Hitsumabushi spot near Yeoksam Station: eggplant eel bowl, Yangsando

Today I had hitsumabushi at Yangsando Yeoksam, a spot that's perfect for eating alone near Yeoksam Station!

Yangsando Yeoksam location and parking

Yangsando Yeoksam is at 70 Nonhyeon-ro 85-gil, 1st floor, Unit 101, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 463 m from Exit 3 of Yeoksam Station on Line 2. Parking is not available.

The menu is posted outside, so you can look it over in detail before going in. The first impression is clean and tidy.

I arrived early, just before break time, and there were already people waiting. Haha. "We do not reuse leftover food." I always trust that.

Seating and atmosphere at Yangsando Yeoksam

Inside the entrance, the seating is split slightly into a left side and a right side. There are hangers on the wall, and I saw spots to charge your phone at the bar table.

Yangsando Yeoksam menu and prices

These are Yangsando's drinks and alcohol menus. And the meal menu at Yangsando Yeoksam is...

• Hitsumabushi ₩27,000
• Special hitsumabushi ₩37,000
• Teishoku grilled freshwater eel set ₩27,000
• Eggplant eel bowl ₩23,000
• Butadon (pork rice bowl) ₩17,000
• Sakedon (raw salmon rice bowl) ₩17,000
• Kabayaki (sweet-soy grilled freshwater eel) ₩21,000, and more

How to eat hitsumabushi, right on the menu

The menu at Yangsando Yeoksam feels like a mini folding screen, and it explains how to eat hitsumabushi in detail.

• First: eat just the eel and rice
• Second: add nori flakes and scallions, mix lightly, then top with a little fresh wasabi
• Third: add nori flakes, scallions and wasabi, then pour over ocha (green tea) broth
• Last: eat it whichever way you found tastiest

My own tastiest way is... haha, eel only.

Do you have your own secret way to enjoy it most? Haha

The wooden cutlery set comes neatly wrapped.

The cutlery sets are in a drawer beside the table.

Yangsando Yeoksam hours and practical info

• Hours 11:00–21:00
• Break time 15:00–17:00
• Last order 14:30 and 20:30
• Free corkage available, birthday benefits
• Groups of up to 20
• Takeout, delivery and reservations available
• Walk-in registration/catering, waiting area
• Men's and women's restrooms indoors
• Wheelchair accessible

How was the eggplant eel bowl (₩23,000)?

This is the eggplant eel bowl at Yangsando Yeoksam.

It's only one bite, but it freshened up my mouth and was nice. Ah! You know those times when you want just one spoonful?

I ate the salad too.

The eggplant eel bowl has more eel than eggplant, which is great. Haha. There are two strips of eel. The eggplant's distinctive aroma rose up gently. The richness of the eel went well with the softness of the eggplant, and the more I chewed, the more charming the eggplant felt.

It also comes with Japanese-style steamed egg (chawanmushi) and a clear soup. Eggs have gotten expensive lately, yet they made it generously and deliciously.

Hitsumabushi (₩27,000), Nagoya-style freshwater eel bowl

Hahaha, this is the hitsumabushi at Yangsando Yeoksam. A Nagoya-style bowl of Japonica freshwater eel.

You can see the difference in the amount of eel compared with the eggplant eel bowl, right? Haha. The hitsumabushi eel has a faint smoky char outside, as if slightly burnt, and is moist inside. Adding wasabi made the flavor even cleaner.

Just like the eggplant eel bowl, it came with Japanese-style steamed egg and soba (buckwheat noodles).

The eggplant in the eggplant eel bowl kept its distinctive flavor and was cooked richly, so I was just as thrilled with it as with the eel. You can eat the whole eggplant, purple skin rich in anthocyanin and all.

Pouring over the ocha broth

When I added nori flakes, scallions and wasabi to the hitsumabushi and poured in the ocha broth, the eel's deep flavor softened gently.

I always try just a little at a time so it isn't overpowering.

Still, the first way, eel with rice, is the most comfortable. How about scooping up rice and nori together? Haha

Finishing with steamed egg and plum tea

It isn't a course, so you can eat the steamed egg whenever you like! A clean softness fills your mouth. It isn't salty, so it goes harmoniously with the main eel.

Plum tea!! It freshens the mouth and wraps up the meal.

Yangsando Yeoksam for a solo meal or a date lunch?

The eggplant eel bowl with nutritious eggplant is satisfying, and hitsumabushi, where you focus entirely on the eel, is plenty enjoyable too. Hitsumabushi means a freshwater eel bowl served in a wooden container called a hitsu. I hear Yangsando is a brand that has run through three generations from 1956 to today.

Yangsando Yeoksam is comfortable for eating alone and comfortable for a date, with a clean atmosphere and good food. There are also a 10% discount coupon for wedding-invitation gatherings, a weekend-only salmon sushi coupon, and a coupon for turning on notifications.

One more thing: soba is the Japanese word for buckwheat. Saying "buckwheat soba" is like saying "buckwheat buckwheat." It refers to the dish eaten by dipping the noodles in cold soy-based sauce (tsuyu).