbae-dong, so that's worth knowing if you come by car.

What is the atmosphere like?

Overall, the restaurant felt clean and quiet, like a Japanese dining room. It's less of a casual eatery and more of a space for a neat, proper meal.

The tables weren't cramped, and the wood-tone interior with soft lighting seemed well suited to a lunch date or an important get-together. If you're looking in Sadang for a place for a wedding-invitation meetup, a restaurant like this is probably more comfortable than somewhere very noisy.

The hitsumabushi set and how to eat it

We ordered the hitsumabushi set and futomaki. The hitsumabushi set centers on a grilled eel rice bowl with several side items, so it was a really filling meal.

The eel was nicely grilled on the surface and glossy, so I was happy with it from the looks alone. It isn't a plain bowl of rice with eel on top: it comes with wasabi, scallions, shredded seaweed, broth and pickled side dishes, so you can enjoy it differently depending on how you eat it.

First I ate the eel and rice as they were, and the sweet-salty sauce went really well with the rice.

The eel was tender without a strong fishy taste, so even people who don't usually eat eel could probably manage it comfortably.

Midway I added a little wasabi and scallion, which cut the richness and made it much cleaner. At the end, eating it with the broth gives yet another flavor, so there's variety within a single dish, which I liked.

How was the futomaki?

The futomaki was better than I expected too. It's a thick roll cut into big pieces, packed with filling, so eating one in a single bite felt rich in texture.

With tuna, egg, vegetables, pickled radish and more inside, every bite tasted a little different, and there was more filling than rice, so it didn't feel heavy.

It didn't feel like a light, everyday gimbap; it felt like a properly made plate from a Japanese restaurant. We came as two, ordered one hitsumabushi set and the futomaki together, and it was a good amount to share.

I also liked how neatly the food came out. The plates and presentation were clean and good for photos, and rather than being overly flashy, the style lets the ingredients themselves show. It should suit people looking for a Sadang lunch spot, or just a nice-atmosphere lunch place. A weekday lunch would be good, and in the evening it looked fine too as a blind-date drinking spot with a drink or two.

What's on the menu?

Looking at the menu, there were plenty of other Japanese dishes besides the hitsumabushi set.

• Premium hitsumabushi set
• Assorted sashimi
• Kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) set
• Special kaisendon set
• Kaisen maki (seafood roll)
• Negitoro maki (fatty tuna and scallion roll)
• Eel maki
• Menchi katsu (minced meat cutlet)
• Cream cheese shuto (salted fish-gut snack)

There are dishes for a light lunch as well as ones that suit an evening gathering or drinks, so the choices are wide depending on why you visit. With sashimi and maki rolls on offer, going with friends who love Japanese food would make choosing fun.

Price range and who it suits

The prices are a little higher than an ordinary lunch, but considering the atmosphere and the menu, it was about right for a special day. It's not a place you wander into casually in Sadang; it suits a time when you want a slightly more considered meal. The mood made it a fair recommendation for a lunch date, a wedding-invitation meetup, or a meal before or after a blind date.

Overall, Bunko Dining Sadang was a Japanese dining restaurant with a good balance of access, atmosphere and food. If you want a neat Japanese set meal near Sadang Station, or a quiet lunch spot with a nice mood, it's worth a visit. Next time I'd like to try the assorted sashimi or the kaisendon.