Sangsu Japanese restaurant: John Dory ochazuke four ways at Ochaya

I wanted a slightly different kind of meal near Sangsu Station, so I went to Ochaya (오차야), an ochazuke (rice with hot broth poured over) specialist. I've eaten plenty of Japanese rice bowls and ramen, but ochazuke isn't something you come across every day, so I was curious! At Ochaya you first taste the rice and toppings as they are, then pour warm broth from a little kettle for a whole different flavor. This time I ordered the matoudai chazuke topped with John Dory, plus shiitake tempura and a cool Aloha's Peach to drink.

Ochaya location and opening hours near Sangsu Station

Ochaya is at 49 Wausan-ro 13-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the second floor. It's open every day, Monday to Sunday, 11:30-20:30, with last order at 19:50. Reservations, Wi-Fi, group visits and pets are all fine, but there's no parking.

It's about 237 m from Exit 1 of Sangsu Station, so it's an easy walk. It's on the second floor of a building inside the alley, and if you look above the taco place on the first floor you'll see the Ochaya sign, so it was easy to find. Take the outside stairs on the right side of the building up to the second floor.

Ochaya interior and seating: is it okay for eating alone?

The restaurant is decorated in light wood tones, with bar seating plus tables for 2 and 4 by the window and in the hall, so going alone didn't feel awkward. Stepping in, I felt the cozy, warm atmosphere typical of a Japanese home-style restaurant. It looked comfortable for a solo meal, so it's a decent pick if you're looking for Japanese food near Sangsu Station to eat alone.

The window side has large panes, so it didn't feel stuffy, and the tables were reasonably spaced! On one wall there were Japanese-style posters and small decorations that matched the overall mood. Water is self-serve, and you order at the kiosk in the restaurant.

What I ordered at Ochaya and the prices

I ordered the matoudai chazuke, shiitake tempura and Aloha's Peach at Ochaya, and the total came to ₩23,000.

• Matoudai chazuke (John Dory) ₩15,000
• Shiitake tempura (seafood mix) ₩5,000
• Aloha's Peach ₩3,000

Aloha's Peach

Aloha's Peach is a ₩3,000 drink with a gentle peach scent and a sweet taste. I ordered it to go with the meal, and it came poured over a cup of ice, so it was nice and cold.

It paired easily with the light ochazuke.

What does matoudai chazuke (John Dory ochazuke) taste like?

Matoudai chazuke is a big bowl of rice generously topped with John Dory and sprinkled with chopped green onion, with warm broth served separately in a kettle. The John Dory matoudai chazuke is exactly the main dish I picked. The green onion made it look clean and tidy, too.

What's fun about Ochaya is that you don't pour the broth right away. You can eat the rice and toppings as they are first.

Before the broth: rice and John Dory as they are

Before the broth, the thick John Dory flesh and the seasoned rice together tasted savory and a little salty. I scooped up the fish and rice together first, and the John Dory was thicker than I expected. The flesh was tender but not dry, moist and pleasant to chew, and it went well with the rice. The rice itself is seasoned, so it wasn't bland with the fish.

When I took a slightly bigger piece of John Dory, the mild flavor of the fish came through more clearly. The flesh is white and soft, so it seems right for days when you want a comfortable meal rather than something strongly flavored. After eating a good portion, I poured in the broth from the kettle that came with it.

After the broth: moist and clean

Once I poured in the kettle broth, the matoudai chazuke became much moister and softer as the broth soaked into the rice. As the warm broth seeped between the grains, the mood changed completely from how it was at first. It went down more easily than the plain rice and fish. With the broth soaked in, it felt clean and comforting rather than heavy like gukbap (Korean rice soup).

With the warm broth, I think it would be even better on chilly days like these. The John Dory got even moister after soaking up the broth, haha. Even a heaping spoonful of rice and fish together wasn't heavy, just mild.

Wrapped in seaweed

Putting rice and John Dory on the seaweed that came with the matoudai chazuke and wrapping it up was good too. The salty, nutty seaweed made it taste different from eating with a spoon, and if you add a little of the side dishes in between, you can enjoy it in several ways within a single bowl.

I ate it in different ways: rice alone, with John Dory, with broth poured over, and wrapped in seaweed, so I never got tired of it until the end. That's why I think even people trying ochazuke for the first time can take it on without much worry.

Ochaya shiitake tempura (seafood mix): worth adding as a side?

Ochaya's shiitake tempura (seafood mix) is ₩5,000 for three pieces of big shiitake mushrooms stuffed with a seafood mix and fried, served with a dipping sauce. The shiitake tempura I ordered as a side had more presence than I expected.

The outside was fried crisp while the mushroom part was thick and juicy~ Bite in and you get the mushroom's distinctive aroma along with the soft seafood filling inside.

The mushroom isn't thin but plump, so the more you chew, the more springy and juicy the texture is. Dipped lightly in the sauce, it picks up a sweet and tangy taste that makes the flavor more defined.

Since the main ochazuke is on the mild side, eating the crispy tempura in between made a good combination. Three pieces for ₩5,000 means one order is easy to add and share with a main dish, haha.

Ochaya near Sangsu Station: overall verdict

What stayed with me about Ochaya is that, unlike the usual Japanese rice bowl, you eat the rice and toppings first and then pour warm broth to enjoy it all over again. The matoudai chazuke I ate came with a generous helping of soft, mild John Dory, and the feel before and after the broth was different, so it was fun to eat one dish in two ways. Adding the crispy-outside, juicy-inside shiitake tempura made the whole set fit together nicely.

Overall it has a warm, comforting Japanese home-cooking feel rather than a strong flavor, so I think it suits anyone looking for an ochazuke place near Sangsu Station or a different Japanese dish to try there. It's close to the station, so it's also fine to stop by before or after a date around Hongdae or Hapjeong, and if you want a light solo meal at an ochazuke spot in Hongdae, give it a look:)