Yeoksam eel rice bowl that beat Tokyo's: hitsumabushi at Unagiwa

Hi there! This is Higa :))

I was in Seoul Friday through Saturday for a wedding invitation gathering and a tasting session for Noble Valenti Daechi's wedding buffet!!

After my personal schedule wrapped up, I had dinner plans with Good Boy on Friday evening. While thinking about what to eat, we ended up at Unagiwa, a well-known eel rice bowl spot in Yeoksam, and finally got to eat the eel rice bowl that Good Boy loves, after a long while 🩵

Let me say this upfront... personally, it was better than the famous eel rice bowl I had in Tokyo!! An eel rice bowl that completely won me over. If you're craving one, definitely go — highly recommend!

Where is Unagiwa, and what are its hours and parking?

Unagiwa is a Japanese eel rice bowl restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building near Yeoksam Station, at 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu. It's open from 11:00 to 21:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00, and last order at 20:00.

• Unagiwa / 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu
• Hours 11:00 – 21:00
• Break time 15:00 – 17:00
• Last order 20:00
• Valet parking available

Unagiwa, a Japanese eel rice bowl specialist near Yeoksam Station 🫶🏻 We wanted to enjoy our meal without rushing, so we made a reservation ahead of time haha. The interior had such an upscale Japanese restaurant vibe!

Heading up to the 2nd floor of the building

And here's the entrance to Unagiwa, ta-da!!

What is the dining room at Unagiwa like?

The moment we walked into Unagiwa, the interior felt so upscale! I really love restaurants like this haha.

The space was spacious and comfortable, so I felt good even before the food arrived. I thought it'd be great to bring my parents here too! Next time, we should all come together!!

Unagiwa's menu and what we ordered

Unagiwa's main menu

Unagiwa's side menu

The staff showed us to our reserved seats, we glanced at the menu and ordered two of the Hitsumabushi Sang, Unagiwa's signature eel rice bowl! :)) We were really hungry, but the food came out quickly after ordering! :))

What comes with the Hitsumabushi Sang set

Unagiwa's Hitsumabushi Sang comes as a rice bowl topped with a whole eel, served as a full table setting. It comes with salad, Japanese-style steamed egg custard (chawanmushi), various toppings, and broth/sauce, all prepared so you can finish with ochazuke haha.

Doesn't the eel on top of the rice bowl look so plump and delicious..? After hearing the staff's instructions, it was mukbang time!

How to eat Unagiwa's eel rice bowl in four steps

After double-checking how to eat it properly, we divided the eel rice bowl into four parts

First, we ate it the basic way — a spoonful of just the eel and rice as they were. The sweet, savory sauce drizzled over the rice paired so harmoniously with the savory eel... it was insanely good, ugh. Sorry, Tokyo eel rice bowl, step aside;

Good Boy was eating it so happily..? I felt a bit sorry that it had been so long since we last had eel rice bowl together.. Let's eat it more often now.. we've found our go-to spot!!!

Next, enjoying it with the perilla leaf and scallion that came alongside! Eating it this way made it even more delicious… Sprinkle it all over the rice and enjoy the eel rice bowl.. and once you've had your fill, you have to finish the last bit as ochazuke.

Finishing the eel rice bowl as ochazuke

Pour the warm tea over the remaining eel rice bowl in your small plate, and you get to enjoy Unagiwa's specialty, eel rice bowl ochazuke! :)

Oh! Since the tokkuri (tea flask) is hot, hold it by the top when pouring!

Sprinkle some seaweed flakes on top and take a bite — doesn't that sound amazing? Unagiwa's eel rice bowl full-table setting was thoroughly satisfying!! Finishing warm with the ochazuke left my stomach feeling nice and cozy.. 🩵

Is Unagiwa worth going back to?

This is a happy story of us finishing our eel rice bowls in no time and walking out patting our full bellies, satisfied..🫶🏻 hehe

Finding such a delicious eel rice bowl spot near Yeoksam Station was really a stroke of luck.. Next time Good Boy craves eel, I'll run straight to Unagiwa..! If you're looking for a great eel rice bowl near Yeoksam Station, be sure to check out Unagiwa!!