Gangnam eel rice bowl above Dallae Haejang, hitsumabushi: Unagiwa

Today's post is an honest review of a slightly special eel rice bowl I had at Unagiwa in Gangnam.

Unagiwa hours, break time and valet parking

• ⏰ Closed every Saturday and Sunday
• Mon–Fri: 11:00–21:00
• Break time 15:00–17:00
• Last order 20:00
• 🅿️ Parking: valet parking available, ₩5,000

Where is Unagiwa? 2nd floor above Dallae Haejang in Gangnam

This Gangnam favorite, Unagiwa, is located on the 2nd floor above Dallae Haejang on Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil. Note that the entrance is on the left side 🤍

As you can see in the photos, the exterior already has a strong Japanese feel.

What the dining room at Unagiwa feels like

Walking into Unagiwa felt totally different! I was surprised by how spacious it was, and the interior looked so upscale.

Overall it uses wood tones and beige tones, giving it a calm yet sophisticated look — the soft lighting and Japanese-style decor pieces blend together so well that even though I'd come in just for a meal, it felt like stepping into a proper dining lounge! The atmosphere was so nice it seemed like a great spot for a date, a gathering, or a family meal out.

Unagiwa menu and prices: hitsumabushi Sang set 38,000 won

Unagiwa's menu is made up of hitsumabushi (eel rice bowl), salt-grilled eel, eel soup, and a shirayaki (salt-grilled) set, along with a good lineup of drinks including sake! We ordered two of the hitsumabushi sets (₩38,000) that day.

💡 Unagiwa says it only uses hand-selected 3.5- and 4-strand-sized eel that's certified antibiotic-free, which is pretty reassuring, don't you think?

What comes on the hitsumabushi Sang tray

Our eel rice bowl finally arrived. Wow… even in photos it looks great, right? 🤎

The eel, glossy and shining, was piled on so generously you could barely see the rice underneath.

It wasn't just the eel rice bowl on its own —

• ✔️ Eel rice bowl
• ✔️ Salad
• ✔️ Steamed egg (chawanmushi)
• ✔️ Soup
• ✔️ Pickled side dishes
• ✔️ Assorted side vegetables
• ✔️ Broth for ochazuke

all came together, making it a really hearty meal on its own. Since eel itself is a somewhat rich, heavy food, the side dishes matter a lot — and here they had a clean, refreshing taste that did a great job cutting through the eel's richness.

This is the plum sauce — they told us to dip into it later on if things start to feel a bit rich! (Though honestly, it was so delicious I barely noticed any richness at all.)

Four ways to eat hitsumabushi at Unagiwa

This was the most fun part of Unagiwa!! You don't eat the eel rice bowl just one way. Hitsumabushi is meant to be divided up and enjoyed in several different styles, so even first-timers can follow along with the instructions shown on the tablet and have a lot more fun with it.

1. Eel and rice, plain first

First, I divided the bowl into quarters and tried the eel and rice plain.

The glossy grilled eel was coated in a slightly sweet sauce, and eating it together with the rice really let me taste the classic, fundamental flavor of an eel rice bowl. Ugh, it was genuinely so good ㅠㅠ 🥺

2. With nori, perilla leaf and wasabi

For the second style, I scooped a portion onto a separate plate and

added a little nori flakes, perilla leaf, and wasabi. The eel's rich, savory flavor combined with the fragrant perilla leaf and the sharp kick of wasabi and it genuinely tasted like a different dish! Really, really delicious…

3. As ochazuke with warm broth

Third, I added warm broth to turn it into ochazuke!

Pouring in the broth and adding some scallions and other toppings let me enjoy it moist, like ochazuke — as the warm broth soaked into the rice, the eel's rich flavor felt a bit softer and cleaner. Eating eel the same way the whole time can start to feel heavy, but pouring on the broth like this meant I could keep enjoying it comfortably all the way to the end.

4. Finishing with plum sauce, the best way of the four

For the fourth style, I went back to my personal favorite — eel and rice plain — and finished it off with a touch of plum sauce! The flavor kept shifting: the eel's original taste ➡️ with toppings ➡️ ochazuke with broth. So even though I only ordered one eel rice bowl, it genuinely felt like eating several different dishes haha.

Final verdict on Unagiwa, a Gangnam eel rice bowl restaurant

• ✔️ The upscale atmosphere works well for gatherings, dates, office lunches, or team dinners
• ✔️ Uses eel certified as antibiotic-free
• ✔️ A single eel rice bowl can be enjoyed several different ways — a genuinely unique experience
• ✔️ A good range of side dishes to cut through the eel's richness
• ✔️ Comes with chawanmushi, salad, and soup for a hearty full meal

Who Unagiwa suits best

• ✅ Anyone looking for a special eel rice bowl in Gangnam
• ✅ Anyone looking for a good lunch spot near Yeoksam Station
• ✅ Anyone trying hitsumabushi for the first time
• ✅ Anyone who wants to enjoy eel in several different ways

Today I tried something a little different at Unagiwa in Gangnam — ordering one eel rice bowl, eating it plain, then with toppings, and finally pouring warm broth over it at the end. It was genuinely surprising how much variety you can get out of a single dish. If you're looking for an eel rice bowl experience a bit different from the usual in Gangnam, I'd recommend Unagiwa.