Gijang, Busan eel restaurant with a garden-view room: Yangsando

🎈Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch Address: 45-10 Yeonhwa-gil, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, South Korea Hours: 11:30am–8:30pm Break time: 3pm–4:30pm Closed: every Monday 🚗Private parking 👶🏻Kids' chairs available

This is a Pick Story recording a product review. During summer vacation, I went on a date with my husband to Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch, a well-known restaurant in Gijang. Hitsumabushi is a famous dish from Nagoya, Japan — a freshwater eel rice bowl served in a wooden container called a hitsu. Yangsando has been the go-to freshwater eel specialist since 1956, running for three generations now, and is already famous for its eel rice bowls. I'd eaten well at another Yangsando branch before, so I really wanted to come here with my husband too. Let me introduce Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch, where we spent a relaxed day during our vacation.

Parking and the outdoor garden at Yangsando

At the entrance to Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch there's a spacious private parking lot, so you can park stress-free.

The lush outdoor garden is beautifully arranged, making you feel like you've stepped into a little garden in the middle of the city. It's a nice spot to stroll around while waiting, with trees, flowers and stones, and just as good for a short walk after your meal.

The building's exterior already gives off a classy vibe, so it's a great place to visit when you want to dine with a bit of atmosphere. It feels like a little forest, full of freshness, and it was the first thing that made me think 'we should come back here for family meals too.' Having a dedicated parking area is also a huge plus if you're visiting as a group — no parking worries.

Why a reservation matters: arriving at the 11:30 opening

I'd recommend visiting Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch with a reservation. I booked ahead and arrived right at the 11:30am opening, and we were seated immediately. There were families who'd come earlier without reserving, and some had to leave or ended up waiting. The atmosphere was great from the moment we stepped in. There are waiting chairs at the entrance, so you can sit in a cool space while you wait.

Room 1, the private room with a garden-view window

We were shown to Room 1. My husband and I sat at a 4-seat table with a large window overlooking the outdoor scenery. Inside, the clean white interior blends with warm wood tones for a classy atmosphere that suited a date perfectly. It had been a while since I got to dine somewhere nice, just the two of us without the kids, and it was genuinely exciting. The garden view from the room was lovely.

Yangsando offers various private room formats depending on party size — 1–4, 4–6, and 7–16 people. During the day the natural light is pretty, and in the evening the mood gets even better, so it seems like a great spot for special occasions too.

The dining space is well equipped with coat hooks where you can hang your outerwear and belongings.

Special hitsumabushi 37,000 won and sake-don 17,000 won

We ordered the special hitsumabushi (₩37,000) and the sake-don (₩17,000). The special hitsumabushi is a Nagoya-style rice bowl with one and a half freshwater eels, and the sake-don is a raw salmon rice bowl. We each ordered one to try a bit of both — good choice! The food came out within 5 minutes of ordering, so the turnaround was fast!

It comes as a full spread with salad, kimchi, buckwheat noodles (memil), steamed egg, broth, and toppings for making ochazuke (rice in savory tea/broth).

You put the eel over the seasoned rice, add a touch of wasabi, and the balance of the sweet, clean eel flavor with the sharp wasabi kick is really delicious. The eel wasn't too small or too big — a perfect bite size — and it was moist and tender.

We turned some of it into ochazuke with hot broth, seaweed flakes, and green onion. It's salty and comforting, like a soup-and-rice dish that really hits the spot... ochazuke is so good♥︎

The salmon's color and plumpness screamed freshness the moment I saw it. Placing the springy, non-fishy salmon over rice, brushing on a rich soy sauce, and adding wasabi brought out an explosion of sweet salmon umami. Because it comes as a full spread, it makes for a more filling meal, and thanks to the clean atmosphere and varied menu, I'd recommend it for lunch, family meals, and group gatherings alike.

Who Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch is worth it for

• Being a long-standing, traditional restaurant, it felt like the reservations and service were well handled, and the staff who brought our food made sure we had an enjoyable meal.
• I'd especially recommend it if you need a restaurant with private rooms, whether for kids or a group gathering.
• Since the food comes as a full spread, you don't need to grill anything yourself, so it's a clean, easy meal.
• If you're a tourist visiting Busan, or looking for a good date restaurant or a Gijang spot that's great to bring kids to, I'd recommend a hearty meal at the pleasant, atmospheric Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch!