Gangnam eel restaurant with bar-seat dining: Chisot Yeoksam

Today, I was craving a proper Japanese-style eel rice bowl, so I went to try the hitsumabushi at Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch (치솟 역삼본점)!! I already love eel, so I arrived with high expectations—and not only was the food great, but the Japanese feel throughout the restaurant let me enjoy the atmosphere properly while I ate!

Getting to Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch from Yeoksam Station

It is a five-minute walk from Yeoksam Station Exit 7!

Exterior

Wood-tone interior and bar seating

The restaurant had a wood-tone interior. With lots of warm wood used throughout, it felt cozy and comfortable, while still carrying that calm, distinctly Japanese-restaurant mood! There was also a separate self-service bar where you could get extra rice for making ochazuke (rice in tea broth), plus sauce and broth! (I was too full, though... haha)

I ate at the bar, and it was so interesting to be able to watch the eel being grilled right there!

The menu and how to eat hitsumabushi

There is also an unagi bento available only for weekday lunch, so keep that in mind!! Along with eel dishes, they have a wide range of dishes to have with drinks, so it seems like a nice place for a simple beer at the end of the day, too.

Since hitsumabushi can be eaten in several ways, the instructions were laid out clearly so even first-time visitors could enjoy it without difficulty!! Have a look~

Basic table setting

Tissues, utensils, and other things needed for the meal were neatly prepared around the table. There were toothpicks and sansho pepper powder, too!

Hitsumabushi set and potato croquette

I ordered the hitsumabushi set and a potato croquette!

I started with a little Japanese steamed egg custard to freshen my palate!

First, I tried the main dish: the hitsumabushi set! The moment I opened the lid, there was a generous layer of beautifully golden grilled eel over the rice, and it looked incredibly appetizing. Haha. The eel was cut into nice big pieces, making it easy to eat with the rice, and its glossy sheen made me want to dig in right away~~ Unlike simply having eel over rice, hitsumabushi is fun because you divide it up and enjoy it in different ways. I followed the accompanying guide and tried it in order!

Hitsumabushi in three ways

First, I served myself just eel and rice to taste hitsumabushi in its pure form! The eel's slightly sweet and savory seasoning paired beautifully with the nutty rice, and above all, the eel was moist with a subtle grilled aroma—so delicious. Haha.

Second, I mixed seaweed, wasabi, and chopped scallions into the rice. It felt much fuller in both aroma and texture than eating the eel alone! The wasabi in particular neatly cut through the eel's potential richness, so this was personally my favorite combination, haha.

Third, I finally had the ochazuke I had been waiting for! Pouring the warm ochazuke over the eel and rice gave it a completely different flavor from the first two methods. As the warm broth soaked into the rice, the eel became tender and my stomach felt soothed, so I could enjoy it deliciously right to the end, haha.

The potato croquette pairing

I also had the potato croquette I ordered as a side!! Its outside was crisply fried, while the fluffy potato texture inside really came through, making it a great accompaniment to the eel rice bowl. Haha. It was even tastier eaten hot, with the contrast between the crisp coating and soft potato inside 🤤 Having bites of croquette in between, rather than eating only eel continuously, made the menu combination work really well. Haha, I recommend this pairing!

Saturday lunch wait and final thoughts

More than anything, I loved that this was not just one eel rice bowl, but a chance to have fun enjoying hitsumabushi in several different ways! I would recommend it not only to eel lovers, but also to anyone who wants to enjoy eel rice bowls in a slightly different way. If you want a filling meal of delicious eel in a warm, cozy wood-tone setting, it is well worth visiting at least once! If I return, I would love to have hitsumabushi again in the combination I liked most this time 😊

I visited at around 11:50 AM on Saturday, and a wait started from 12:30 PM! Keep that in mind when you come~~