Japanese curry and hitsumabushi for two near Seoul Museum of Art: Tawa

On the day we planned to visit the Seoul Museum of Art, I was hunting for somewhere nearby for dinner and suddenly craved grilled eel rice bowl — that's how we ended up at Tawa 🥰

I was curious about a place near City Hall Station serving Nagoya-style hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice), and honestly, the eel rice bowl was amazing! "Better than the real thing in Japan" is a title this place really earns 💖

Where is Tawa? Basement of the Hansan Building by City Hall Station

Tawa sits in the basement of Hansan Building, visible as soon as you come out of the City Hall Station exit, so it wasn't hard to find. Head down into the basement and you're right at the entrance.

I liked the upscale feel from the moment you walk in. There's a private space too, so it's great for a quiet meal or for a group dinner or gathering.

There's a menu board posted outside, so you can check the dishes and prices before going in. There's more than just eel rice bowl — kaisendon and other options too.

Inside Tawa: counter seats, tables and a private room

Inside, Tawa has everything from counter seats to table seats, and the space is fairly spacious. It felt like a good fit whether you're eating solo, on a date, or with a group.

Further inside there's a separate private room, positioned away from the general seating, which seems ideal for anyone wanting a quieter meal.

What we ordered at Tawa and what it cost

The menu is really varied. We ordered:

• Nagoya-style hitsumabushi ₩30,000
• Japanese curry ₩15,000

🙌🏻

On one side of the restaurant, bottles that looked like sake were on display, and little touches like this made the place feel even more like an authentic Japanese restaurant.

The kitchen was nearly fully open, so we could watch the eel being grilled. Such a good smell drifting over 🍃

Nagoya-style hitsumabushi, 30,000 won: eel covering the whole bowl

The Nagoya-style hitsumabushi arrived first! It wasn't just the eel rice bowl alone — it came as a whole spread with soup and side dishes, arranged neatly, and it looked really generous.

Above all, the amount of eel on top was incredible. There was so much eel the rice was barely visible.

It came with seaweed, soup, several side dishes, and warm tea. Hitsumabushi can be eaten a few different ways, and toward the end you can even enjoy it ochazuke-style, poured over with tea or broth.

I tried a piece of the eel and it was so tender. The seasoning had soaked in well, and you could still taste that distinctive savory eel flavor — I really enjoyed it.

It had been a while since I'd had eel rice bowl, so maybe that's why it tasted even better. The whole spread was so substantial that it made for a very, very satisfying dinner.

Japanese curry, 15,000 won: with fried shrimp and karaage

Next up, the Japanese curry!

The fried shrimp and chicken karaage that came with it were really good. The batter was crispy and the inside was juicy, and it paired really well with the curry.

The curry itself, well, what can I say. It was exactly the kind of Japanese curry flavor I love, so I piled it generously over the rice and ate it up happily. It had a different appeal from the eel rice bowl.

Sharing the hitsumabushi and the Japanese curry between the two of us made for a really satisfying menu choice. If you love eel rice bowl, I'd recommend Tawa's hitsumabushi. 👍

Overall, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was upscale, so I left Tawa satisfied. If you're looking for a date spot near City Hall Station, or somewhere for a group dinner, it's worth checking out.

Chance of returning: 100000%

After dinner: Seoul Museum of Art and a walk through Deoksugung Palace

After a hearty meal, we headed over to the Seoul Museum of Art. That day's exhibition was "Yoo Youngkuk – The Mountain Is Within Me," and the works were impressive, so I'd recommend it too.

The combination of dinner at Tawa followed by the museum turned out better than expected. Deoksugung Palace is close by too, so if you're looking for good food near Deoksugung, you can easily combine a meal with a stroll afterward.

We also stopped by Chagee, which is apparently trendy these days. Curious, we ordered a milk tea and a green tea latte,

but personally, it wasn't quite to my taste. Maybe I just picked the wrong menu items, but unfortunately I don't think I'll be going back this time haha. Still, that day was a packed and satisfying Seoul outing, from the delicious hitsumabushi all the way to the museum 🤎🧡 Wrapping up with a strong recommendation for Tawa.