Songjeong, Busan Japanese restaurant: rainy-day tempura udon, Yuok

I left right at the tail end of the Chuseok holiday... and had a great time on my Busan trip. This time our accommodation was near Haeundae, so I looked for good restaurants around Haeundae, Centum, and Songjeong. I'll slowly post about the new spots I discovered on this trip too~:)

This time I had a really delicious meal of eel bowl and tori-don chicken bowl at Yuok, a Japanese restaurant near the Songjeong sea in Busan.

What is Yuok in Songjeong, Busan?

Yuok is a Songjeong Japanese restaurant specializing in Osaka-style eel bowl (unaju) along with various rice bowl set menus. The address is 47 Songjeonggangbyeon-ro, 1st floor, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea, hours are 11:00–22:00, with a break time from 3 to 5pm.

• Groups, takeout, and reservations available
• Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms
• Baby chairs, pet-friendly
• Simple payment, parking

Parking at Yuok was easy — there was ample space in front of and around the restaurant.

Even from the outside, you can feel the tidiness of this eel bowl restaurant in Songjeong, Busan. It's located on a quiet stretch continuing from Songjeong Harbor at the end of Songjeong Beach, and blending with the stream that connects to the sea out front gives it a distinctly serene feel.

It feels a little tucked away even from Songjeong Beach, but it's a Songjeong, Busan restaurant that regulars know well. During weekends and peak times, you can wait using Catch Table~

Wait times and seating at Yuok

I'd heard Yuok gets busy even on weekdays, so we came during early lunch hours. I'd been here before — after eating the generous, delicious eel bowl, I recommended it to friends, and they were very happy with it too~:)

The interior is still tidy and clean. Cute Japanese-style touches are placed throughout. Most of the seating is bar-style tachi seating...

There are three 4-person tables on one side of the restaurant. The window seats at the 4-person tables probably have a nice view~ Since there were two of us, we used the bar table.

Yuok's signature jumbo unaju and the rest of the menu

Yuok's signature dish is the jumbo unaju set, a reinterpretation of Osaka-style eel bowl done in Yuok's own style.

Besides the jumbo unaju eel bowl, the set menus also include saba ochazuke (mackerel grilled over charcoal and served over rice with tea), a salmon bowl, and the tori-don set piled high with chicken thigh.

À la carte options include mazeudon, tempura udon, karaage, and fried tamago, plus you can add grilled eel or grilled mackerel. There are also evening dishes that double as food-with-drinks menu items, like grilled eel, sukiyaki, and nabe.

They also have a variety of liquors and highballs, so if you're looking for a bar near the Songjeong sea, Yuok could be a good spot for a drink with atmosphere too.

What we ordered at Yuok

• Jumbo unaju eel bowl set
• Tori-don set
• Tempura udon (shrimp and vegetable tempura udon)

Yuok has a receipt review event, and pickled shallots and ginger are set out on every table.

The jumbo unaju eel bowl set and...

...the tori-don set, full of smoky char, were set down in front of us. If it's your first time at Yuok, a staff member will kindly explain how to enjoy it. You can ask for kimchi if you need it. The staff at Yuok were very friendly, which made the meal even more enjoyable.

How was Yuok's jumbo unaju eel bowl?

Yuok's jumbo unaju is different from hitsumabushi — it's Yuok's own style of eel bowl served with a soft, sweet rolled egg omelet. Eel grilled with plenty of charcoal aroma is laid on top with a special sauce, giving it deep flavor and a tender texture. The special sauce was just the right strength, so it never overpowered the eel's own savory taste.

True to its name, it was jumbo in both size and thickness~ very satisfying~^^ The thick rolled egg omelet under the grilled eel was soft and savory, pairing really well with the eel. The combination of rice, eel, and egg roll was fantastic.

How to eat Yuok's eel bowl, step by step

Following Yuok's suggested way to enjoy the dish, I recommend taking the first spoonful of the ingredients as they are, then the next with wasabi and chopped scallion on top... I'd suggest eating in that order. For my taste, Yuok's eel bowl was best with the plain ingredients topped with wasabi, while my husband said pouring on the ochazuke was pretty delicious too~^^

What is Yuok's tori-don set like?

Yuok's tori-don is a rice bowl set piled high with smoky grilled chicken thigh.

It's a big portion but the chicken thigh is tender, and the smoky sauce is seasoned perfectly, not too salty. It's tastiest eaten with the onions inside, topped with wasabi and chopped scallion.

Yuok's rice bowls really seem to pair well with wasabi and chopped scallion~^^ Both the eel bowl and the tori-don chicken bowl have a wonderfully tasty special sauce.

Try scooping a little of the ingredients and toppings into your own small plate, then pouring in the ochazuke that comes in a small ceramic bottle and mixing it in~

Personally, I thought it might taste a bit fishy, but it wasn't like that at all — it was better than I expected. The ochazuke itself must be really good~:)

Tempura udon added on a rainy autumn day at Yuok

Suddenly that day... autumn rain started falling. A nearby table ordered tempura udon, and the steaming, generous bowl looked so delicious. Warm udon on a rainy day is just perfect... My husband suggested we order a tempura udon too~^^ On a day like that, warm udon — instant yes.

Yuok's tempura udon comes piled generously with shrimp tempura and vegetable tempura. The great thing about Yuok is that the toppings really live up to the name — generous!! The eel bowl, the tori-don chicken bowl, and even the tempura udon all come with a genuinely generous amount of toppings on top.

There were two really big, plump shrimp in it, and two pieces of delicious vegetable tempura too. Two pieces of chewy, premium fish cake as well~:) It was the perfect dish for the slightly chilly, rainy weather — we enjoyed it very much~:)

The set also comes with plum tea that doesn't taste artificial at all. A nice refreshing finish.

Who is Yuok in Songjeong good for?

Since Yuok is near the Songjeong sea in Busan, it's a great spot for a Songjeong date, but it's also really good for a family meal or a relaxed meal — a genuinely good eel bowl restaurant in Busan. It's a quality dish that's good for you, so beyond dates and family meals, it also feels upscale and quiet enough to be great for hosting guests or taking your parents out.

If you're looking for a good restaurant in Songjeong, Busan with delicious eel bowl, definitely keep Yuok in mind~:) Despite its secluded, quiet location, it's a restaurant that draws plenty of customers~:)