Gijang, Busan restaurant to take parents: chawanmushi and hitsumabushi

Today I want to introduce a Gijang restaurant I really want to recommend: Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch!

Where Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch is and when it opens

Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch — "A 65-year-old Nagoya-style hitsumabushi (grilled eel rice bowl) specialist"

Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch is located at 45-10 Yeonhwa-gil, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, South Korea. It's open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 to 20:30, and closed every Monday. (If Monday falls on a public holiday, it's open that day and closed on Tuesday instead.)

The exterior is decorated so prettily, isn't it?? Total aesthetic-café vibes ✨ We looked around outside for a bit before happily heading in 😚

The private room, and why it suits a meal with parents

As soon as we stepped into Yangsando Gijang Yeonhwa Branch, a staff member guided us to a private room seat! Having such a big space entirely to ourselves felt so special and pampered!

I thought this would be a place older folks or parents would really love! Honestly, there were plenty of older diners there, and it seemed like a lot of families were visiting too.

Here's the menu info! We ordered one hitsumabushi and one mentaiko hitsumabushi!

How to eat hitsumabushi step by step

Hitsumabushi refers to a Nagoya-style grilled eel rice bowl served in a wooden container called a "hitsu." There's a proper step-by-step way to enjoy it, so let me walk you through it now 🫶

1. Eel and rice on their own

First, scoop a little into an empty bowl and taste the eel and rice on their own! There's no fishy taste at all, and the bones are so thin it didn't bother me eating it. I had no idea eel could taste this savory and rich — I already love oily fish, so I enjoyed it even more 🤤

2. With nori, scallion and fresh wasabi

Next, mix in nori flakes and scallion lightly, then add a bit of fresh wasabi for a clean flavor! Eating it this way, the taste gets so much richer! Personally, this second method — loaded with nori and scallion — was my favorite 🫶

3. Ocha broth poured over for ochazuke

Add the nori, scallion, and wasabi, then pour in the ocha broth from the little jug for a savory, clean finish as ochazuke! I actually make ochazuke at home sometimes, but the broth here is so much richer than mine, and with the eel and mentaiko together the umami just explodes — totally different level from what I make at home 😳👍

I'd tried eel sushi here and there before, but I never really loved it, so I wasn't a huge eel person 😂 But after trying Yangsando's eel rice bowl, my whole view of eel changed 🤩

What does the mentaiko hitsumabushi taste like?

This is the mentaiko hitsumabushi — Nagoya-style eel topped with a piece of mentaiko (seasoned pollock roe) 🤩

The mentaiko here is Deokhwa mentaiko, and maybe that's why it was noticeably less salty than typical mentaiko. It wasn't salty at all — you could eat it plain — so I could really taste its full umami flavor!

Chawanmushi, cold soba and salad

The bouncy chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard) practically slid down without even needing to chew!

Right when things start feeling rich, dig into the cold soba and salad too 🤤 Left feeling well-fed and thoroughly nourished!

Who Yangsando is worth the trip for

• Recommended as a restaurant to take your parents to in Gijang!
• Recommended if you want a great eel rice bowl in Busan!
• Osiria Tourist Complex and Haedong Yonggungsa Temple are nearby, plus plenty of cafés, so it's a great addition to a Gijang travel itinerary!