Gangnam eel restaurant for a business lunch: Unagiwa

Unagiwa, great for a Yeoksam Station lunch gathering

Unagiwa Yeoksam branch

• Hours: 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:00)
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Regularly closed every Saturday and Sunday
• 5-minute walk from Exit 7 of Yeoksam Station, Line 2
• Naver reservations available

A useful tip for dinner reservations

++ An Unagiwa visit tip you absolutely need to know!

If you make a Naver reservation for dinner, you can get one Ebisu draft beer for free! It sells for ₩13,000 at the restaurant, so that is seriously such a win 🐶

Unagiwa, a great Yeoksam eel rice bowl spot, is behind GS Tower by Exit 7 of Yeoksam Station, on a street full of popular places for Yeoksam group dinners.

Go a little way into the street, head up one flight of stairs, and it is on the second floor. I liked that it was not right in the middle of the noisy street.

From the exterior to the interior, Unagiwa has an overall quiet, neat atmosphere. You can feel the upscale vibe right from the entrance.. ✨

The interior was more spacious than it looked from outside, with quite a lot of seating, so it seemed more than sufficient for a Yeoksam group gathering or company dinner.

Of course Unagiwa would be lovely for dinner too, but it felt especially ideal for a lunch company gathering or meal meeting. I would strongly recommend it for an important get-together or a pre-wedding family meeting 👍

What came with the premium hitsumabushi order

There is a wide range of eel dishes, including grilled eel, hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice served several ways), and unadon, plus plenty of drinks such as sake and soju suited to a company dinner(?)! I ordered two premium hitsumabushi sets, Unagiwa's signature dish, at ₩38,000 each. I wanted a draft beer too, but I had an eye stye issue (TMI...)—you all should definitely have draft beer with yours.

Unagiwa's hitsumabushi arrived with such a satisfying spread 🤤 There was plenty of eel, so ₩38,000 did not feel expensive. The basic sides—salad, gungchae pickles, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), and clear soup—were neatly presented and all delicious too.

How to enjoy hitsumabushi in different ways

Unagiwa's hitsumabushi comes with various elements to enjoy it different ways: scallions, wasabi, shredded seaweed, or ochazuke (rice with hot tea or broth).

Follow Unagiwa's posted “how to enjoy it” guide: divide the eel rice bowl into quarters, then try each quarter a different way. It almost feels like eating a course meal. That is also why I usually love hitsumabushi—so many flavors from one dish~!

More than anything, eel quality is so important with hitsumabushi, and this eel was plump and tender with no fishiness. The seasoning was not overly sweet or salty either; it was nicely balanced and did not overpower the eel's own flavor.

++ And personally, I think rice matters just as much as eel at a good eel rice bowl restaurant, and this rice was perfectly springy and moist too.

The most delicious part: ochazuke

Ochazuke was the most delicious of all the ways to enjoy Unagiwa's hitsumabushi! Throw in(?) all the perilla leaves, scallions, and everything else, pour over the broth, and it goes down so easily even when you are full... I even left a little rice, but I felt like I was about to burst. It seemed like plenty of food even for adult men!

Unagiwa is a great Yeoksam Station eel spot: everything arrives as a neat full set, making it easy to eat and lovely for treating someone. I recommend it for important occasions such as pre-wedding family meetings, company dinners, and blind dates, as well as casual dates. First of all, it is just sooo delicious ~!~!