Haeundae salmon rice bowl with lemon soy sauce: Yuok

Getting to Yuok near Songjeong Beach

I was out around Songjeong and wanted a delicious meal, so I visited Yuok. I loved the pretty exterior with its strong Japanese feel from the start, haha. Best of all, there is a separate dedicated parking lot, so it was easy to visit by car too!

Directions

Yuok is near Songjeong Beach, making it a great place to stop for a meal after looking around the Songjeong sea. There is also a separate parking lot, so I could visit comfortably without worrying about parking :)

A Japanese-style exterior, garden, and varied seating

Even from the front, it somehow felt like I had arrived in Japan. It was clean and had a Japanese feel, so I was already getting excited before going in, haha.

Before going inside, I took a quick look around the garden. One side was set up like a pond, complete with koi, so it was fun to look around before eating 🐟

Even the outdoor area was beautifully arranged, which made the overall atmosphere feel even nicer.

As I went in, I noticed there was a separate waiting area on the second floor. It was nice that they had prepared a space like this too :) We had made a reservation in advance, so we were shown to our seats and could begin our meal comfortably.

Inside was neat, with several kinds of seating. From counter seats to tables, there was plenty of variety, so it seemed convenient whether visiting alone, on a date, or for a family meal.

Ordering jumbo unaju and salmon rice bowl

Looking over the menu, there were more options than I expected. From eel rice bowls to saba ochazuke, toridon, and salmon rice bowls, there were so many choices that I spent quite a while deciding, haha.

After debating, we ordered the jumbo unaju and salmon rice bowl!

While waiting for our food, we served ourselves some pickled ginger and rakkyo (pickled scallions), and read the guide on how to enjoy the meal 👀

Eel rice bowl with egg and lemon salmon rice bowl

After a short wait, our order came out—and wow, the presentation was seriously no joke, hahaha. It looked generous and beautifully plated at a glance, so I got busy taking photos first 📸

The owner asked whether it was our first visit and personally explained how to enjoy the dishes. For the eel rice bowl, we were told to first cut through the middle of the eel with the eel knife, then cut it into easy-to-eat pieces. Yuok’s eel rice bowl is Osaka-style, with egg laid beneath the eel! The egg could be eaten separately or together with the eel.

This was the salmon rice bowl I ordered! It was topped generously with salmon, so it looked incredibly appetizing from the start. There was lemon on top of the salmon, and we were told to squeeze a little juice over it before eating, then dip it in sashimi soy sauce.

With the salad, dessert, and plum tea after the meal, it was such a perfect full spread, haha.

I started with a bite of the salmon rice bowl. A little lemon juice added a refreshing note, which I loved. Dipped lightly in sashimi soy sauce, the soft salmon and salty soy sauce went so well together! Even the crisp onion was perfect ✨

Then I tried a bite of the eel rice bowl too... wow, it was honestly so delicious!! The eel was pleasantly chewy yet tender, and the seasoning was neither too sweet nor too salty—just a great sweet-and-savory balance.

The egg underneath was also really delicious. It had a soft texture like rolled omelet, but was full of savory flavor, and it paired so well with the eel. Eating the eel and egg together in one bite, the soft egg and chewy eel texture made me keep reaching for more, haha.

We have had eel rice bowls while traveling in Japan, in Yufuin and Nagoya too, and this was delicious enough to enjoy even compared with the ones we had then!

The salmon rice bowl also came with karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and shrimp tempura. These were far more delicious than I expected too, haha. Especially the shrimp tempura! 🍤🍤 The shrimp were really plump, so every bite felt full of shrimp meat.

For the eel rice bowl, I also poured the accompanying green tea over the rice and tried it as ochazuke (rice in tea broth) 🍵 The warm green tea made it gentler and lighter, so I enjoyed it deliciously to the very end :)

After dessert, I was truly stuffed, hahaha. Finishing with a cup of plum tea made my mouth feel nice and refreshed too.

On the way out, there were thoughtful convenience items such as hand sanitizer, fabric deodorizer, stain remover, floss, and toothpicks. The separate men’s and women’s restrooms were also kept clean ✨

I visited Yuok near Songjeong Beach and tried the eel rice bowl and salmon rice bowl. It was such a filling, satisfying meal 🫶 If you want a delicious meal somewhere atmospheric near Songjeong Beach, I think Yuok would be a great place to visit :) We enjoyed it so much that we would want to return the next time we are around Songjeong! We really, really enjoyed the meal 💛