Gangnam eel restaurant for two-portion hitsumabushi set: Unagiwa

My love... I visited Unagiwa, an eel rice bowl restaurant everyone raves about... and I was so happy...

Unagiwa is famous as an eel rice bowl restaurant, so it was one of the Seoul spots I'd been wanting to try!! The location near Seolleung Station and Yeoksam Station is fantastic too! I honestly wish everyone could eat here..........

Let me introduce Unagiwa, the real deal hitsumabushi spot near Seolleung and Yeoksam Stations!

Hours and location

• Weekdays 11:00 - 21:00 (closed weekends)
• Break time 15:00 - 17:00 (last order 20:00)
• 669-8 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (3-min walk from Yeoksam Station Exit 7)
• Signature menu: eel rice bowl
• Reservations available

The eel rice bowl favorite Unagiwa is close to Seolleung, Yeoksam, or Seonjeongneung stations! Being so near the subway lines makes it super convenient location-wise and easy to visit!!

Is it fine even if you don't like eel rice bowl?

You know how hard it is to find a good hitsumabushi place in Seoul...? I genuinely didn't like eel rice bowls before? Just felt greasy... But!!! Listen up if that's you too!!! This place really doesn't feel greasy... cooked exactly the authentic Nagoya way~~ so it's absolutely delicious..! ><

Turns out Unagiwa, a Yeoksam-dong favorite, takes Naver reservations! Since it's quite popular, I'd definitely recommend booking through Naver before you go!!!

The interior vibe — good for a work dinner too?

I was surprised the interior at this Gangnam favorite was way more spacious and clean than I expected! With all that room, it would make a great spot for a Gangnam company dinner! If my company had held our dinner at Unagiwa... I'd probably stay loyal forever................

Menu lineup and prices

• Hitsumabushi Set ₩38,000
• Hitsumabushi Mini ₩26,000
• Hitsumabushi Deluxe ₩52,000
• Dinner charcoal salt-grilled eel, 1 whole ₩36,000
• Dinner charcoal sauce-grilled eel, 1 whole ₩36,000
• Fried eel rice bowl ₩25,000
• Unadon Set ₩38,000
• Unadon Deluxe ₩52,000
• Ichi-unadon ₩38,000
• Shirayaki set meal ₩38,000
• Eel egg roll (umaki) 6pc ₩17,000
• Eel egg roll (umaki) 4pc ₩12,000
• Assorted tempura ₩30,000

True to being an eel rice bowl favorite, there are so many eel-focused dishes like hitsumabushi and fried eel rice bowl! Since Unagiwa's hitsumabushi is quite famous, that's what I ordered, but next time I'm planning to try the eel egg roll too!! haha

Ordering the two-portion hitsumabushi set

This time it was hitsumabushi!! I ordered Unagiwa's signature hitsumabushi set!

Water and a hand towel prepared right after ordering. You can already tell how tidy this place is from here, right?

Ta-da! Korea's own little Nagoya (?) lol, the hitsumabushi has arrived! I was shocked by how generous the portion was ☺️☺️☺️

The mushroom egg custard that comes as a default side is so soft and savory, plus it has that chewy mushroom texture — so good 😭

Honestly, looking at this again makes me want to eat it all over ... 😭😭 Since it's a whole eel, the portion was huge and there was a ton of rice too! With hitsumabushi you pour liquid over it, so having lots of rice made me happy...

The eel quality was so good that I looked it up! It said they use 100% domestic eel from their own farm in Ganghwa Island? No wonder it had that glow.. ✨

How to eat hitsumabushi

As you eat, the table order screen shows you how to eat hitsumabushi~ There's the way to enjoy the eel and rice together as-is! And then there's the way with scallions, wasabi, and roasted seaweed flakes, poured over with ocha! The ocha matters a lot for hitsumabushi, and at Unagiwa, everything from the eel to the ocha was perfect >.<

First, like the instructions said, eel with rice and wasabi ♥️ The wasabi was totally my style, loved it haha

And then my favorite step! Pouring the ocha over ~~ When I had hitsumabushi in Japan it was so delicious, and Unagiwa tastes exactly the same, so no need to fly to Japan... The texture was tender and the tare sauce coating was ridiculously good!!!

A must-have with eel rice bowls. Eel dishes can inevitably get a bit greasy, but this salad was so delicious! The dressing was totally my taste too, so I finished it all haha

Matcha pudding review event

Oh, and Unagiwa in Yeoksam is running a review event where they give out matcha pudding haha. Worth keeping in mind when you visit!

If you're looking for an eel rice bowl favorite near Seolleung or Yeoksam Station, I highly, highly recommend Unagiwa, the ridiculously delicious hitsumabushi spot in Gangnam!!!!