Gangnam eel restaurant with charcoal-grilled eel bowls: Unagiwa

After work on a weekday, I found an absolutely incredible restaurant! Holding onto my grumbling stomach, I headed to Unagiwa—the place I’d recommend if you want a proper eel rice bowl in Yeoksam.

Unagiwa Yeoksam location and parking

It’s on the second floor at 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and parking is available. Valet parking is paid.

If you’re walking, it’s close to Exit 7 of Yeoksam Station! If you drive, there’s an extra valet fee—₩5,000.

Such a very upscale entrance ~.~ I was SO excited walking in.

From the moment I walked in, I loved how clean and upscale it felt!! Everything was neatly arranged, so it seemed like a great fit for an important meal, a date, or a visit with your parents too *.*

There are tissues on the table! They set you up with water and wet wipes too. The water is seriously so good here!!!!!!!!

Ordering the hitsumabushi set and mini

The menu is divided into charcoal-grilled eel, salt-grilled eel, steamed eel rice bowls, and more! The names are a little tricky, but the descriptions are all written out in detail :) We ordered one hitsumabushi (charcoal-grilled eel rice bowl) set and one mini. The difference is one whole eel versus half an eel! Best of all, we heard the food came as a complete table spread, and you could feel the care in every item before even eating—so exciting haha.

Crisp, moist charcoal-grilled eel with perfectly matched sauce

Honestly… it was among the best eel rice bowls I’ve ever had!!!ㅠㅠㅠㅠ What is this placeㅠㅠ It was seriously insanely delicious. First of all, the sauce brushed over the eel is SO good. It isn’t overly sweet or intense, but it has this savory umami that keeps you eating both eel and rice, and after one bite I completely got why everyone says it’s delicious!! The seasoning is perfectly on point. Like, crazily perfect.

If you’re going to have it, get the set instead of the mini! That visual of a bowl packed full of eel plays a big part too haha.

How to enjoy hitsumabushi

There’s a guide explaining how to enjoy hitsumabushi!

• Taste it in its pure form
• Try it with the rice
• Add scallions, perilla leaf, crushed seaweed, and wasabi
• Ochazuke (rice with hot tea or broth)

Of the four, I especially loved it plain and with scallions, crushed seaweed, and perilla leaf… the perilla leaf is the key.. Ahhh, I want it again right now.

Maybe because the eel is grilled over charcoal, the outside was lightly crisp while the inside was moist and tender—such a great texture! The eel’s naturally nutty flavor plus the charcoal aroma made it taste much deeper, and it went so well with the sauce. I can’t believe eel rice bowls could be this good!

I really loved the eel-and-rice combination. It wasn’t just that the eel was good—the sauce naturally seeped into the rice, so a piece of eel with rice was absolutely perfect. Personally, I think it had the tastiest eel-to-rice balance of any eel rice bowl I’ve had so far..! The whole time I was eating, I kept repeating, “This place is really delicious.”

Sides from steamed egg to matcha pudding

I also loved that it didn’t just come as a lonely eel rice bowl: sides such as steamed egg, ginger, and salad were all served neatly alongside it. The steamed egg can’t be refilled. Since the eel is so tasty, you might find it a little rich if you keep eating, but the ginger freshens your palate and gets you reaching for more eel. The steamed egg was soft and delicious too, perfect to have between bites haha. Even the soup served with it was good, so this was truly a meal with nothing lacking! The overall spread was substantial, and every dish was well seasoned, making the meal enjoyable right to the end :)

Perilla leaf + wasabi, and ochazuke. Like I said above, I looove the perilla leaf and wasabi.

They even serve cola in an ice-filled cup here. Ten out of ten for thoughtfulness!!

If you take part in the review event, they give you matcha pudding… Why aren’t they selling this for money…? We got only one because it was the last one left, but for two visitors they give twoㅠㅠ I think I need to go back next time just for this.

There’s also a restroom at the restaurant entrance! It was suuuper clean, and I liked that the men’s and women’s restrooms were separate ^.*

The staff were kind too, so I was comfortable throughout the meal; I was happy with not only the food but the service as well!!! If you want a proper charcoal-grilled eel rice bowl in an upscale, neat atmosphere, I highly, highly recommend Unagiwa Yeoksam. The sauce and the crisp-yet-moist charcoal-grilled eel texture were truly impressive, so I think eel rice bowl lovers will be satisfied. We decided to come back again next week!