Ochazuke solo dining near Hongdae Sangsu Station: Ochaya

Ever want to eat something delicious but your stomach just isn't cooperating..? Hahaha that was me yesterday! One of the best things to eat when you want something gentle but tasty is ochazuke (rice steeped in tea or broth)! Today I'm sharing my review of Ochaya, an ochazuke restaurant near Hongdae's Sangsu Station!

Ochaya's hours, location, and parking

• Hours: Daily 11:30–20:30 (last order 19:50)
• Location: 49 Wausan-ro 13-gil, 2nd floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Parking: Use public parking lots nearby

Ochaya sits near where the Red Road starts by Hongdae's Sangsangmadang. Japanese restaurants are usually tucked away somewhere quaint down an alley, so I was carefully looking around thinking I might have walked past it — but it turned out to be right there in this big building, haha! Even the lighting on the stairs looked kind of fancy..✨

What is ochazuke?

A traditional Japanese dish of rice with tea or broth poured over it. 'Ocha' (tea) + 'zuke' (to soak/pickle) combine to mean pouring tea over rice.

Is it solo-dining friendly? Seating and ordering

From solo seats to 2-tops and 4-tops! It's a great place to come no matter who you're with. The solo seats even have phone holders, such a nice touch haha 👍 I actually visited on a weekday evening and there were groups of friends, couples, and solo diners all there.

You pre-pay at the kiosk installed right next to the door.

• Sakechazuke (salmon) ₩15,000
• Butanogakuni (pork belly) ₩14,000
• Fried shiitake ₩5,000
• Cola ₩2,000

The kiosk shows photos alongside the menu, and everything looked so good it was hard to choose 🥹

There are kind, detailed instructions on the walls and tables about how to eat ochazuke. I've had ochazuke maybe three times before, and I remember every place had a different tea or broth flavor and slightly different combinations that were all delicious in their own way! So I was excited for this Hongdae spot too.

Ta-da, the menu arrives! It came out in under 10 minutes of ordering??? I sometimes come to Hongdae for work, so I've mentally bookmarked this place to come eat solo again~~

It looked so appetizing, and the colors were so vibrant I kept staring at it from different angles lol

How was the sakechazuke (salmon)?

I've recently gotten hooked on salmon kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi) and love diced salmon, and Ochaya's sakechazuke was just like that! It's topped generously with flying fish roe too, so I highly recommend it for salmon lovers!!

The nutrient rice underneath was mixed with various grains and seasoned just right — I thought even parents would love this.

Wrapping it in seaweed with a dab of wasabi is absolutely amazing..🧡

About halfway through, they pour warm broth over it.

Other places I've been had a strong green tea flavor, but Ochaya's sakechazuke tasted more like a soy-based broth, which felt familiar and was totally delicious!

Butanogakuni (pork belly) ochazuke

Butanogakuni!

Braised pork belly was piled on top, and it was so tender it broke apart easily with a spoon and chopsticks!

Pork belly could never taste bad ㅠㅠ🧡 I kept putting a piece on top, wrapping it with seaweed, lol. My husband said he'd save it like braised beef (jangjorim), but the pieces were bigger than expected so I ate it with the meat all the way through haha.

Side dish: fried shiitake

Fried shiitake! Mushrooms are basically the meat of the vegetable world haha

They gave us tongs and scissors so we cut it in half — full of juicy flavor and so delicious haha. If you like mushrooms, you have to order this!!!! Ochaya! Recommended!!!🧡