Unatama eel bowl booked on Catchtable in Hwamyeong-dong: Shunsaikubo

I heard there's a Michelin- and Blue Ribbon-listed eel rice bowl spot in Hwamyeong-dong, Busan, so I booked ahead and visited Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong (슌사이쿠보 화명). I usually love eel rice bowls, so I was curious. It serves charcoal-grilled eel as Nagoya-style hitsumabushi (eel rice bowl eaten several ways). Here's how the hitsumabushi tasted, plus the story of my reservation visit.

Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong: location, hours and parking

Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong is at 17 Yangdal-ro 4beon-gil, Buk-gu, Busan, on the first floor of the Geumsaem Building, about a 13-minute walk from Hwamyeong Station Exit 6. It's open daily 11:30 to 21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:30 and last orders at 14:20 and 20:20.

• Takeout, group seating, reservations, high chairs and a waiting area are all available
• Parking available: building parking lot and Hwamyeong public parking lot

Do you need a reservation at Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong?

I'd recommend booking ahead on Catchtable. I reserved there and got seated right away, but there may be a wait, so if you're visiting, book in advance!

There's a separate waiting area at the front of the restaurant, and there's even a perk for waiting guests. Amazing, right?

The interior had warm lighting and a clean, upscale feel, with seating ranging from a private group room to tables for two and four. Since most guests come by reservation, the seats were already set up for us.

Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong menu

The menu runs from the main hitsumabushi to anago (saltwater eel) hitsumabushi, chicken hitsumabushi, an eel and beef stamina rice bowl, and a raw salmon rice bowl. Hitsumabushi comes in a whole or half portion, and there's also a weekday-lunch-only anago cutlet set and a kids' menu.

You can also get sashimi, grilled dishes and sides, so it looked like a good place for a meal or an evening drink.

The owner grills the eel over charcoal right there! Golden eel with that charcoal aroma, and I was so excited ✨

The table is set with sauce, cups and a guide to enjoying hitsumabushi, so first-timers can follow along!

Ordering half-portion hitsumabushi: salad and tempura first

That day I ordered two half-portion hitsumabushi, ₩27,500.

Starting with the salad that came before the meal 🥗 yum

Each person gets one piece each of sweet pumpkin, lotus root and eggplant tempura, and they were fried crisp and tasty.

Nagoya-style hitsumabushi: how to eat it

Now the main event, the half-portion hitsumabushi! Hitsumabushi is a Nagoya-style Japanese eel rice bowl with charcoal-grilled eel over rice, and Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong's neatly arranged tray looked lovely too.

I'll start with the silky chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) 🍳

The eel looks so good and the whole thing looks totally delicious, right? I'll divide it into four first, then dig in.

First: the eel as it is

First, the eel just as it is! The golden grilled eel was crisp outside and soft and moist inside. With a little wasabi or ginger, it was totally my style.

Second: unatama with dashimaki tamago

Second, I put half a piece of dashimaki tamago (rolled omelet) on top and ate it as unatama (eel and egg)! It was my first time trying it this way, and the soft egg and eel went together far better than I expected. I'd even want to add extra tamago if that were an option,,

Third: mixed with yakumi and sauce

Third, I scooped out some rice, added the yakumi (condiments) of scallion, perilla leaf, seaweed flakes and wasabi, added a little of the sauce on the table, and mixed it all together! With all those ingredients it tasted different again, and this was good too. Every single one is delicious, right?

Last: ochazuke with warm broth

Finally, ochazuke (rice in broth)! I poured warm broth over the eel and rice, and eating it all moist like that is pure bliss.

After trying all those ways, I ate the last of the eel the way I liked best. I was curious about dipping it in sansho pepper powder too, and it went better than I expected, so that was good! I should have eaten it like this from the start, haha

Matcha pudding for dessert, and final thoughts

After the meal, Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong serves matcha pudding 🍮 for dessert. They apparently make it themselves, and it was smooth and delicious. A Hwamyeong-dong favorite that nails dessert too ✨

Being Michelin- and Blue Ribbon-listed made it easy to visit with confidence, and it's clean with a nice atmosphere, so it would also suit a date or a special-occasion meal. If you're looking for a great eel rice bowl in Hwamyeong-dong, or a place for a special day, I recommend Shunsaikubo.