Koi garden Japanese restaurant near Songjeong Station, Busan: Yuok

I went to Songjeong in Busan today and stopped by Yuok, which is pretty hot right now. Apparently this place is known for the eel rice bowl, which is one of my favorite dishes.

Yuok, a well-known spot in Songjeong, Busan, is a Japanese restaurant on Songjeong-gangbyeon-ro in Haeundae-gu, Busan, and it's in a great location to walk to from Songjeong Station. Alright, let's go check it out together, here we go!

What Yuok looks like: exterior and koi garden on Songjeong-gangbyeon-ro

When I arrived at Yuok, the clean Japanese-style exterior caught my eye first. It was decorated so well that I almost felt like I'd stepped into Japan.

It felt like walking into some shrine in Japan.

There was a really pretty garden with koi on both sides.

There was also terrace seating outside.

I spotted a lot of goldfish too.

Can you bring a pet to Yuok, and how do you join the waitlist?

At Yuok, the 1st floor is the main dining room and the 2nd floor is the waiting zone. Pets are allowed too. Just keep good etiquette when bringing your pet along. It's convenient to make a Naver reservation before you visit.

If you couldn't get a Naver reservation, you can register for the waitlist through Catch Table in front of the restaurant.

Inside Yuok: dining room and counter seats

Walking into Yuok, the interior was neatly decorated overall, and a Japanese feel came through naturally. There's counter seating, so solo diners can eat comfortably too.

There were all kinds of Japanese decor pieces scattered around. Hi there, No-Face.

There was a variety of palate-cleansing candy too. I forgot to grab one on my way out, such a shame.

There was a clear explanation of how to enjoy the dishes.

Country-of-origin labeling was clearly posted too.

The three rice bowl sets we ordered at Yuok

Yuok has more menu items than you'd expect. On this visit, we ordered a jumbo unaju (grilled eel bowl) set, a salmon bowl set, and a tori-don (chicken bowl) set.

Every table has pickled ginger and rakkyo (pickled shallots), so just help yourself to as much as you'd like.

The food came out quickly.

Jumbo unaju set (grilled eel bowl) at Yuok

First up is the jumbo unaju set, the one I was most looking forward to. Yuok reinterprets Osaka-style eel rice bowl in its own way, and maybe that's why it felt different from your typical eel bowl.

The thick slices of eel piled on top looked incredibly appetizing, filling just to look at. One bite in, the eel was soft and moist, pairing well with the rice. The sweet-savory sauce went well with the rice, and I could taste the eel's distinctive nutty flavor too.

I especially liked that it was served as a full set, which made the meal feel more like something to enjoy slowly. There were accompaniments you could pair with the eel, so it was fun to mix and match according to taste. I tasted the eel on its own first, then added wasabi or chopped scallion, and the same dish felt completely different each time.

Salmon rice bowl set at Yuok

Next is the salmon bowl set. It's a completely different dish from the eel, so I'm glad we ordered it alongside. The salmon was piled generously on the rice, looking hearty, and I liked the soft texture.

Unlike the eel, where the sauce is the star, this let me enjoy the clean, nutty flavor unique to salmon without any fuss. Personally, for salmon bowls I care about freshness and how well it pairs with the rice, and this one was clean and easy to eat.

Tori-don (chicken rice bowl) set at Yuok

Last up, the tori-don set. Tori-don is listed as a rice bowl topped with big pieces of chicken thigh meat, and it had a different kind of heartiness compared to the eel or salmon.

The chicken was tender, and the seasoning matched well with the rice, making it a dish that anyone could enjoy without hesitation. Ordering all three together meant we could each pick what we liked, which seems especially good for a group visit.

Try turning some of it into ochazuke (tea-poured rice) partway through eating. The ochazuke broth is really tasty.

Once again I ended up overeating that day, haha.

Is Yuok worth it as a Japanese restaurant near Songjeong Station?

At Yuok, the combination of tender eel, sweet-savory sauce, and warm rice worked really well together, and it was quite filling as a full meal. If you're at Songjeong Beach looking for a place to eat, or craving a clean Japanese meal near Songjeong Station, Yuok is worth checking out.

Ordering several dishes and sharing them like we did lets you taste each one's different charm, making the meal more fun. This time we sampled three dishes evenly, and now I want to try the other menu items one by one next time.

Yuok hours and parking

• Name: Yuok
• Address: 47 Songjeong-gangbyeon-ro, 1st floor, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00 to 22:00 / break time 15:00–17:00 / last order 21:30
• Parking: available, on-site parking plus nearby parking options
• Pets welcome with a required cage