# Weekday lunch hitsumabushi after the Deoksugung guard ceremony: Tawa

- By Seorin (https://superchart.com/en/@porcelain-bowl-seoul/)
- Written Sep 21, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Jung-gu, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written after a complimentary meal provided by the restaurant.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@porcelain-bowl-seoul/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@porcelain-bowl-seoul/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/index.md)

## In short

Tawa is a Nagoya-style hitsumabushi (grilled eel rice bowl) restaurant on basement level 1 of the first building at City Hall Station Exit 10 in Jung-gu, Seoul. After touring Deoksugung Palace and watching the royal guard-changing ceremony, the writer ordered Tawa's 30,000-won weekday lunch hitsumabushi and ate it three ways: eel and rice on their own, wrapped in seaweed with wasabi and radish, then finished as ochazuke with hot broth. The eel at Tawa was thick and full of char-grilled aroma, and the ochazuke was the most memorable of the three.

## Good to know

- **Menu & price**: Nagoya-style hitsumabushi 30,000 won
- **Location**: Basement level 1, first building from City Hall Station Exit 10
- **Hours**: Mon–Sat 10:00–21:00
- **Break time**: 15:00–16:00
- **Last order**: 20:20
- **Closed**: Every Sunday
- **Seating**: Counter seats, hall tables, 4 private rooms
- **Review event**: Naver review earns a coupon for 180ml sake or Coca-Cola
- **Price reference**: ₩30,000 ≈ $21.5 (2026-09-21)

*as written by the visitor on Sep 21, 2026*

## Deoksugung Palace guard-changing ceremony, then a walk to City Hall Station

I visited Deoksugung Palace for the first time in a while. After slowly walking through the grounds, I even got to catch the guard-changing ceremony. It's right in the middle of Seoul, but walking through the old palace always makes me feel like I've briefly gone on a trip somewhere else, which is why I come back sometimes.

![Autumn scenery while touring the grounds of Deoksugung Palace](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-01-1t9jk-966.webp)

If you're visiting Deoksugung and the timing works out, I'd recommend catching the guard-changing ceremony too.

![The guard-changing ceremony in front of Daehanmun Gate at Deoksugung](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-02-rnvlg-966.webp)

![A procession of guards in traditional dress during the ceremony](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-03-b8ph2-966.webp)

## How to walk from Deoksugung Palace to Tawa at City Hall Station Exit 10

After all that walking and sightseeing, I started getting hungry. So I looked for a good restaurant near Deoksugung and ended up at Tawa (타와) for lunch. It's right in front of City Hall Station Exit 10, so the walk over from Deoksugung was easy. Since you can go straight from sightseeing to a meal, I thought it'd make a nice route for anyone looking for a date-course spot near City Hall Station.

![The building housing Tawa in front of City Hall Station Exit 10](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-04-1eyab-966.webp)

![Sign showing Tawa's hours and review event details](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-05-1gxsf-966.webp)

- Hours: Mon–Sat 10:00–21:00
- Break time: 15:00–16:00
- Last order: 20:20
- Closed: every Sunday
- Naver review event: coupon for 180ml sake or Coca-Cola

![A full spread of Tawa's Nagoya-style hitsumabushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-06-1p5bb-1200.webp)
*Nagoya-style hitsumabushi ₩30,000*

## Inside Tawa: counter seats, hall tables and 4 private rooms

Nagoya-style hitsumabushi ₩30,000 | eel with a smoky char

Tawa is on the basement floor of the first building from City Hall Station Exit 10. Walking in, the whole place felt calm and tidy. Along the inner hallway there were 4 private rooms.

![The entrance and hallway of Tawa's basement-floor restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-07-zgjsp-966.webp)

![The inner hallway lined with Tawa's private rooms](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-08-avwz1-966.webp)

When I visited, three of the rooms were already in use, and one happened to be empty, so I snapped a quick photo of the inside. Since you can close the door and eat privately, it seemed like a good spot for a work dinner or a quiet gathering.

