Mapo Japanese restaurant for whole-eel ochazuke: Ochaya Yeonnam

While out in Hongdae's Yeonnam-dong, I visited Ochaya Yeonnam and got such strong Japan-trip vibes 🎶 I thought it was so cool that I could have ochazuke in Korea, too!

Ochaya Yeonnam Visit Information

Ochaya Yeonnam

• Daily 11:30–20:30
• Last order: 19:50
• No parking; use a nearby public parking lot
• Pets allowed

Ochaya Yeonnam is about a 10-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik University Station! After your meal, you can stroll along the nearby Yeonnam Gyeongui Line Forest Park, and since it is Hongdae, there is plenty to see around there too.

A Yeonnam-dong Street View Through Floor-to-Ceiling Windows

Located on the second floor, it has a view of Yeonnam-dong through the big windows. It feels cozy and comfortable, with that peaceful feeling of being on a trip to Japan. The atmosphere is also lovely for a date or a blind date.

Kiosk Ordering and the Ochazuke Menu

Menu

Order at the kiosk as soon as you enter, then take a seat~~ This Japanese restaurant is known for ochazuke made with different ingredients such as salmon, eel, and pork belly! I had tried ochazuke in Japan before, but this was the first time I had seen it in Korea, so I looked it up and found there are a few places after all? Still, Ochaya is the most famous delicious spot, desu 👍

There is a separate place to hang your clothes, and you can charge your phone freely too—such thoughtful little touches stood out 🫢

Unagi Chazuke and Sake Chazuke

Unagi chazuke ₩16,000 Sake chazuke ₩15,000

Our eel unagi chazuke and salmon sake chazuke arrived~~🤎🧡 Ochazuke is a Japanese dish made by pouring warm green tea over rice and topping it with various ingredients. I remember eating it so deliciously on my Japan trip, so being able to have it in Korea too was the bestㅠㅠ

Rice, broth, and side dishes can all be refilled! The sides include gim (roasted seaweed), kimchi, salted squid, and more—rice-stealing little dishes that go well with ochazuke.

A Whole Eel on Top

The visuals are seriously no joke, desu!!!! The unagi chazuke comes with one whole eel on top. Even compared with my left arm, it was pretty huge hahaha. The eel is well seasoned, so it is delicious even on its own.

Clean-Tasting Salmon That Goes So Well with Seaweed

The sake chazuke was piled high with salmon too. It was especially delicious wrapped with the gim served alongside it. It is not intense and has a clean flavor, so my boyfriend, who likes mild food, really enjoyed it haha.

How to Eat Ochazuke with Broth over Nutrient Rice

Uniquely, Ochaya Yeonnam serves nutrient rice rather than plain white rice. It gave the dish a deeper flavor and a varied, pleasantly chewy texture, which made it fun and delicious to eat! I can see it being a matter of taste, but I was definitely a fan~~

After eating about half the rice, pour in the warm broth served with it~~ The nutrient rice, side dishes, and broth can all be refilled~~

The instructions say to pour in the broth and then mash up the unagi eel and buta kakuni pork dishes, so I diligently broke up the eel meat haha. The eel aroma and seasoning infuse the broth, letting you enjoy another flavor—that is the charm of ochazuke. It warmed me right through and left me so satisfyingly full; the finish was just perfect!!!! 💓

Japanese-style ochazuke you can try in Yeonnam-dong, Hongdae 🧡 There are lots of ochazuke options, and it is perfect for a date, so do go check it out~!~!