Songjeong Beach Japanese restaurant with shrimp tempura udon: Yuok

Why Yuok in Songjeong is worth a visit

• You get to taste a big, charcoal-grilled eel.
• There's a special unaju with soft egg roll layered in.
• You can eat the eel bowl multiple ways using the toppings and broth.
• The menu ranges widely, from eel bowls to udon to other rice bowls.
• The fried shrimp udon is hearty, topped with two shrimp and lots of garnish.
• It comes as a neat Japanese home-style set, with side dishes and salad.
• The Japanese-style interior is impressively detailed down to every prop.
• The outdoor space with its pond and red bridge feels wonderfully foreign.
• With both bar seats and tables, it suits solo diners, dates, and families alike.
• It's close to Songjeong Station and Songjeong Beach, great for a beach walk before or after eating.

Yuok's address and menu prices

Yuok's address is 47 Songjeongganbyeon-ro, 1st floor, Haeundae-gu, Busan (lot number Songjeong-dong 188-1, postal code 48070). Check out the menu photos below.

Yuok, a Songjeong, Busan restaurant for eel bowls and shrimp tempura udon

Looking for a filling meal near Songjeong Beach, I visited Yuok, a Japanese-style eel rice bowl (unaju) specialist.

It's about a 6-minute walk from Exit 2 of Songjeong Station, and 5 minutes on foot from the Songjeong Beach entrance bus stop, so it's easy to reach by public transit. The building also has free parking for about 8 cars.

A little slice of Japan by Songjeong Beach

The first thing that caught my eye when I arrived at Yuok was the exterior, which had a very Japanese atmosphere.

From the white gravel and black stepping stones to the tiled-roof entrance and the vividly red wooden bridge, every corner of the space was carefully decorated. Fish swam in a small pond, surrounded by trees and bamboo, making it feel like a little Japanese garden tucked into the city.

I've never actually been to Japan, but for a moment I felt like I'd taken a trip there haha.

Outside, there were wooden tables and chairs, and with the soft lighting and props, it was also a great spot for photos.

Inside Yuok: a garden pond, red bridge and careful details

The interior carried the same Japanese sensibility as the exterior.

Warm-toned wood interiors, round pendant lights, bamboo blinds, and Japanese-style paintings and fans on the walls all came together in harmony. On one shelf, ceramic cups and props of different shapes and colors were displayed — you could tell every small detail had been thought through.

In particular, a painting of waves and cute cat ornaments and ceramic pieces made the space feel even more special.

The seating included tables good for groups as well as a long bar-style seat. It didn't feel awkward to eat alone here, and since the kitchen is open, you could watch the food being prepared up close.

Groups, reservations, and takeout are all available, and high chairs are provided, so it seemed like a good spot for family meals too. If you bring a pet, you'll need a carrier and must keep it closed during the meal.

What's on Yuok's Japanese home-style menu

Yuok's signature dish is unaju, a Japanese-style eel rice bowl topped with charcoal-grilled eel.

Besides the eel bowl, there's also a salmon bowl set, tori-don (chicken bowl) set, saba ochazuke (mackerel over rice with tea/broth) set, mazesoba, fried shrimp udon, and more. There's even a kids' lunch box, so it looked like a good spot to bring children too.

Here's what I ordered on my visit:

• Jumbo Unaju Set – ₩28,500
• Fried Shrimp Udon – ₩13,000

There was also a good variety of alcohol — beer, highballs, sake, soju — so it seemed like a good spot for dinner or a casual gathering too.

The jumbo unaju eel set, 28,500 won

My companion ordered Yuok's signature dish, the jumbo unaju set.

As soon as it arrived, the glossy, large eel immediately caught our eyes. A whole eel, glazed with a special sauce and grilled over charcoal, covered the rice, with soft egg roll layered underneath.

The eel was quite thick and large — the word 'jumbo' really fit.

The unaju set came with the eel bowl plus salad, soup, tofu side dish, seaweed flakes, chopped scallions, and wasabi, all arranged neatly. Even the arrangement of the bowls and small side dishes felt like a proper Japanese home-style meal.

You start by tasting the eel and rice plain, then add the seaweed flakes, scallions, and wasabi. At the end, you can pour broth over the remaining rice to enjoy it like ochazuke — so there's fun in eating one bowl multiple ways.

The tempura udon with two shrimp, 13,000 won

I ordered the fried shrimp udon since I was craving warm broth.

It came in a large bowl full of udon, topped generously with two long fried shrimp, fried vegetables, fried tofu, chopped scallions, and tempura crumbs.

The fried shrimp were so big they stuck out over the edge of the bowl — filling just to look at. Kimchi and pickled radish came alongside, good for pairing with each bite.

You can eat the fried toppings crispy at first, then dip them a bit into the broth for a different texture. With so many generous toppings, this one bowl of udon felt quite substantial on its own.

If the eel bowl is Yuok's signature dish, the fried shrimp udon is a great choice for anyone wanting warm broth alongside fried toppings.

Who Yuok in Songjeong suits best

Yuok isn't just about the food — the exterior, the garden, the interior, even the bowls and small props were all carefully put together.

It's close to Songjeong Beach, so it's a great stop after a walk on the sand, and it suits everything from dates and family meals to solo dining or simply an unhurried meal.

If you're looking for a restaurant in Songjeong with Japanese vibes, or a great eel rice bowl spot, give Yuok's neat Japanese-style set a try :)

Yuok hours, parking and directions

• Open daily 11:00–22:00
• Break time 15:00–17:00
• Last order 21:30
• May close early if ingredients run out
• Free parking in the building
• Reservations, takeout, and group visits available
• High chairs available
• Pet carriers required for pets