Michelin-listed hitsumabushi lunch with parents in Busan: Shunsaikubo

Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong

Today I went for a delicious lunch with my parents at Shunsaikubo in Hwamyeong-dong, Busan. Since my parents love eel, hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice, Nagoya-style) seemed like the perfect choice. Bottom line up front: this place is famous for a reason!

If you love eel, you've probably heard of this place — Shunsaikubo's Hwamyeong branch has been listed in the Michelin Guide for several years running and consistently appears on the Blue Ribbon Survey!

Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong location, hours and parking

It's located at 1F Geumsaem Building, 17 Yangdal-ro 4beon-gil, Buk-gu, Busan, South Korea.

• Hours: Daily 11:30 – 21:00
• Break time: 15:00 – 17:30
• Last order: 14:20, 20:20
• Parking: Building parking lot or the nearby Hwamyeong public parking lot

Inside Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong, a hitsumabushi spot in Hwamyeong-dong

The overall atmosphere at Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong is clean and calm, which made it a good spot to bring my parents. This isn't just eel grilled and plopped over rice, either.

It's a place where you can properly enjoy Nagoya-style hitsumabushi — eel grilled over charcoal, served with special sauce and rice, set up so you can eat it several different ways depending on your taste.

Full or half hitsumabushi: how much eel do you get?

Today's order: my dad had a full hitsumabushi, and my mom and I each had a half portion. Even with just half each, it wasn't lacking or too much — it was actually just right.

The eel sat there glossy and glistening, mouthwatering just to look at. And it tasted just as good — the eel was really soft and delicious!!

The eel's savory flavor paired beautifully with the sweet-savory sauce, and the subtle char from the charcoal grill made it even better with the rice.

I'd read a lot about how Shunsaikubo's hitsumabushi balances the eel's soft texture, the charcoal aroma, and the sauce so well — and after eating it myself, I got why people say that.

Three ways to eat hitsumabushi at Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong

Here's the thing about Shunsaikubo's hitsumabushi — you're not meant to eat it just one way! First you eat the eel and rice plain, then you add the garnishes, and finally you pour warm broth over it and eat it like ochazuke (rice soaked in tea or broth).

At first I thought, 'It's already good with just eel and rice, why bother?' But once I actually switched it up, the flavor genuinely changed each time.

Eaten plain, you really taste the eel's own savoriness; add the garnishes and the aroma and texture shift; pour in the broth at the end and it finishes so much smoother and cleaner!

Eel can get a little heavy if you eat a lot of it, but pouring the broth over it at the end really cut that richness down.

Why Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong works for a lunch with parents

I visited Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong with my parents today, and honestly, I think it's a really solid choice for a family meal.

Eel has that nourishing, health-boosting image, and it's the kind of dish you'd want to treat your parents to for a special meal. Seeing them enjoy it so much made me happy too. Today's conclusion: it was just plain delicious! No wonder this Hwamyeong-dong spot is so popular.

Finishing with the matcha pudding

And to close out the meal, matcha pudding arrived. After enjoying the hitsumabushi, having a sweet dessert at the end made for a really satisfying finish.

The bitterness of matcha paired well with the smooth pudding, so even though I was pretty full, the dessert still went down easily haha.

The meal didn't just end with eel — it wrapped up cleanly with matcha pudding! Enjoying delicious hitsumabushi with my parents and finishing with dessert made today's meal feel perfect from start to finish!

Book ahead at Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong to skip the wait

If you're planning to visit Shunsaikubo, please keep this in mind: book a reservation if you can. There are plenty of reports of people waiting when they walked in without one, and weekend lunch waits have reportedly gotten long. I booked a weekday 11:30am slot, and there were still people waiting outside when I got there, ㅜㅜ

If I go back again, I'll definitely book ahead next time too. Especially with a meal like this with your parents, it's so much more comfortable to skip the wait. Before you go, I'd recommend checking Catch Table for availability and the day's operating hours!

If you're looking for a meal to share with your parents or a special family outing in Hwamyeong-dong, this is worth a visit. Just keep in mind that it's popular, so walking in without a reservation could mean a long wait — book ahead! That's Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong, from delicious hitsumabushi all the way to dessert🤍