Ochazuke restaurant near Hongik Univ. Station for a blind date: Ochaya

Why a Sangsu regular came to Ochaya Yeonnam

Ochaya is an ochazuke place I've been to in Sangsu many times!! 😎🫶🏻 When I heard it had opened a branch in Yeonnam-dong, Hongdae, I came right away~~

Starting my review of Ochaya Yeonnam, the ochazuke specialist, haha

Ochaya Yeonnam hours and info

Ochaya Yeonnam is open every day from 11:30 to 20:30, with last order at 19:50. Groups and reservations are possible, and there's Wi-Fi and a waiting area.

I loved that you can preview Ochaya's tasty menu at a glance before going in~~

Ochaya Yeonnam menu, prices and how to order

You just walk in and order at the kiosk. The ochazuke ranges from myeongran ochazuke (pollock roe) at ₩10,000 to unagi chazuke (eel) at ₩16,000.

The review event gives you senbei matcha ice cream!!! Perfect for dessert 🤍

Ochaya specializes in ochazuke, and every single one looked sooo good!!!

• Butanokakuni (pork belly) ₩14,000
• Sake chazuke (salmon) ₩15,000
• Kaisen chazuke (seafood) ₩14,500
• Unagi chazuke (eel) ₩16,000
• Matoudai chazuke (John Dory) ₩15,000
• Myeongran ochazuke (pollock roe) ₩10,000
• Sides: shrimp fry ₩4,000, shiitake fry (seafood-stuffed) ₩5,000, crab fry ₩5,000

How to eat Ochaya's ochazuke

The instructions say to eat about half, then pour in the broth. For the butanokakuni and the eel, mash them with your spoon. Nutritious rice, seaweed, side dishes and broth are all refillable ⭐️

Inside Ochaya Yeonnam: comfortable for eating alone?

The inside of Ochaya Yeonnam is cute and café-like~~!! There's even a big plant, haha

Wooden chairs and tables!! The vibe is so relaxed that eating alone feels totally fine, love it haha

Even the spoons and chopsticks are wooden, which I like~~!!☺️

There's also a big table, so it seems good for group gatherings too!!

How was the unagi chazuke (eel)?

Unagi chazuke is an eel ochazuke made with tender freshwater eel in a sweet-savory sauce!!!!!! It's ₩16,000, and it comes topped with a big piece of eel.

I was so happy to see such a big, healthy eel on top!! And you get three side dishes, which go great with ochazuke!!💛🩶

Sake chazuke (salmon) instead of my usual kaisen chazuke

I always ate kaisen chazuke (seafood) at Ochaya, but today I tried sake chazuke for a change~~ It's a salmon ochazuke cured the kombu-jime way with kelp and sake, which removes the fishy taste and brings out umami and texture!!

By the way, the salmon in Ochaya's sake chazuke can also be lightly seared on the outside (aburi)~~

The raw salmon was really fresh and the flying fish roe on top popped in my mouth, so so good!!!!!!!! They also give you wasabi, and eating it with the rice and salmon together is sooo good😙

Wow... the salmon looks amazing,,,

There are healthy mushrooms in the nutritious rice too!!🍄‍🟫 Pile rice on a piece of seaweed, add salmon, top with wasabi, and eat it in one big bite!!

The eel is so tender that if you mash it with your spoon and put it on the rice, it melts in your mouth~~!! ⭐️ The sweet eel sauce is exactly my taste!!!!!!

Why Ochaya works as a first-date lunch near Hongik Univ. Station

Ochaya Yeonnam serves one-bowl dishes that come out super neat and tidy!!✌️ It's easy to eat cleanly,, so I really recommend it for a first date too haha. There's also a clean restroom inside, which is convenient〰️

Pouring broth halfway, and how far do refills go?

The highlight of Ochaya is eating about half, then pouring in the broth to enjoy it a whole different way!!! Finishing with hot broth settled my stomach and left me so full and happy!!!

Ochaya's nutritious rice, broth and side dishes were all so tasty that I cleaned my bowl completely~!!😎🫶🏻 By the way, broth and nutritious rice are refillable!! You can ask for more, haha. Highly recommended for big eaters too🫶🏻

I only ever went to the Sangsu Station branch,, so I'm thrilled it opened nearby in Yeonnam-dong, Hongdae. Ochaya is a great Japanese restaurant near Hongik Univ. Station~!!🩶🩶 Highly recommended as a Hongdae favorite!