Gangnam eel restaurant: 8pm solo walk-in & open kitchen, Yangsando

Why Yangsando Yeoksam for a solo dinner in Gangnam

Yangsando Yeoksam (양산도 역삼점) is part of a freshwater eel brand said to have 65 years of history, and it serves hitsumabushi, the classic Nagoya-style eel rice bowl. I had to eat dinner alone in Gangnam one day, and I didn't want to just grab anything because it was a solo meal. I wanted a neatly laid-out proper meal! So here it is for anyone looking for a tidy meal around Gangnam and Yeoksam!

Location and waiting at Yangsando Yeoksam

Yangsando Yeoksam is on Nonhyeon-ro 85-gil in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

It sits between Yeoksam Station and Gangnam Station, so it's a good place to visit when you're hunting for a meal around Gangnam!

You can feel it's a Yeoksam favorite even from the outside 💬

You can wait through Catch Table (a reservation and waitlist app)! I went around 8pm on a weekday, and Catch Table was switched off, so I got in right away haha

A relaxed solo-friendly mood and an open kitchen

The whole place is clean and calm, so it was easy to eat comfortably.

As an eel rice bowl specialist, the space is tidy in a way that suits a neatly arranged tray, so going alone didn't feel awkward at all!

What caught my eye most was the open kitchen. You can watch the food being prepared and wait for your meal in a clean atmosphere, which I liked 👀

How the Yangsando Yeoksam menu is set up

You can choose from regular hitsumabushi, special hitsumabushi and premium special hitsumabushi, and besides eel there's a variety of dishes like sakedon (salmon rice bowl) and butadon (pork rice bowl) to suit your taste!

The back of the menu also explains how to eat hitsumabushi!

There's also a receipt review event, so join in and get a drink 🍻

The special hitsumabushi set: filling enough for a solo meal?

What I ordered that day was the special hitsumabushi. The eel rice bowl comes with side dishes, soup and more, neatly laid out as one tray, so even as a solo meal it felt quite filling.

I liked that it isn't just a single bowl plonked down, but a meal where you can enjoy several things together!

Since the special hitsumabushi is eel eaten with rice, it was satisfying as a full meal and a great choice when you want a hearty dinner.

Three ways to eat hitsumabushi

The charm of hitsumabushi is that you don't eat it just one way, you can enjoy it in several ✔️

First, scoop out the eel and rice as they are and taste it plain

Second, add condiments like scallion, shredded seaweed and wasabi

Third, pour in the broth and eat it like ochazuke (rice in tea or broth)

Finishing with soba, steamed egg and plum tea

In between, I cleansed my palate with soba and steamed egg ..(is that what you call it ..?)

And with a cup of plum tea, a hearty meal is done 🤍

Who is Yangsando Yeoksam good for?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Yangsando Yeoksam works for office lunches, and in the evening for group dinners or solo meals. The spacious, pleasant interior and the neat tray presentation are also pluses!

I went alone, but the menu is well put together, so I ate really well. It's a good stop when you want an eel rice bowl near Gangnam Station, or a proper dinner even by yourself haha

If you're searching for Yeoksam favorites and want something different from the usual, I recommend hitsumabushi!