Yeoksam Japanese restaurant for weekend solo lunch and beer: Chisot

Hi, it's Mimi 🍀🍀🍀

Today I'm sharing my review of Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch, where I went for a solo lunch in Yeoksam. I was looking for Japanese food in the area and ended up here — this time I tried hitsumabushi. I usually love eel rice bowls and was craving proper Japanese food after a while. Bottom line: even solo, it was more comfortable than expected, and the menu was clean and solid!!

What Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch looks like inside and out

Chisot is in a great spot for office workers around Yeoksam, so it's easy to stop by for lunch or dinner!! The overall vibe of the place is clean and calm. Good👍 as a lunch spot for office workers, and also nice for a meal with a drink in the evening.

There were plenty of seats, group seating too, and reservations are possible! Even though I went on a weekend for lunch, people kept coming in.

Eating alone at the bar seats

I visited alone this day, and there were bar seats available so I sat right down. When dining solo at a regular table, you can sometimes feel self-conscious about the people around you, but having bar seats here actually made it more comfortable. On days you just want to eat quietly by yourself, that kind of seating matters more than you'd think. So if you're looking for a spot that's good for solo dining, this seemed like a comfortable choice.

⭐️Menu reference

Sang (large) hitsumabushi, 37,000 won

(Swipe sideways ➡️➡️➡️) What I ordered this day was the sang (large) hitsumabushi. Hitsumabushi comes in three sizes — mini, sang, and teuksang. I went with sang, priced at ₩37,000.

The eel sitting on top of the rice looked appetizing right away. Side dishes and soup came with it, and the ingredients meant to go with hitsumabushi were neatly prepared too.

And here's a part I personally loved: there was a separate sheet explaining how to eat it. With hitsumabushi, first-timers might wonder, 'do I just eat this like a regular eel rice bowl?' — but since the eating order was laid out on paper, I didn't need to ask staff, which was convenient. I thought that was a genuinely thoughtful touch.

How to eat hitsumabushi, step by step

I followed the guide step by step. First, you scoop out the eel and rice plain and eat it as is; then you add wasabi or seasoning; and finally, you pour broth over it to eat it like ochazuke (rice with tea/broth poured over).

Eating it plain first was, as expected, the best part. Eel and rice together were well-seasoned and clean-tasting. In the middle, I added a bit of wasabi, which cut through the eel's richness nicely. And at the end, pouring the broth over it made for a warm, smooth finish. Eating one dish three different ways meant it never felt monotonous halfway through.

Adding an Orion draft beer

And this day wasn't just solo dining — I also ordered an Orion draft beer. I hesitated a bit about drinking beer during the day, but it went surprisingly well with the eel. So this day turned into full solo dining and solo drinking. Sitting alone at the bar, slowly sipping a beer with my meal, was better than expected. If you visit in the evening, this could work as a solo-drinking spot or a Yeoksam bar too — they seem to have plenty of drink options!!

And a bonus tip!! Ochazuke, water, and rice are all available self-serve ✨

Does it work as a Yeoksam office lunch?

There are so many offices around Yeoksam that plenty of people are always looking for good lunch spots there. Eating the same kind of thing every day, having eel rice or hitsumabushi once in a while feels like a nice change of pace. So this place also seemed like a good option when searching for a Yeoksam lunch spot.

It's especially easy to visit alone, so it works well for a solo lunch as an office worker. The evening atmosphere seems a bit more relaxed, so it could also be worth considering for a Yeoksam or Yeoksam-dong team dinner. It's also fairly accessible from Centerfield or Josun Palace, so it could be a good pick when you're craving something different while searching for restaurants near those spots.

Waiting times and visit tips

• If you're visiting solo like I did, keep in mind there are bar seats — they were actually more comfortable than a table for solo dining.
• If it's your first time with hitsumabushi, read the eating guide on the table once before you start.
• Rather than mixing everything together from the start, eating a little at a time in stages felt much more enjoyable.

Final verdict on Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch

This day I tried the sang (large) hitsumabushi at Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch. Being able to choose from mini, sang, and teuksang sizes depending on how much you want to eat was a nice touch. Most of all, having a separate sheet explaining how to eat hitsumabushi was really convenient — even first-timers could easily follow the order.

I ate alone at the bar and it never felt awkward, and pairing it with an Orion draft beer made the meal feel surprisingly relaxed. If you're craving clean Japanese food in Yeoksam, or thinking about eel rice or hitsumabushi, this is a place worth trying at least once.

If you're searching for Japanese food near GS Art Center, a lunch spot for Yeoksam office workers, or Japanese restaurants near Yeoksam Station, add Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch to your list. Next time I'll try something else from the menu.