Eel rice bowl near the National Museum of Korea: Una Yongsan, Seoul

After walking around Yongsan Children's Garden for about an hour, my stomach started sending signals. Walking really does make you hungry fast, haha.

I searched for a place to have an early dinner. Eel rice bowl caught my eye, and that's how I ended up at Una Yongsan, a well-known spot near the National Museum of Korea. Since it's a place to try authentic Nagoya-style hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice), I decided to visit with my partner, who loves eel. It was also conveniently located near Yongsan Station and Samgakji Station.

What kind of restaurant is Una Yongsan Main Branch?

Una Yongsan is a hitsumabushi specialty restaurant where a Japanese cuisine chef with 22 years of experience prepares eel dishes the traditional way. I found it while looking for eel rice bowl or hitsumabushi in Yongsan, and since it's known for authentic Nagoya-style eel dishes, I decided to check it out.

Parking at Episode Yongsan

Una Yongsan has a parking lot within the building, and visitors get the first hour free. After that, it's ₩1,000 per 10 minutes. Self-parking is available, and SUVs and large vehicles can park too, so it's convenient to visit by car.

The entrance and open kitchen

Walking into this Yongsan room-dining restaurant, the atmosphere felt calm from the entrance. Under soft lighting, a path decorated with stones and pebbles led inside, and the clean black-centered interior caught my eye. The square lights along the path glowed softly too, giving the whole space a neat, tidy feel.

I could also see the kitchen through the glass. It was neatly organized, and I could see the chefs grilling eel right away. Watching the eel turn golden brown on the dedicated grill made me even more curious about the taste before the meal even started. Being able to watch the eel being grilled meant I could naturally see the whole cooking process.

Private rooms and hall seating at Una Yongsan

The restaurant is fairly spacious, about 188㎡ (57 pyeong). There are two 4-person rooms and one 8-person room, plus 15 tables in the hall, making it good for family meals, family gatherings, or group get-togethers.

It's near Yongsan Station, Samgakji Station, and I'Park Mall, so it's easy to reach by public transit too. I thought it would suit gatherings like engagement invitation meetups or year-end and new year parties where several people come together.

We were seated at a window table with a full glass wall looking out. It felt open, giving a relaxed feeling throughout the meal. The table had a T-order tablet ready for ordering, and the water bottle, cups, and tissue case were all neatly arranged.

Sitting down and browsing the tablet menu, I found various promotions listed alongside the menu. There was a summer-only Suntory draft beer 3+1 deal, top-grade low-salt white mentaiko that pairs well with the meal, and a free champagne event for groups of 4 or more, great for regular meetups or group gatherings. Worth checking these promotions if you visit.

How do you eat the hitsumabushi mentaiko set?

Here's Una Yongsan's signature dish, the hitsumabushi mentaiko set. The eel here is said to be premium eel, grilled the traditional way. It's brushed with a sauce aged over 10 hours with about 30 medicinal ingredients, then grilled over charcoal, adding a subtle smoky aroma and deep flavor to the eel.

The staff explained in detail how to enjoy hitsumabushi properly, step by step. It was nice that they explained it kindly enough for even a first-timer to follow easily. Thanks to that, I got to try the eel and mentaiko separately, and also with rice, in several different ways.

Warm rice topped with both eel and mentaiko — I tried the eel first. The tender eel with its slightly sweet sauce went well with the rice.

This time I tried the mentaiko alone, and it was salty with a nice umami that went well with rice. Eating eel and mentaiko together versus separately gave different flavors, and personally I liked eating them separately too. Adding a bit of mentaiko to a piece of eel brought out a saltier note, another different taste altogether. If you like both eel and mentaiko, this menu lets you enjoy both, so it's worth a try.

Side dishes and garnishes served with the set

Along with the eel, basic banchan (side dishes), garnishes, and ochazuke broth were neatly served. Garnishes like wasabi, seaweed flakes, perilla leaf, and green onion can be added to taste, and the warm broth is great poured over rice at the end to make ochazuke. The banchan, including cucumber salad, potato salad, and simmered konjac, were also neatly arranged, making the overall spread look clean.

Una ginseng liquor from the receipt review event

I took part in a Naver receipt review event and received a bottle of Una ginseng liqueur.

With baby ginseng sprouts inside, it had a subtle ginseng aroma and paired nicely with the food.

It was fun watching them pour it into a glass and then fill a cypress wood cup with it too. If you write receipt reviews, it's worth checking out this kind of event.

Finishing the eel rice bowl as ochazuke

The way to eat the hitsumabushi mentaiko set felt a bit unfamiliar at first, but the staff explained it kindly several times, so it wasn't hard to follow. I scooped out a portion of rice, ate it with the garnishes first, and finally poured tea over it to enjoy it like ochazuke. The savory, salty flavor combined with the green tea gave a different feeling from what I'd eaten before. Being able to enjoy one dish in several different ways is part of the fun of hitsumabushi.

I poured warm broth over the remaining eel and rice to make ochazuke. The savory eel combined with the warm, clean broth gave yet another flavor different from eating it as an eel rice bowl at first.

I also added a bit of mentaiko here, and the salty flavor and its pop of texture went well together.

Dessert: green tea ice cream

Toward the end of the meal, a staff member came over and kindly explained how to order dessert through the kiosk. Thanks to that, I could order without any trouble. Shortly after, the green tea ice cream arrived, with a subtle, cool green tea aroma that cleaned up my palate nicely. I finished the last dessert happily and ended the meal on a good note.

Una Yongsan Main Branch location and hours

• Address: 37 Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea (2nd floor, Episode Yongsan 241)
• Hours: 11:30–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00

If you're looking for an eel rice bowl near Yongsan Station, Samgakji Station, or I'Park Mall, Una Yongsan is worth a visit. You can enjoy authentic hitsumabushi and other eel dishes, and with its spacious hall and private rooms, it's also good for family meals or gatherings. If you love eel, it's a nice place to sit back and enjoy the flavor properly.