Eel restaurant in Gijang, Busan: ocha broth hitsumabushi at Yangsando

Lately I've been feeling a bit run down and sluggish, so I decided I needed proper nourishing food — and that's how I ended up at the famous Gijang restaurant, Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch.

Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch: hours, location and menu

📍 Basic info for Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch

• Location: 45-10 Yeonhwa-gil, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:30–20:30 (weekday break time 15:00–16:30 / no break time on weekends)
• Last order 19:40, closed every Monday
• Signature menu: hitsumabushi (freshwater eel rice bowl), special hitsumabushi (1.5 eels), teishoku (grilled eel set), sake-don, and more
• Parking: dedicated lot on site (spacious, so it's really convenient for beginner drivers or family visits)
• Features: elegant Japanese-style garden, private rooms, baby chairs available

Driving out to Yeonhwa-ri: is parking easy?

The restaurant sits in a spot perfect for a drive along the Gijang Yeonhwa-ri coastline, and the moment I arrived, I found a spacious parking lot ready to go — no parking stress at all getting in.

Japanese-style garden and private rooms inside Yangsando

Right at the entrance, the first thing that caught my eye was a beautifully tended Japanese-style garden. The trees, rocks, and pond were arranged in a way that felt both charming and elegant, giving me the exciting feeling of having traveled somewhere far away. It was lovely to stroll around and snap a few photos before and after the meal.

Once inside, I found the private room setup was really well done. There were plenty of independent rooms sized to fit different party numbers, perfect for treating someone special, hosting your parents, or having a quiet, comfortable meal with good company 👍 The atmosphere itself was so calm and upscale that I felt genuinely well taken care of the whole meal.

Special hitsumabushi: how much eel do you get for the price?

Since I'd come to properly nourish my body that day, I ordered the 'Special Hitsumabushi' — Nagoya-style freshwater eel rice bowl piled generously with a full one and a half eels.

It arrived as a neat, full set meal, and the moment I lifted the lid, the golden-brown, glossy eel packed tightly into the bowl made me gasp. With one and a half eels on top, it was visually heavy and genuinely a huge portion.

Taking a bite, there was absolutely no fishy taste typical of freshwater eel — just savory, rich, truly delicious hitsumabushi. The sauce lightly drizzled over the rice wasn't too sweet or salty and matched the eel's flavor perfectly. The eel's texture was also just right, savory and crisp on the outside, soft on the inside — perfect...

Pouring the ocha broth: the trick that makes this eel bowl

There are several ways to enjoy hitsumabushi, but Yangsando's biggest kick is pouring ocha broth over it. I've visited several Yangsando branches, and honestly, the ocha broth here is overwhelmingly better than at other hitsumabushi places. I ladled the warm broth over a portion of the eel bowl and mixed it all together — the deep umami of the broth combined with the rich fattiness of the eel was seriously impressive. That warm, smooth, deep flavor made my run-down body feel instantly warmed up and restored. It was so good I scraped the bowl clean down to the last spoonful of ocha broth 😍 haha.

Who should eat at Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch?

From the beautiful garden view to the private rooms to the hearty eel rice bowl, everything was perfect — I know I'll be back next time I need to recover my energy or just want a change of scenery. If you're planning a drive or outing to Yeonhwa-ri in Gijang, Busan, looking for a good-atmosphere restaurant, or want to enjoy a hearty nourishing meal in a tidy private room, I strongly recommend this Gijang favorite, Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch.