Yeoksam eel restaurant right after the 5pm break time: Unagiwa

Lately I've been trying to take care of my health, and craving an eel rice bowl for a boost of energy, so I went with a friend to Yeoksam eel rice bowl restaurant "Unagiwa." It was easy to get to, about 250m from Yeoksam Station Exit 7.

Even the exterior had a classy, upscale atmosphere.

Unagiwa hours, parking and corkage at a glance

• 📍 Unagiwa
• ⏰ Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• Closed every Saturday and Sunday
• 🚩 Address: 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, 2F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 🚗 Parking: available (paid) / valet available
• 🍷 Corkage available

What Unagiwa looks like inside at 5pm

We visited right after the break time at 5pm, so there weren't many people. As time went on, a few more customers trickled in.

The inside was really spacious with lots of tables — seats for two, tables for four, and even group tables. It was clean and had a nice atmosphere, so it seemed like it would work well as a place for a work dinner in Gangnam's Yeoksam area or an upscale Gangnam date spot.

From the interior to the little decor pieces, the overall mood felt tasteful and upscale, so it looked like a good place to visit for an important meal.

Unagiwa menu prices, drinks and corkage policy

Here's the menu at Unagiwa, the Gangnam eel rice bowl restaurant. The eel rice bowl seemed to be the signature dish.

Besides the eel rice bowl, there were various menu items like set meals, tempura, and eel-rolled omelet.

There was also a wide variety of sake and other drinks. Since corkage is available with no restrictions on the type of alcohol, if you're looking for a Gangnam restaurant that allows corkage, I'd recommend Unagiwa.

They also had draft beer, Japanese shochu, and highballs.

There was a wide range of bokbunja (Korean black raspberry wine) and pricier drinks too, so it looked like a great place to enjoy an upscale meal.

They even had a draft beer machine set up.

Ordering two premium hitsumabushi eel rice bowls

We ordered two (premium) hitsumabushi eel rice bowls. The premium hitsumabushi comes with a whole eel on top, the mini has half an eel, and the special has 1.5 eels.

This is the full premium hitsumabushi spread. A whole eel sits on top of the rice, and it came together with a salad, steamed egg custard, soup, and various side dishes to top the rice bowl with.

How to eat hitsumabushi in four steps

They also explained how to eat hitsumabushi. After dividing the rice into four portions:

• 1. Enjoy it as is, plain
• 2. Enjoy it with scallions and wasabi
• 3. Enjoy it as ochazuke (rice with tea poured over it)
• 4. Enjoy it with plum sauce

So it wouldn't feel heavy or greasy, they also gave us scallions, wasabi, and Sichuan pepper powder.

The steamed egg custard had abalone on top, and the custard itself was really smooth and just seasoned right, so it was delicious to eat together with the abalone.

How does Unagiwa's charcoal-grilled eel taste?

Here's the eel rice bowl at Unagiwa, the Yeoksam eel rice bowl restaurant. They told us they grill fresh eel over charcoal every morning. The eel on top was glossy and grilled just right.

First, we divided it into four portions and enjoyed the eel plain, as is. There wasn't a single bone, it was soft, and the sauce wasn't too salty or greasy. I'm not really a fan of fish, but I still enjoyed it — that's how well the eel was prepped and how good it tasted.

Next, we poured tea over it to try it as ochazuke. Adding scallions and seaweed made the flavor even richer and more delicious.

The ochazuke was probably my favorite. It was light and clean, and paired really well with the seasoned eel.

Lastly, we topped it with wasabi and scallions and dipped some into the plum sauce, finishing it off cleanly.

You can also join their receipt review event for a chance at shio konbu squid, matcha pudding, or a drink. And if you make a dinner reservation through Naver, they're currently offering a free Ebisu draft beer coupon.

Unagiwa in one line: is it worth a visit?

Being just a 4-minute walk from Yeoksam Station made it easy to get to, and the restaurant was really spacious, so it also looked like a good spot for a Gangnam work dinner. With its classy vibe and clean interior, if you're looking for a nice-atmosphere date restaurant in Yeoksam, this is worth a visit.

The eel rice bowl itself had no fishy taste and tasted upscale, and being able to enjoy it in so many ways — from the ochazuke to the various side dishes — made for a satisfying meal.