# Gangnam eel restaurant for a cool evening date: Unagiwa - By Juwon (https://superchart.com/en/@evening-menu-pages/) - Written Sep 13, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@evening-menu-pages/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@evening-menu-pages/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/index.md) ## In short Unagiwa is an eel rice bowl restaurant tucked into an alley in Gangnam, Seoul. I visited with my boyfriend on a weekday evening for hitsumabushi, loving the white-and-wood space, tender eel, and especially the green-tea broth finish. Verdict: a lovely choice for an atmospheric eel rice bowl date. ## Good to know - **Menu**: Hitsumabushi set - **Private rooms**: Available for 6–12 people - **Parking**: Valet parking available; ₩5,000 for up to 2 hours - **Reservations**: Available through Naver Booking or by phone - **Corkage**: Available *as written by the visitor on Sep 13, 2026* ## Unagiwa in a Gangnam alley on a weekday evening One weekday evening when I was feeling a little down..! My boyfriend and I went to Unagiwa, a great eel rice bowl spot in Gangnam, to lift our spirits and recharge. I go to Gangnam pretty often, and there are honestly so many good restaurants tucked into the side streets, not just along the main road haha. ![Context for visiting an eel rice bowl restaurant in a Gangnam alley](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-01-in0ej-900.webp) I feel like eel rice bowls are something you should properly have at a place that specializes in them, and Unagiwa had that unmistakable specialist-eel-restaurant smell from the exterior alone! ![Unagiwa exterior and specialist eel rice bowl restaurant atmosphere](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-02-15cow-900.webp) It had a bit of a Spirited Away vibe, haha. You know what I mean!! Maybe even more so because you go upstairs to the second floor. The weather was cool that day too, which made it feel even more atmospheric. ![Entrance route leading upstairs to Unagiwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-03-1hr0d-900.webp) Go up the grand-looking stairs for half a floor and open the door, and you come face-to-face with Unagiwa: very modern, and clearly somewhere you could enjoy a neat, relaxed meal. ![Modern interior space at Unagiwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-04-1w3uv-900.webp) I really thought they did a great job with this logo. They write unagi, meaning eel, in hiragana, and the “u” is shaped like an eel! Such a clever touch..! ![Unagiwa logo incorporating an eel shape](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-05-wn1cu-900.webp) The interior is overall white and wood-toned, and I am totally here for this kind of mood. It was so clean and modern that I was already in a good mood before eating~ You could tell my boyfriend loves places with a nice atmosphere like this too, hahaha. So I thought it would be really great for a date, but with so many offices nearby, it would also work well for entertaining or a meal gathering. There were actually lots of couples having dinner that evening. ## What comes with the hitsumabushi set > Hitsumabushi set ![Hitsumabushi set meal arrangement](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-06-1ghiw-900.webp) Ta-da. The food came out faster than I expected, haha. They explained everything carefully, so even first-timers with eel rice bowls should be able to enjoy it easily! ![Hitsumabushi set served quickly](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-07-11ska-1200.webp) Ahh, the presentation is insane, right? Hitsumabushi (Nagoya-style grilled eel over rice) comes as a whole set like this, and just looking at it feels so satisfying. ![Components of a full hitsumabushi set](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-08-2e43p-900.webp) This Japanese-style steamed egg is called chawanmushi. The mushroom made it even nuttier and softer, so it warmed my stomach nicely first. ![Chawanmushi with mushrooms](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-09-1s1bl-900.webp) Then the salad wakes up your appetite a little. The dressing was lightly tangy, and it really got my appetite going! ![Salad with a tangy dressing](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-10-rqnzw-900.webp) The long-awaited hitsumabushi. This is the regular set size, but there is also a premium size and a smaller size, so you can choose according to your preference. ### Why Unagiwa's eel rice bowl tasted so good A quick pause here!! Unagiwa says it uses 100% domestic, antibiotic-free Japanese eel, and only eco-friendly, antibiotic-free eel raised at its directly operated farm on Ganghwa Island. They also say they use traditional Japanese cooking methods and a centuries-old Nagoya tare sauce imported directly from Japan. I mean...! No way that could taste bad, right?! Haha. ## Three delicious ways to eat hitsumabushi ### Step 1: The eel on its own > 1ST STEP ![First way to eat hitsumabushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-11-irh31-900.webp) How to enjoy an eel rice bowl~ The first step! Divide it into four, then enjoy one quarter just as it is to taste the eel itself, haha. You can taste the eel most delicately and deeply this way, so I definitely recommend having a few bites like this. ![Explanation of the properly cooked eel texture](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-12-1g1eg-900.webp) Can you see how well the eel was cooked?? It was neither tough nor falling apart. Some hitsumabushi is just too... plump... and chewy... ㅠㅠ and I find that a little off-putting ㅠㅠㅠㅠ But Unagiwa's was cooked just right! Haha, not heavy or overwhelming, just delicious~ ### Step 2: With scallions, perilla leaf, and wasabi > 2ND STEP ![Hitsumabushi with scallions, perilla leaf, and wasabi](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-13-rlmss-900.webp) The next step is usually my favorite: eating it with scallions, perilla leaf, and wasabi. Personally, I think the flavors come alive most this way and work together so beautifully, so I love it~ Load up on the scallions and perilla leaf! Haha. ### Step 3: Pour over green tea broth > 3RD STEP ![Hitsumabushi enjoyed with green tea broth poured over it](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-14-1634r-855.webp) Next, this is an essential step if you are going to call it hitsumabushi: pour over the ochazuke (green tea broth) that comes with it! I personally like this one too~ The seasoning was just right once the broth was poured in. Then eat the final remaining quarter using whichever method was your favorite so far~ haha. Which way do you think I chose?! The answer is..!!!! ![Final hitsumabushi eaten with green tea broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date-15-6lkpw-900.webp) You probably thought it would be number 2, but it was number 3. I usually like it best with scallions for a clean flavor, but at Unagiwa the green-tea-broth version was especially delicious, so I chose number 3 haha. Definitely a great eel rice bowl spot~ ## Reservations, private rooms, and valet parking Reservations are available, and it can accommodate lunch or dinner work gatherings and group meetups, so you can reserve ahead through Naver Booking or by phone. Private rooms are available for 6–12 people. And!! Valet parking is available! It costs ₩5,000 for up to 2 hours of parking~ Corkage is available too, haha. ## Where it is - Unagiwa (우나기와) - 2F, 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 강남구 봉은사로30길 71 2층 - 37.5030197, 127.0370094 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%9A%B0%EB%82%98%EA%B8%B0%EC%99%80/@37.5030197,127.0370094,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@evening-menu-pages/yeoksam-unagiwa-evening-date/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt