Japanese rice bowl spot in Yeoksam: eel and salmon sets at Yangsando

Why I picked Yangsando Yeoksam for lunch

Yangsando Yeoksam (양산도 역삼점) is a rice bowl restaurant near Yeoksam Station that serves fresh eel and salmon as neat set meals. If you're looking for a special place for a Yeoksam lunch or a Gangnam lunch meetup, or somewhere for a company dinner after work, or just a clean and tasty meal, you're probably in the same boat as me. So I went searching and found this hot lunch spot, Yangsando Yeoksam :) It also turned out to be a great Yeoksam lunch date spot. I was really happy with it, so let me walk you through it!

• Address: 70 Nonhyeon-ro 85-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, Unit 101
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00, break time 15:00–17:00 (last orders 14:30 and 20:30)
• Parking: Not available (use nearby private or public lots)
• Notes: Takeout, delivery and reservations available / good for solo meals and dates

Getting to Yangsando Yeoksam and the atmosphere

Yangsando Yeoksam sits neatly on the first floor of a building! The bright, modern sign catches your eye even from far away. It's super easy to find, which makes it a perfect Yeoksam Station lunch spot!

Out front there's a nice standing sign advertising hitsumabushi, Yangsando's signature dish. Seeing the line about being a 65-year-old freshwater eel specialist got my hopes way up before I even walked in, haha

The inside has a cozy, tidy Japanese feel. There's a good solo dining area too, so you can enjoy a meal comfortably on your own. Personally I found it quiet and snug, perfect for coming alone or on a date. Eating here with some sunlight coming in would feel even better!

The menu on the table is folded like an old Joseon-era book, which is so quirky haha. When I flipped it open, it was fun, I swear!

Besides hitsumabushi, there are lots of side dishes laid out nicely, so it was hard to decide what to eat!

What comes in the Yangsando hitsumabushi and sakedon sets?

At Yangsando Yeoksam I ordered hitsumabushi (eel rice bowl) and sakedon (salmon rice bowl), and the main dish and side dishes each came as a single portion on a wooden tray. When the food finally arrived, the whole table was filled with neatly arranged side dishes, and just looking at it made me feel full haha. The side dish lineup was honestly the best!

Everything was served as a single portion, prettily arranged on the wooden tray. You can feel the care in every item, and I felt well looked after. A Gangnam lunch meetup here would be so nice!

This is how the sakedon set is put together! The colorful side dishes go together nicely.

Everything tasted fresh and carefully made, so my boyfriend and I ate it while marveling at every bite.

Steamed egg, salad and soba sides

Of the standard side dishes, the steamed egg was seriously the softest ever. It melts in your mouth, and it was just superb!

It was even more delicious with a beer!! Next up, the fresh salad and the salty soba.

The side salad was really fresh with a crisp texture. The tangy dressing was just right for whetting your appetite before the main dish. The vegetables were fresh too, which I loved.

A cold soba came along too, and the broth was pleasantly salty and really good. Eating it with the main dish was a fantastic combination! The noodles were chewy as well.

How do you eat Yangsando's eel hitsumabushi?

At Yangsando Yeoksam, you can eat the eel hitsumabushi plain, then brush on the special sauce, and finally pour in broth to finish it like ochazuke (rice in tea or broth). Doesn't the main eel hitsumabushi look gorgeous?! The glossy, nicely colored eel was dripping with shine and looked so appetizing!

Nicely golden grilled eel covered the rice. One bite and the nutty, tender eel filled my mouth!! It was pure bliss, and the eel was so fresh that there was no fishy taste at all, just a clean flavor.

Brushing the special sauce that came with it gently over the eel made the flavor even deeper. They gave me an unusual brush, and I swiped it over the eel haha. Mixing the rice and eel together well is also one way to enjoy hitsumabushi, apparently.

At the end, I poured in the broth that came with it and enjoyed it like warm ochazuke. The rich eel with warm, clean broth added was soothing to the stomach. I think I'll be back again!!

How was Yangsando's sakedon (salmon rice bowl)?

The sakedon at Yangsando Yeoksam came with thick-cut, bright pink salmon piled high on the rice, and it was fresh with no fishy taste. You've got to try the salmon bowl too, with its beautifully colored salmon piled up high, right? Can't you feel the freshness even in the photo! A truly mouthwatering sight TT The pink salmon was so pretty.

Putting a thick slice of salmon on the rice with a little soy sauce and wasabi on top was just fantastic. The softness that melts in your mouth was the best!

The salmon was really fresh, with a rich, nutty flavor and no fishy taste at all!

Yangsando Yeoksam receipt review event

When I visited, Yangsando Yeoksam was running a receipt review event! You can join easily with the QR code on each table, so after your meal be sure to take part and get a salmon sushi or a drink!

Yangsando Yeoksam at a glance

• There are tables for solo diners too, so it's easy to visit without any pressure.
• Join the review event and be sure to get your sushi or drink.
• You can enjoy fresh, tasty eel and salmon in a neat set meal.
• The clean, cozy atmosphere makes for a really comfortable meal.
• Highly recommended for a Yeoksam Station lunch, a Gangnam lunch meetup, or a company dinner near Yeoksam Station.