Mapo ochazuke restaurant with free refills: salmon and eel, Ochaya

Have you all ever had ochazuke (green tea rice)? I first found out about it watching Hyori's Homestay ages ago. I love mixing rice into soup normally, so the idea of a dish soaked in tea totally intrigued me haha. I happened to have errands near Sangsu and heard there was an ochazuke specialty spot nearby, so I hopped right over!

Where is Ochaya? Walking there from Sangsu Station

Ochaya is about a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Sangsu Station on Line 6. It's close to the station so it's easy to find even on your first visit. The restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the building, so you'll need to look up to spot it haha. There's a cute sign in front of the stairs on the 1st floor — just follow that and head up! There's no separate parking, so I'd recommend public transit.

Inside Ochaya: interior and solo dining seats

Once inside, the clean interior catches your eye right away. There seemed to be a lot of solo diners, since there were quite a few 2-seat tables. There are also 4-seat tables, so it's fine to come with friends or family too. The solo seats even have phone stands, so you can watch videos comfortably while eating.

On one wall there were cute Japanese anime posters hanging up haha. They were Ghibli posters, so it was fun just looking at them. The window side is floor-to-ceiling glass, giving the place a bright, open feel. Overall it was a clean, tidy-feeling restaurant.

You grab your own water and apron self-serve, and thoughtfully, there were even hair ties ready — I was touched ㅠㅠ

How do you eat ochazuke, and when do you pour the broth?

At Ochaya, you don't pour the broth in from the start. At first you eat it like a rice bowl with the toppings, and once you're about halfway through, you pour in the broth. Every dish comes with its own kettle of broth, so you pour in as much as you like. Eating it, it reminded me of Korean nurungji (scorched rice) haha. The instructions are printed right on the table, so it's not tricky even for first-timers. It's explained in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese, which suggests plenty of foreign customers come here too.

Ochaya menu and how to order at the kiosk

You order at the kiosk by the entrance. Here's a rundown of Ochaya's menu!

• Cod roe ochazuke ₩10,000
• Kaisen ochazuke ₩14,500
• Buta no kakuni ₩14,000
• Sake ochazuke (salmon) ₩15,000
• Unagi ochazuke (eel) ₩16,000
• Matoudai ochazuke (John Dory) ₩15,000

We ordered the sake ochazuke and unagi ochazuke! I've always had this impression that Japanese food portions are small, so just in case it wasn't enough, we also ordered shrimp tempura haha. The food came out pretty quickly after ordering.

What does the unagi ochazuke (16,000 won) taste like?

Ochaya's unagi ochazuke is seasoned eel, lightly seared and placed over egg strips and nutrient rice. The eel was really generously portioned! The soy sauce seasoning had soaked in well, giving it a sweet-savory taste. The outside was lightly grilled and nutty, while the inside stayed soft.

The eel cut easily with a spoon, so it was really easy to eat too. I tried a bite with wasabi on the rice and egg strips, and it was exactly the taste I'd imagined hahaha. Pickled ginger came alongside it too, great for cleansing the palate. There's soy sauce on every table, so add more to taste if it's too mild. Eel is a classic Korean health food, so it's perfect for a boost of energy.

Adding shrimp tempura to the ochazuke

Ochaya's shrimp tempura was crispy and had that familiar, comforting taste I liked! Pairing it with the ochazuke made the meal nice and filling haha.

What does the sake ochazuke (15,000 won) taste like?

Ochaya's sake ochazuke comes topped with salmon cured kombujime-style. Since the salmon is cured with kelp, it has a chewy texture and rich umami flavor.

Partway through eating the salmon, they poured in the broth for me too. The broth was clear, and once poured in, it felt like eating a completely different dish — loved that! It wasn't overpowering and sat easy on the stomach, so I kept eating smoothly right to the end haha.

Ochaya side dishes and what you can refill

At Ochaya, the nutrient rice, seaweed, side dishes, and broth are all refillable. They served a radish side dish similar to what I always grab whenever I go to Japanese restaurants. It had a faint mustard leaf aroma and a savory depth, and I love putting that kind of thing on rice. It was so good I refilled it and ate more lol. Even people with big appetites should be able to eat their fill here!

Naver receipt review event: free ice cream

If you leave a Naver receipt review after your meal, they give you a free green tea vanilla ice cream. Be sure to check this out if you visit haha.

Ochaya address, hours and parking

• Address: 49 Wausan-ro 13-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 2nd floor
• Transit: About a 5-minute walk from Sangsu Station Exit 1
• Hours: Daily 11:00–20:30 (last order 19:50), no break time
• Parking: Not available
• Amenities: Group seating, reservations, Wi-Fi, pet-friendly

Ochaya has two locations — one near Hapjeong (Sangsu) and one in Yeonnam. It's also been featured as a Japanese rice bowl hotspot on Morning Wide and Today N.

Is Ochaya worth a visit near Sangsu Station?

That's my review of Ochaya, the Japanese restaurant near Sangsu Station! If you've been curious about ochazuke, I really want to recommend this Sangsu Station favorite, Ochaya. Whether you're dining solo or on a date and craving neat, refined Japanese food, stop by and enjoy it comfortably haha.