Busan Japanese restaurant for oversized eel bowls: Yuok

A Visit to Yuok in Songjeong, Busan

Today’s stop was Yuok, located in Songjeong, Busan. From the exterior alone, it had such a stylish, upscale atmosphere. Just looking at it made my anticipation shoot right up! So, with even higher expectations, let’s hurry inside haha.

About eight cars can park in front of the restaurant. If you’re coming on foot, it’s a five-minute walk from the entrance to Songjeong Beach, and about five minutes from Songjeong Station too.

Inside: Counter Seats and Tables for Four

Inside, there are neat counter seats, plus tables for four along one side. Naver reservations are available too, so I recommend booking ahead if you’re visiting as a group! I hear Yuok is quite well known in Songjeong for its eel rice bowls. It’s a Japanese rice-bowl restaurant where you can enjoy both the food and the atmosphere. Wondering how the eel rice bowl would taste, we got serious and ordered haha.

Ordering the Jumbo Unaju and Saba Ochazuke

Here’s Yuok’s menu. Along with eel and salmon rice bowls, there were plenty of options, including chicken thigh and grilled mackerel rice bowls, so choosing was really hard. Still, the signature dishes are usually the best choice, right?

📋 What We Ordered

We ordered the signature Jumbo Unaju set and Saba Ochazuke set. At first, we hesitated because the prices were on the higher side, but the moment the food came out, we understood!

The Jumbo Unaju Set Had More Eel Than Rice

First up is the Jumbo Unaju set. The eel was huge and tender, and it went beautifully with all the side dishes, salad, and soup, making it easy to enjoy. This grilled eel was bigger than a whole bowl of rice haha.

Can you see how thick that eel is??? I’ve had eel rice bowls in lots of places, but this was my first time seeing eel served as generously as it is at Yuok!! It was incredible. There was more eel than rice, so I was seriously shocked lol. The soft gyeran-mari (Korean rolled omelet) underneath makes this a great set meal for kids too. If you come to Yuok, you absolutely have to order the eel rice bowl! It’s instantly obvious why it’s the signature dish.

The Saba Ochazuke Set, Enjoyed with Tea

Next up was the Saba Ochazuke set. The charcoal-grilled mackerel was clean-tasting, not too oily, moist, and so delicious. There was no fishiness or smell at all, which I loved.

After properly breaking up the mackerel, pour in a little tea and scoop up a big bite with rice—it’s the kind of flavor that suddenly calms your mind haha. The nutty yet clean flavor fills your mouth, with the mackerel’s savory richness and the crisp taste of tea coming together and practically dancing around in there!! This one was really delicious too, so I totally recommend it haha.

The fish portions were huge too, and the fluffy rolled omelet underneath made this set feel completely worth the price. As we ate, the words “Wow, we ate so well” just came out naturally!!

Finish by washing it all down with warm tea, and that satisfying meal comes to an end. Busan seems to have so many great restaurants, but Yuok, which we found when craving an eel rice bowl, will probably stay on my mind for quite a while. I recommend Yuok to anyone looking for a place to eat alone in Songjeong, Busan, or couples looking for a filling meal together.