# Sangsu Japanese restaurant with unagi ochazuke, shrimp tempura: Ochaya

- By Irin (https://superchart.com/en/@bottle-shelf-hours/)
- Written Sep 15, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written based on a sponsored store visit.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@bottle-shelf-hours/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@bottle-shelf-hours/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/index.md)

## In short

Ochaya is a Japanese restaurant specializing in ochazuke (rice in hot broth) on the 2nd floor of a building on Wausan-ro 13-gil near Sangsu Station in Mapo, Seoul. Visiting alone on a weekday afternoon, the writer ordered unagi ochazuke (16,000 won) with shrimp tempura and a Kirin Ichiban, eating the eel over seasoned rice cooked with beans first and then pouring the kettle broth over it for a second flavor. With single-person tables and counter seats that even come with phone stands, Ochaya is worth remembering for solo dining around Sangsu and Hongdae.

## Good to know

- **Location**: 2nd floor, 49 Wausan-ro 13-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (near Sangsu Station)
- **What was ordered**: Unagi ochazuke (eel) 16,000 won, shrimp tempura 4,000 won, Kirin Ichiban 330ml 6,000 won
- **Other menu items**: Butano kakuni (braised pork belly), kaisen chazuke (tuna, octopus, shrimp), mentaiko ochazuke
- **Seating**: Tables for 1–2, tables for 3–4, counter seats facing the kitchen (with phone stands)
- **How to order**: Kiosk ordering; self-serve station for water, wet wipes and aprons

*as written by the visitor on Sep 15, 2026*

## What kind of restaurant is Ochaya?

Ochaya's Sangsu branch is an ochazuke specialty restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building on Wausan-ro 13-gil near Sangsu Station. Looking for somewhere to eat alone on a weekday afternoon, I found out this place served ochazuke and decided to check it out. Ochazuke is a Japanese home-style dish where rice and toppings are eaten with warm broth poured over — like eating a soothing bowl of guk-bap (soup with rice). It sounded like it would settle my stomach nicely, and apparently Ochaya is the first ochazuke specialty spot in this neighborhood.

## Ochaya's exterior and interior: how to find it from Sangsu Station

![Exterior of the 2nd-floor building near Sangsu Station where Ochaya is located](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-01-z5bxw-900.webp)

Being so close to Sangsu Station, it wasn't hard to find. It's on the 2nd floor, so once you spot the sign, just head up.

![Wood-toned entrance of Ochaya](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-02-z3ebv-900.webp)

From the entrance, the wood tones give it a calm feel, like a Japanese home-style restaurant.

![Interior of Ochaya with tables for one or two people](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-03-1f52k-900.webp)

Inside, there are several tables set up for one or two people. The layout is such that you don't feel self-conscious eating alone at all, which makes it especially good for anyone looking for a solo dining spot in Sangsu. Of course there are also tables for 3–4, so it's fine for a date or a family meal too. Overall, with the wood tones and soft lighting, the mood felt cozy.

![Cozy Ochaya seating under soft lighting](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-04-1toi1-900.webp)

On one side there's a self-serve zone where you can grab water, wet wipes, and aprons. Just take what you need.

![Self-serve zone at Ochaya with water, wet wipes, and aprons](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-05-1u9h7-900.webp)

Toward the kitchen, there are bar counter seats too. There's no better spot for sitting alone and eating quietly. They even set up phone stands for solo diners — you could really sense the owner's attention to detail.

![Bar counter seats facing the kitchen with a phone stand](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-06-og487-900.webp)

### How to eat ochazuke at Ochaya

There's a guide on the wall showing how to eat ochazuke. Every dish at Ochaya comes with a separate kettle of broth — the idea is to first eat the toppings and seasoned rice as is, then pour in the broth later to enjoy a second flavor. The instructions are clear enough that even a first-timer can just follow along.

## What was ordered at Ochaya and how much it cost

- Unagi ochazuke (eel) ₩16,000
- Shrimp tempura ₩4,000
- Kirin Ichiban (330ml) ₩6,000

![Kiosk screen showing Ochaya's ochazuke menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-07-1gp6o-900.webp)

Ordering is done through a kiosk. Looking at the menu, there was quite a variety — butano kakuni topped with braised pork belly, kaisen chazuke with tuna, octopus, and shrimp, and the most basic and popular option, mentaiko ochazuke. After a long deliberation, I went with eel. What I ordered that day was unagi ochazuke, shrimp tempura, and a glass of Kirin Ichiban.

