# Solo dining at a Jung-gu, Seoul restaurant with counter seats: Tawa - By Hyein (https://superchart.com/en/@folded-napkin-0f01/) - Written Sep 8, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jung-gu, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a sponsored visit to the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@folded-napkin-0f01/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@folded-napkin-0f01/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/index.md) ## In short Tawa is a Nagoya-style eel rice bowl restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, one minute on foot from Exit 10 of City Hall Station. Dining solo before an exhibit at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung, I sat at the counter for the signature hitsumabushi (eel rice bowl), refilled the seaweed and vegetables, and finished by pouring green tea over the rice for ochazuke. A refined space where eating alone never felt awkward. ## Good to know - **Location**: B1, 102, Hansan Building, 115 Seosomun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul - **Getting there**: 1-minute walk from Exit 10 of City Hall Station - **Seating**: Counter seats, plus rooms for 4–6 people - **Reservations/waitlist**: Available via Catch Table - **Ordered**: Hitsumabushi (eel rice bowl) — the signature dish - **Menu**: Hitsumabushi, kaisendon, three-color don, Japanese curry, sashimi, and more *as written by the visitor on Sep 8, 2026* ![Full table setting of hitsumabushi eel rice bowl at Tawa, a Japanese restaurant near City Hall Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-01-fh3kt-1200.webp) I stopped by Tawa, a City Hall Station restaurant, for lunch before heading to an exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung! Thanks to the tidy, composed atmosphere, dining alone felt totally comfortable, and I was genuinely moved by the deep flavor of the carefully prepared Nagoya-style eel rice bowl, so I wanted to leave an honest review~! If you're looking for a filling, clean meal, pay attention~~ ![Entrance area of Tawa in the basement level of Hansan Building](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-02-1hiu4-900.webp) ![Path to Tawa near Exit 10 of City Hall Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-03-i8tv0-900.webp) ![Basement corridor with the Tawa sign visible](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-04-1gwvx-900.webp) ## Tawa's location near City Hall Station and how to book First off, Tawa, this City Hall Station restaurant, is located in the basement level of the Hansan Arcade building, just a one-minute walk from Exit 10 of City Hall Station! It's really close to the station, so accessibility was great and finding it was easy! Plus you can book through Catch Table or register for a waitlist, which cuts down waiting time and makes visiting so much more convenient~ ![Interior of Tawa decorated in wood and black tones](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-05-10m8q-900.webp) ![Full view of the counter seating at Tawa](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-06-87frq-900.webp) ![Bar seating at Tawa, good for solo dining](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-07-180c8-804.webp) ![Room space at Tawa that fits 4–6 people](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-08-io666-900.webp) ## Counter seats for solo dining and rooms for 4–6 Here's what the inside of Tawa, this City Hall Station restaurant, looks like~ The interior blends wood and black tones for an overall refined, upscale feel~! There are counter seats, so it was fine for eating alone! And there are rooms that fit 4 to 6 people, perfect not just for solo diners but for private gatherings and meals too!!! ![Tawa's menu board showing the hitsumabushi listing](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-09-1rq8o-900.webp) ![Menu board listing kaisendon and three-color don](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-10-5jz96-900.webp) ![Menu page featuring Japanese curry and sashimi](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-11-5alzq-900.webp) ![Detailed page of Tawa's menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-12-18yng-900.webp) ![Additional page of Tawa's menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-13-isdqh-900.webp) ![Table setting and menu guide at Tawa](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-14-fzkjj-900.webp) ## The menu and what I ordered as the signature dish Here's the menu at Tawa, this City Hall Station restaurant~~ There was a variety of Japanese dishes ready, including hitsumabushi (eel rice bowl), kaisendon, three-color don, Japanese curry, and sashimi! After some thought, I ordered the signature hitsumabushi (eel rice bowl)~! ![Hitsumabushi set right after being served](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-15-nyfma-900.webp) ![Eel rice bowl with miso soup and side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-16-s5cwm-900.webp) ![Hitsumabushi table setting served with green tea](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-17-q2bj6-900.webp) ## The hitsumabushi table setting Soon after, the hitsumabushi (eel rice bowl) from Tawa, this City Hall restaurant near City Hall Station, arrived at my seat! The neat plating immediately caught my eye! Along with the glossy, golden-brown grilled eel, there were clean side dishes, savory miso soup, and warm, gently fragrant green tea to pour over the rice later — all beautifully arranged on the table, and the visuals were absolutely perfect! Thanks to the elegant plating and tidy presentation, I even felt like I was being treated to something special. ![Close-up of glossy, golden-grilled eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-18-79xzp-900.webp) ![A piece of eel placed on top of the rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-19-g3gzg-900.webp) ### The eel's texture and the special tare sauce The taste was just as impressive as the visuals! The outside was grilled golden and crispy while the inside stayed soft and moist, so the texture was seriously amazing!! On top of that, the sweet and savory special tare sauce was soaked in with such deep flavor that when I took a big bite with rice, it just melted in my mouth~~ There was no fishy taste at all, just savory, clean flavor all the way through — it was really delicious. ![Eel and wasabi placed on a sheet of seaweed](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-20-jhg9j-900.webp) ![Eel wrap with perilla leaf and vegetables](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-21-12erj-900.webp) ![A plate of refilled seaweed and vegetables](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-22-13bnc-900.webp) ### Wrapped in seaweed, and I refilled it It's delicious even eaten plain, but wrapping it in the seaweed that came with it, along with some wasabi, made it taste even better...!!! The savoriness of the eel, the sharp kick of the wasabi, and the fragrance of perilla leaf all came together in harmony, and it was so, so good~ The combination was so perfect that I ended up ordering a refill of seaweed and vegetables — it was exactly my taste~~ ![Eel rice bowl turned into ochazuke with poured green tea](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-23-1qc65-900.webp) ![Empty hitsumabushi bowl finished without leftovers](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch-24-1vxbr-900.webp) ### Finishing with green tea ochazuke Finally, pouring warm green tea over it to make ochazuke was a treat in itself! The gentle, savory scent of the tea soaked softly into the rice and eel, soothing my stomach with warmth~~~ It let me taste the eel's own clean flavor even more deeply, so I scraped the bowl clean without leaving a single bite. ## To sum up Tawa, this City Hall restaurant in Seoul, won me over with its upscale-tasting eel rice bowl! If you're looking for a proper eel rice bowl spot or a place to dine solo near City Hall Station, trust me and go~~~~!!!! From the visuals to the taste to the atmosphere, nothing was missing — it's a life-changing restaurant you'll be completely satisfied with. ## Where it is - Tawa (타와) - B1, 102, Hansan Building, 115 Seosomun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 중구 서소문로 115 한산빌딩 지하1층 102호 타와 - 37.5634157, 126.973652 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%83%80%EC%99%80/@37.5634157,126.973652,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@folded-napkin-0f01/tawa-city-hall-solo-hitsumabushi-lunch/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt