Yeoksam eel rice bowl with Saero soju for an evening drink: Unagiwa

Hi, this is Honey!

With the weather turning a little cooler these days, I kept craving something hearty and restorative. I had an appointment in Gangnam and was looking for what to eat, and that's how I found Unagiwa, an eel rice bowl specialist in Yeoksam.

I usually love grilled eel too, but hitsumabushi — eel served over warm rice — has its own charm. It's not just plain eel rice bowl; you get to add toppings and finish it off poured with tea (ocha) as ochazuke, so you can enjoy several different flavors from one bowl. It's also close to Yeoksam Station, so the accessibility was great. Here's my honest review of Unagiwa, a Yeoksam eel rice bowl spot :)

Where is Unagiwa, and how does the valet parking work?

Unagiwa is located on the 2nd floor of 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. If you're coming by public transit, it's about a 3-minute walk from Exit 7 of Yeoksam Station on Line 2. It's not far from the station, so it seemed like a good spot for weekday office lunches as well as evening dinners after work.

If you're driving, you can use valet parking. You can leave your car at the valet booth at 25 Teheran-ro 27-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and based on a recent visitor review, the fee listed was ₩5,000 for 2 hours. That said, valet fees and conditions can change, so I'd recommend confirming with the restaurant on the day of your visit.

Walking further into the alley, you start seeing Unagiwa's distinctly Japanese-style exterior. The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, so you just follow the stairs up from the building's entrance. There's a sign for Unagiwa along with menu photos near the entrance, so it wasn't hard to find even on a first visit.

With the wood-tone entrance and Japanese signage, it already felt like an eel specialist restaurant in Japan before even stepping inside. And even though it's right in the middle of Yeoksam, being tucked into an alley rather than on a busy main road made it feel like a nice, quiet spot for a meal.

What is the dining room at Unagiwa like?

Once inside, the mood from the exterior carried through. The clean interior in white and wood tones, combined with Japanese-style wooden lattice work and lighting, created a calm atmosphere.

You might expect an eel restaurant to feel a bit heavy or old-fashioned, but Unagiwa's interior is bright and tidy, so it seemed like a fine choice for a date, a family meal, or a work lunch gathering. The tables weren't cramped, and the space extended further inside than expected, so it felt spacious.

Above all, everything felt well put-together, which built up my anticipation even before actually eating the hitsumabushi. Now let me show you the Sang set I ordered :)

Unagiwa menu and prices: Hitsumabushi Sang at 38,000 won

Unagiwa's signature menu item is, of course, hitsumabushi. Hitsumabushi is a Nagoya-style eel rice bowl where grilled eel is cut into bite-sized pieces and served over rice. What makes it distinctive is that you don't just eat the eel and rice plain — you can also add toppings or enjoy it as ochazuke, giving you several different ways to experience it.

The menu board listed Hitsumabushi Sang at ₩38,000 and Teuk at ₩52,000, and I went with the Sang. It's a good choice for those who want to properly enjoy eel but find the Teuk size a bit much. It comes as a full set with the eel rice bowl, soup, and various side dishes, so it was hearty.

What's special about hitsumabushi is that you eat the eel and rice plain at first, then add toppings like wasabi or chives, and finally pour broth over it to enjoy it like ochazuke — so you can experience a real change in flavor within a single dish.

• Hitsumabushi Sang ₩38,000 × 2 = ₩76,000
• Saero ₩5,000

Today's order was Unagiwa's signature Hitsumabushi Sang. Since there were two of us, we each ordered the same Sang set.

The table was set neatly from the start, which made even waiting feel refined. So much anticipation...

Starting with a 5,000 won bottle of Saero soju

Before the hitsumabushi arrived, we also ordered a bottle of Saero soju :) It would've been a shame to eat eel without a glass of soju, haha.

Just as we clinked glasses for a refreshing cheers, the main dish was ready right away. The combination of sweetly grilled eel and clean-tasting soju was great — now, the long-awaited Hitsumabushi Sang set made its appearance!