![Unagi ochazuke, shrimp tempura, and Kirin Ichiban served together](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-08-10d3p-900.webp)

I ordered it to eat alone, but the spread turned out more substantial than I expected.

![Solo dining spread of Ochaya's unagi ochazuke](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-09-pn30w-900.webp)

With eel, shrimp tempura, and beer all together, even though it was a solo lunch on a weekday afternoon, it felt like a proper meal.

![Eel laid long over seasoned nutty rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-10-1uek6-900.webp)

The star of unagi ochazuke, the eel. Laid out long on top, glistening with a rich sheen.

![Close-up of glistening unagi ochazuke eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-11-kexdm-900.webp)

The shrimp tempura came out freshly fried, still piping hot.

![Freshly fried shrimp tempura at Ochaya](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-12-208n2-1200.webp)

With the beer set down next to it, my mood lifted instantly even though it was a weekday afternoon.

## How did Ochaya's unagi ochazuke taste?

With Ochaya's unagi ochazuke, the eel pulls apart with barely any effort from the chopsticks, its grain splitting apart softly. The seasoning is evenly soaked in, so a sweet-salty aroma rises right away, and chewing releases the eel's distinctive rich, savory fattiness. There was no fishy smell at all.

![Eel meat splitting apart easily with chopsticks](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-13-1z004-900.webp)

And here's what I actually found the most delicious — the rice! It's not just plain white rice but nutty rice with beans mixed in, and the rice itself is seasoned, so it tasted good even on its own. Eating the eel on top of this seasoned rice let the eel's flavor and the rice's seasoning blend together, bringing out even more umami.

![Seasoned nutty rice with beans and eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-14-1si5m-900.webp)

Wrapping the rice and eel together with seaweed added a whole new combination, with the nutty aroma of the seaweed layered in. Eating it with rice like this felt much more filling than eating the eel alone.

![Wrapping rice and eel in seaweed](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-15-1u1qm-900.webp)

### Shrimp tempura and Kirin Ichiban at Ochaya

I dipped the shrimp tempura in chili sauce. The batter is thin and shatters crisply, while the shrimp meat inside stays springy and firm. With the hot, freshly fried tempura meeting the sweet-and-tangy chili sauce, I kept reaching for more. Add a sip of Kirin beer on top of that and it was pure bliss!

### The second flavor after pouring on the broth

Now, true to its name as ochazuke, I poured warm broth over the rice. Where I'd first eaten the seasoned rice and eel as is, once the broth was added everything loosened into something moist and took on a whole different feel.

![Unagi ochazuke after the kettle broth has been poured in](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-16-ufufn-900.webp)

Finish it off with seaweed on top and it's complete! The rice, now soaked through with broth, mingles with the eel and seaweed, resulting in a completely different flavor from eating it plain. The bold seasoning melts smoothly into the broth, turning much lighter and cleaner — it settled comfortably in my stomach and went down easily. Since you essentially get two flavors from one bowl, I enjoyed it down to the very last spoonful.

## Verdict: is Ochaya a good solo dining spot near Sangsu and Hongdae?

![Finishing a weekday afternoon solo meal at Ochaya](https://img.superchart.com/images/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch/ochaya-sangsu-unagi-chazuke-solo-lunch-17-16y8a-900.webp)

I visited Ochaya's Sangsu branch alone on a weekday afternoon. With everything from single-person tables to bar counter seats, this is the kind of place that comes to mind when looking for solo dining spots in Hongdae or Sangsu. The unagi ochazuke I had that day was great for the eel itself, but what really won me over was the seasoned nutty rice with beans. It's delicious just eating the eel over the rice, and pouring warm broth over it to eat as proper ochazuke gives you an entirely different flavor, so it felt like a satisfying, well-rounded bowl. Adding shrimp tempura and a Kirin beer made for a pretty satisfying weekday solo meal.

For anyone searching for Sangsu Station restaurants that serve ochazuke, Japanese food near Sangsu Station, or ochazuke near Hongdae, this menu is worth trying, and it also works well as a lunch option in Hongdae or Sangsu when you can't decide what to eat. If I ever find myself eating alone near Sangsu again, I think this place will come to mind.

## Where it is

- Ochaya (오차야)
- 49 Wausan-ro 13-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (2nd floor)
- 서울특별시 마포구 와우산로13길 49 2층
- 37.5484594, 126.9208463
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%98%A4%EC%B0%A8%EC%95%BC/@37.5484594,126.9208463,17z

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