# City Hall Japanese restaurant in Seoul: ₩30,000 hitsumabushi, Tawa

- By Mirae (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-supper-saucer/)
- Written Sep 14, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Jung-gu, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written after a visit provided by the restaurant.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-supper-saucer/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-supper-saucer/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/index.md)

## In short

Tawa is a Japanese restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul specializing in Nagoya-style hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice), on the basement level of Hansan Building by Exit 10 of City Hall Station. Dining alone at Tawa's bar counter, the writer ordered the signature hitsumabushi (₩30,000) and ate it three ways: eel and rice on their own, then topped with scallion, seaweed and wasabi, and finally as ochazuke with hot broth poured over. One bowl at Tawa tastes different three times, so it never gets boring by the last bite.

## Good to know

- **Menu & price**: Nagoya-style hitsumabushi ₩30,000
- **Hours**: 10:00–21:00 (Mon–Sat)
- **Closed**: Sundays
- **Location**: Exit 10, City Hall Station, basement level of Hansan Building
- **Seating**: Bar counter, tables, private room at the back
- **Other menu items**: Kaisendon, sashimi, Japanese-style bulgogi, curry
- **Price reference**: ₩30,000 ≈ $22.5 (2026-09-15)

*as written by the visitor on Sep 14, 2026*

Today I finally had a proper meal alone after a while. Just because you're eating solo doesn't mean you have to settle for something quick and boring, right?! I was suddenly craving eel rice, so I looked up good restaurants near City Hall in Seoul and ended up at Tawa, known for its Nagoya-style hitsumabushi.

Tawa is open Monday to Saturday, 10:00–21:00, and closed on Sundays.

![Visiting Tawa, a hitsumabushi restaurant near City Hall Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-01-uev3y-900.webp)

## Where is Tawa? Basement of Hansan Building, Exit 10, City Hall Station

Tawa is really close to Exit 10 of City Hall Station. It's on the basement floor of Hansan Building, so you just walk into the building and head downstairs — easy to find. It looked like a great spot for anyone hunting for good restaurants near City Hall, or for a meal after visiting Deoksugung Palace or the Seoul Museum of Art nearby.

![Entrance to Tawa on the basement floor of Hansan Building](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-02-mnf23-900.webp)

![Signage at Tawa's entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-03-1m50x-900.webp)

## Inside Tawa: atmosphere and seating options

Walking into Tawa, it felt cleaner and more upscale than I expected. Not the overly casual Japanese-restaurant feel, but more of a calm space to sit down and actually eat.

![Clean interior of Tawa Japanese restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-04-1ouhn-900.webp)

![Atmosphere of Tawa's table seating](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-05-nqafa-m-900.webp)

There are bar seats and table seats separately, and a private room in the back too, so it seemed like a good place for a date or a company dinner as well. I visited alone that day, so I sat at the bar.

![Sitting alone at Tawa's bar seats](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-06-1hnf1-900.webp)

![Bar seats with a view into the kitchen at Tawa](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-07-1n63h-900.webp)

When you're eating alone, taking up a whole table can feel a little awkward sometimes. But with bar seats available, solo dining here was completely comfortable. You could see into the kitchen from the bar and even watch the eel being grilled — loved that.

![Tawa's menu board](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-08-1nk4w-900.webp)

![Menu page listing eel rice bowl and kaisendon](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-09-99idd-900.webp)

![Menu page for sashimi and curry at Tawa](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-10-1mwrr-900.webp)

## Tawa's menu and the ₩30,000 hitsumabushi

Tawa's menu isn't just eel rice bowls — there's also kaisendon, sashimi, Japanese-style bulgogi, and curry. But I already knew exactly what I wanted, so no hesitation: Nagoya-style hitsumabushi!

Hitsumabushi is a charcoal-grilled eel rice bowl meant to be eaten several different ways, and it's Tawa's signature dish. It cost ₩30,000.

![Waiting for the ordered Nagoya-style hitsumabushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-11-1h8uo-900.webp)

![View of the cooking area from the bar seats](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-12-cef79-900.webp)

While waiting, I got to watch the eel being grilled. There was a window so no smoke or smell reached the seats — nice touch.

![Eel being grilled over charcoal](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-13-rh2c3-900.webp)

## What comes with the hitsumabushi set at Tawa

After a short wait, it arrived as a neat full set. The eel rice bowl came with seaweed, scallion, wasabi, and broth to pour at the end. Seeing it all laid out like that made me feel properly taken care of, even though I was eating alone, haha.

![Hitsumabushi set served with toppings and broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-14-s0doa-900.webp)

The eel caught my eye first ♥ Neatly arranged over the rice, glossy and shiny — it looked delicious just from the visual alone. Being charcoal-grilled, it had a subtle smoky aroma, and the tare sauce soaked in beautifully so the smell alone was already great.

The point of hitsumabushi is that you don't mix it all together at once — you portion it out and enjoy it in several different ways.

![Rice bowl topped with glossy grilled eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-15-581pp-900.webp)

## How to eat hitsumabushi three ways

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

First, nothing added — just eel and rice as is! I wanted to taste the eel's natural flavor first. The outside had a slightly grilled texture while the inside was moist and tender.

The tare sauce wasn't too salty or too sweet, just the right amount to go with the rice — I could've kept eating just this on its own. The eel's distinct savoriness really came through, satisfying from the very first bite.

![First bowl portioned out with just eel and rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-16-1wuh4-900.webp)

### Second bowl: scallion, seaweed and wasabi on top

Second, I tried it with scallion, seaweed, and wasabi on top. The eel is savory and a bit rich, but the wasabi cut right through that, and with the scallion and seaweed aroma added, it felt like a completely different dish. If you like wasabi, piling on a bit extra would work great too.

![Hitsumabushi topped with scallion, seaweed, and wasabi](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-17-uygre-900.webp)

### Last bowl: hot broth poured over for ochazuke

And finally, the highlight of hitsumabushi — ochazuke! Add a bit of the toppings to the remaining eel and rice, then pour the broth that came with it.

Eating eel and rice can start to feel a bit heavy after a while, but finishing with ochazuke completely refreshes your palate. Ordering one dish but eating it three different ways made the meal more fun, and I never got tired of it until the last bite. So this is why people eat Nagoya-style hitsumabushi, I thought.

![Finished eel ochazuke with broth poured over](https://img.superchart.com/images/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set/tawa-city-hall-hitsumabushi-solo-set-18-1ogfk-1200.webp)

## Who is Tawa best for?

Overall, Tawa was a satisfying place to properly enjoy Nagoya-style hitsumabushi. The eel was tender with a subtle charcoal aroma, and the variety of ways to eat it — with toppings, then as ochazuke — made it even more fun.

I'd recommend Tawa to anyone searching for good restaurants near City Hall in Seoul, looking for places near Deoksugung, or hunting for a solo dining spot around City Hall. It's easy to visit alone, but the atmosphere also works well for a date or a company dinner. Next time, I want to try the kaisendon too ♥

## Where it is

- Tawa (타와)
- 102-ho, B1, 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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