![Inside one of Tawa's private rooms where you can close the door to eat](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-09-1xpz3-m-966.webp)

![A quiet table setting inside one of Tawa's rooms](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-10-3emq0-966.webp)

### Watching the eel grilled at Tawa's counter on a weekday lunch

It was a weekday lunch, but the hall seats were nearly full. I sat at the counter first, then moved to a regular table once a few guests had left.

There was one thing I really liked about sitting at the counter while waiting: I could watch the eel being grilled right in front of me. Seeing it turn a golden brown built up my anticipation before the food even arrived.

I filmed the eel being grilled all the way through to the finished hitsumabushi.

![Eel grilling at the counter and the finished hitsumabushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-11-jaoc2-900.webp)

## Tawa's 30,000-won Nagoya-style hitsumabushi and how to eat it three ways

I've had hitsumabushi many times at other places, but Tawa's version that day suited my taste really well. Above all, there was a generous amount of eel, and the thick cuts had a nice smoky char to them. The sauce wasn't overly sweet or salty either, which let the savory flavor of the eel come through. With hitsumabushi, the fun is dividing the rice and eating it a few different ways rather than sticking to just one method. So I tried it three ways myself.

### First way: eel and rice on their own

First I ate the eel and rice together with nothing else added. The thick eel had a good smoky char, and since the sauce wasn't overdone, it suited my taste from the very first bite. The eel was tender yet savory.

![Close-up of thick eel slices laid over rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-12-1nszn-966.webp)

![The first portion of hitsumabushi served separately](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-13-u7vme-966.webp)

![A scoop of smoky eel and rice together](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-14-xr2s6-966.webp)

![A spoonful of eel rice bowl lifted up](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-15-4tlwv-966.webp)

### Second way: wrapped in seaweed with wasabi and radish

Second, I wrapped the eel and rice in seaweed (김) and added wasabi and radish. The savory eel combined with the sharp kick of wasabi and the crunch of radish gave it a completely different character from the first bite. Eating it this way in between kept the eel from getting repetitive all the way through.

![Eel and rice wrapped in seaweed with wasabi on top](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-16-1hu51-966.webp)

![Side dishes for hitsumabushi including wasabi and radish](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-17-4s9g7-966.webp)

![Eating Tawa's hitsumabushi wrapped in seaweed](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-18-1pcxp-966.webp)

![A bite of eel and rice wrapped in seaweed](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-19-1pwta-834.webp)

![Eating hitsumabushi the second way](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-20-lniuv-966.webp)

![A bowl of eel rice with radish and wasabi on the side](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-21-f8cnc-966.webp)

### Third way: ochazuke with hot broth poured over

Of the three, ochazuke (rice with hot broth) was my favorite. Pouring the warm broth over let the smoky char and sauce from the eel naturally dissolve into it. The broth itself was seasoned just right for my taste, and mixing it together with the eel and rice made for a much softer, deeper flavor. I already tend to like ochazuke when eating hitsumabushi, but this one was especially good.

![Eel ochazuke with warm broth poured over](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-22-y5evo-966.webp)

![Eating the hitsumabushi ochazuke mixed into the broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa-23-6ffwo-966.webp)

In the end, I cleaned the bowl right down to the bottom.

## Would I return to Tawa? The hitsumabushi again

I tried all three methods, but the ochazuke version was still the most memorable for me. The eel was plentiful and the balance of smoky char and sauce suited my taste, so if I visit again, I think I'll order hitsumabushi once more.

Being right in front of City Hall Station made it easy to get to, and having private rooms made it good for meals or gatherings too. Since it's a nice route to follow up sightseeing at Deoksugung with a meal, I think I'll think of it again next time I'm in the area.

## Where it is

- Tawa (타와)
- Tawa, Room 102, B1F Hansan Building, 115 Seosomun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 중구 서소문로 115 한산빌딩 지하1층 102호 타와
- 37.5634157, 126.973652
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%83%80%EC%99%80/@37.5634157,126.973652,17z

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Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@porcelain-bowl-seoul/seoul-city-hall-hitsumabushi-lunch-tawa/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt