Yeoksam eel restaurant: once vs twice steamed eel and umaki: Unagiwa

What's the difference between hitsumabushi and unadon anyway? Is it just about pouring ochazuke over it or not? At Unagiwa, a Nagoya-style eel rice bowl restaurant in Yeoksam, I ordered both and finally understood the difference!! And once I tried the hitsumabushi, it really did feel like authentic Nagoya style (though I've never actually eaten it in Nagoya haha). If you want a fancy eel rice bowl in Yeoksam, I recommend Unagiwa!

Where Unagiwa is and when it opens

• 📍 Location: 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (669-8 Yeoksam-dong)
• 🕓 Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 / closed every Sunday / break time 15:00–17:00 / last order 20:00
• 🅿️ Parking: available, 25 Teheran-ro 27-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, valet 5,000 won / 2 hours provided, then 1,000 won per 30 minutes
• ⭕ Other: groups welcome, reservations possible, waiting area available, no pets, free corkage (no bottle limit)

Unagiwa's building and how the valet parking works

Ooooh, there's parking!!! Behind the restaurant, there's a valet booth right where you can see our building's sign. 25 Teheran-ro 27-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Valet is 5,000 won for 2 hours, so you can enjoy your meal and even have coffee afterward without rushing!!

After parking, it's about a 1-2 minute walk back around to Unagiwa!

Just walk straight in and go up the stairs to enter!

Inside Unagiwa: seating and atmosphere

Is this Japan or what... even the waiting seats are fancy. Along the corridor, the left side has waiting seats plus the kitchen, and the right side has the dining seats!

The kitchen's heat and smells don't reach the dining area, so you can enjoy your meal cool and comfortable. Ahh...

In the kitchen, they're busy grilling eel like this!!! Let me hurry back to my seat and order.

Unagiwa's menu, prices and free corkage

My food-loving friend ordered the hitsumabushi, and I ordered the unadon. Hitsumabushi Teuk 52,000 won, Unadon Sang 38,000 won, Umaki (eel egg roll) small 4pc 12,000 won.

They give out matcha pudding for a receipt review event! Curious what that tastes like.

By the way... this place has free corkage.. and no limit on the number of bottles!!!! Wow... bring some good sake and enjoy grilled eel and eel soup with a drink, that sounds amazing ㅠㅠ If you're looking for a free corkage spot in Yeoksam, come to Unagiwa~~ It's an incredible place with no bottle limit ❤️

Check out the country-of-origin labeling too~

Hitsumabushi Teuk at Unagiwa and how to eat it in four quarters

Unagiwa apparently runs its own eel farm in Ganghwado called 'Jaeyeol Suisan.' They only use domestic, antibiotic-free certified eel, selecting only the softest 3.5-monme and 4-monme eel to make their Nagoya-style eel rice bowl, so my expectations are quite high..

Just looking at the size and thickness of the eel, it looks similar to the visuals of Banpo Marusim's eel rice bowl. They say they use Nagoya-style tare sauce too, so I'm curious about the taste. The Hitsumabushi Teuk comes with a whole one and a half eels, so the portion is huge as expected. The eel completely covers the rice with no gaps haha

My friend hadn't tried hitsumabushi before, so I explained it to them haha

• 1/4: Enjoy the original flavor as is
• 1/4: Add yakumi — mix in wasabi, chives, perilla leaf, and seaweed flakes for a spicy kick
• 1/4: Ochazuke — pour warm dashi broth over it
• 1/4: Eat it however you liked best!

First, the eel's texture — probably because they use smaller eel — is somewhere between chewy and tender rather than firm. And the tare aroma is quite salty and strong. It reminds me of the taste at Banpo Marusim.

Turns out I was right.. apparently Unagiwa's head chef is the executive director of Marusim..? haha The taste is not something to doubt at all. It's guaranteed to be delicious. Anyway, this second way of eating is so tasty ㅠ The fresh perilla leaf aroma and spicy wasabi go so well with the eel ㅠㅠ

Finishing it off by pouring on the ochazuke was perfect... At Unagiwa, it's not just green tea water but seems to be dashi broth ^^ It's delicious plain, but you can also add perilla leaf, seaweed flakes, and chives to taste, which is also delicious. I'm always a fan of ochazuke, but my friend said adding yakumi was the best way!

Three differences between Unagiwa's hitsumabushi and unadon

So what's the actual difference between unadon and hitsumabushi? Let's find out, then move on to the unadon review~

First difference: how many times the eel is steamed

Unagiwa's hitsumabushi is steamed once, while the unadon is steamed twice. As a result, the unadon has a much softer texture haha If you want a chewier texture, go for the hitsumabushi; if you want a softer eel rice bowl, I'd recommend the unadon.

Second difference: the cut and size of each piece of eel

Hitsumabushi has the eel cut relatively thin and julienned, then packed densely over the rice, while unadon has the grilled eel cut into large chunks laid on top of the rice. Different, right? haha

Third difference: how each bowl is eaten

Unadon also comes with yakumi (chives, perilla leaf, seaweed flakes, wasabi), but there's one thing missing! No ochazuke haha For someone like me who loves pouring ochazuke over an eel rice bowl, that was a slight letdown, but the eel's texture and flavor in the unadon were satisfying enough that I was content just stealing a bite of my friend's hitsumabushi instead haha

And this — the umeboshi sauce (plum sauce) I had in between. Sour and refreshing, having it with a piece of eel in the middle really wakes up your palate. A different kind of charm!!

It was really so delicious that I want to go back and eat again ㅠㅠ Even my friend, who doesn't usually eat regular grilled eel, said they understood why people come here for this pricier eel rice bowl instead haha The combination of this tare sauce and charcoal grilling tastes completely different from regular grilled eel, I'm telling you ㅠㅠ If you want to properly enjoy Nagoya-style hitsumabushi, definitely try it at Unagiwa!

Umaki (eel omelette roll) and mushroom chawanmushi

This mushroom steamed egg is also so good ㅠㅠ

This was my first time trying umaki, the eel egg roll!! The visual isn't that great honestly haha

Inside the sweet egg is a piece of eel, and you eat it topped with grated radish sauce. I also enjoyed adding some wasabi on top! It's not an especially special flavor, but I'd recommend it if you want an extra side dish!!

Final verdict on Unagiwa: would I come back?

• ✅ Unagiwa, where the executive director of Marusim serves as head chef
• ✅ If you're looking for a truly authentic Nagoya-style hitsumabushi spot in Yeoksam, this is it
• ✅ Domestic antibiotic-free eel meets real Nagoya-style steamed tare sauce ❤️
• ✅ Both the hitsumabushi and unadon are highly recommended, again and again
• ✅ Elegant, calm atmosphere, great for a date
• ✅ Would I go back: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ah, I want to go again already. If you want to properly experience Nagoya-style hitsumabushi, definitely visit. Even the bathroom was so spotlessly clean, I was so satisfied..