Hongik Univ. Station Japanese restaurant for a Chobok eel meal: Ochaya

Hi everyone, yesterday was Chobok (the first of the three hottest days of summer, when Koreans eat stamina food). Did you treat yourself to something restorative? My friend Dunggi and I had a hearty, delicious eel bowl for the occasion. The mood was lovely and the food came out so neatly that I loved it, so let me introduce this Japanese restaurant near Hongik Univ. Station: Ochaya Yeonnam (오차야 연남점).

Where is Ochaya Yeonnam? Location, hours and parking

Ochaya Yeonnam is a Japanese restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, about an 8-minute walk from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3. It's on the second floor of a building, so you take the stairs from the entrance.

It's open 11:30 to 20:30 every day with no days off. There's no break time, but last order is at 19:50, so keep that in mind. Parking isn't available, so you'll need a nearby car park.

Is there a wait at Ochaya Yeonnam?

Ochaya Yeonnam only opened this April, but it's already popular, so there may be a wait on weekends. Since it's on the second floor, you wait at the bottom of the stairs.

Ochaya Yeonnam interior and seating

The inside is cozy and warm, with wood-tone interiors. There are tables for two and four, plus one group table. I came on a weekday just after lunchtime and every table was still full; only one was left, so I just managed to get a seat.

The restroom is inside, which is handy, and there are baby chairs too, so guests with a baby can just grab one.

What's on the Ochaya Yeonnam menu?

Here are the main dishes at Ochaya Yeonnam.

• Chamnamul perilla oil soba (buckwheat noodles with aralia shoots)
• Buta no kakuni (braised pork belly)
• Kaisen chazuke (seafood)
• Unagi chazuke (eel)
• Sake chazuke (salmon)
• Matou dai chazuke (John Dory)
• Myeongran ochazuke (cod roe)

Everything looked so good that Dunggi and I agonized forever. In the end, since it was Chobok, we both went for the unagi chazuke, one with extra eel and one basic.

What comes with the ₩16,000 basic unagi chazuke?

The basic unagi chazuke I ordered is ₩16,000. The eel bowl comes with seaweed, three side dishes and broth, all neatly arranged on one tray like a set meal.

For ₩16,000, a whole eel sits on top! The rice is also topped with egg strips, ginger and wasabi, so you eat them together with the eel.

Is the ₩6,000 extra eel on the unagi chazuke worth it?

Dunggi's unagi chazuke came with the extra eel. It adds ₩6,000, and look, a whole other eel goes on top.

If you order the unagi chazuke at Ochaya, definitely add the extra eel for ₩6,000. It's a steal.

Unagi chazuke at Ochaya comes on nutritious rice

On top of that, the rice in Ochaya's unagi chazuke isn't plain rice but nutrition rice (yeongyangbap). Scream with me!!!

It's got mushrooms, sweet pumpkin, beans, basically everything good for you. Eel is good for you already, and then the rice is nutrition rice too? This is what stamina food is.

How to eat unagi chazuke with the broth

You can eat the unagi chazuke with just wasabi, with wasabi and ginger together, or wrapped in seaweed, so there are plenty of ways to enjoy it.

Ochaya Yeonnam has instructions on how to eat it at every seat, so try following them. The nutrition rice, seaweed and side dishes can reportedly be refilled too.

We followed the instructions, eating about half and then adding the broth. They say to mash the eel with a spoon.

Pouring in the broth gave it a whole different feel. It was moist and soft, so easy to eat.

Ochaya Yeonnam review event: matcha senbei ice cream

Ochaya Yeonnam gives a matcha senbei (rice cracker) ice cream as a review event. It was a perfect palate cleanser to finish. If you visit Ochaya Yeonnam, do join the review event.

A cozy, atmospheric space, a tasty and good-value unagi chazuke, and a generous review-event matcha senbei ice cream: Ochaya Yeonnam, the Japanese restaurant near Hongik Univ. Station, made for a very satisfying Chobok meal.