What comes with the Hitsumabushi Sang set

The much-anticipated Hitsumabushi Sang set finally arrived. Centered on the eel rice bowl, it came with salad, soup, steamed egg custard, and various toppings and side dishes filling the table — the visuals alone were impressive :)

The golden-brown grilled eel was packed on so densely you could barely see the rice underneath, which looked hearty just from the sight of it. The eel's surface had a glossy coat of sauce, with appetizing grill marks here and there! Hitsumabushi can be enjoyed in various ways using the accompanying chives, wasabi, and other toppings depending on your taste.

Before diving into the hitsumabushi itself, I started light with the salad. The crisp vegetables with tangy dressing were great for waking up the appetite. Since the eel that followed was sweet and rich in flavor, the salad worked well as a palate cleanser in between bites. There was fun in trying each item that came with the set, not just the main dish!

The steamed egg custard that came with it was also quite substantial. Scooping it with a spoon revealed a properly soft, jiggly texture! Finely chopped mushrooms were on top, adding a subtle aroma and texture.

It wasn't overly seasoned and had a clean flavor, so it was good to eat before or in between bites of the sweet eel — warm, smooth, and going down easily. Personally, it was a satisfying side dish.

How to eat hitsumabushi in three steps

Before digging in, hitsumabushi is first divided into four equal portions. Using a rice paddle, you split the eel and rice into a cross shape so that each portion has an even amount of eel and rice. The reason for dividing it into four is so that you can enjoy the one bowl in different ways.

Step one: the grilled eel on its own

For the first portion, I tried the eel and rice plain, without any toppings. The golden-grilled eel had a hint of smoky char on the outside while the flesh underneath was soft and moist. The sweet sauce had soaked nicely into both the eel and the rice, so it was plenty delicious even without adding anything else.

The eel was thick, so you could really feel the tender flesh with every bite. Definitely start with this for your first bite :)

Step two: eel with the toppings mixed in

For the second portion, I scooped out some eel and rice and added roasted seaweed flakes, perilla leaf, and wasabi. Adding the seaweed's umami and the fragrance of perilla leaf to the sweet, savory eel gave it a distinctly different feel from the first bite!

I especially loved the combination with a bit of wasabi on top — it cut through the eel's richness with a sharp kick, making it taste cleaner. The way the flavor changes completely depending on the toppings, even though it's the same eel rice bowl, is really the charm of hitsumabushi.

And of course, a glass of Saero in between was a must. Eating the sweet, savory eel and then following it with a cold glass felt like it cleaned the palate right up.

In particular, pairing a bite of eel with wasabi and toppings alongside a glass of soju turned out to be a surprisingly good match. I'd always thought of eel rice bowl as strictly a meal item, but eating it this way, it also made for a great light evening drink pairing.

Step three: pouring broth over the eel for ochazuke

For the third portion, I added toppings to the remaining eel and rice and poured warm broth over it to enjoy it like ochazuke. Pouring the broth in loosened up the sweet eel sauce naturally, adding umami depth to the soup as well.

It became much more moist and tender than eating it plain, and the eel's rich flavor felt cleaner and lighter — good for wrapping things up after a glass of soju. Scooping up eel, rice, and toppings together in one spoonful felt hearty yet gentle on the stomach!

Plain, then with toppings, then finished as ochazuke — being able to enjoy one bowl in three different ways was hitsumabushi's biggest charm.

What stood out about dinner at Unagiwa

✔️ Taste — The eel was grilled golden-brown on the outside and moist inside, well matched with a sweet, savory sauce. Eating it plain, then with toppings, then finally as ochazuke meant it never got boring.

✔️ Price — Hitsumabushi Sang is ₩38,000 per person. It's not a casual, light meal price, but considering the amount of eel plus the salad, steamed egg custard, soup, and toppings that come with it, it's a hearty, well-rounded set.

✔️ Atmosphere — The clean interior in white and wood tones had a subtle Japanese feel. The restaurant was also tidy enough to suit a date, family meal, or work gathering.

✔️ Service — From the table setting to how the food was brought out, everything was clean and well put-together, and the format made it easy for first-timers to enjoy hitsumabushi in multiple ways.

✔️ Would I return — This is a place I'd want to come back to whenever I'm craving a proper eel meal! Next time, I'd like to compare it with the other eel dishes on the menu.

✔️ Recommended for — Anyone looking for a good Yeoksam eel rice bowl spot, a place to take your parents to eat, or a slightly special menu for a date or gathering.