Hongdae lunch: shiitake tempura and unagi chazuke at Ochaya Yeonnam

Ochaya Yeonnam

Why choose Ochaya Yeonnam for Japanese food near Hongik Univ. Station?

There are so many restaurants around Hongik Univ. Station that it's honestly hard to pick where to go, haha. I was craving clean, simple Japanese food, so I looked up good Japanese spots near Hongik Univ. Station and found Ochaya Yeonnam! I go to Yeonnam-dong a lot since it's fun to hang out around there when you're at Hongik Univ. Station, and with the weather being nice lately, I finally made my way to Ochaya.

Ochaya Yeonnam

38 Donggyo-ro 38-gil, 2nd floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul / Daily 11:30–20:30 / No parking

Where is Ochaya Yeonnam, and is there a weekday wait?

Ochaya, a lunch spot near Hongik Univ. Station, is located on the 2nd floor! It's a popular Yeonnam-dong spot with a wait on weekends, but luckily there was no line when I came on a weekday. The 3rd and 4th floors are just passageways, so you wait on the stairs below the 2nd floor instead. Even if it's full, turnover seems fast given how ochazuke works.

The interior is pretty spacious, so it's good for coming with coworkers or friends! I also noticed quite a few people eating solo.

Ordering at the kiosk and what's on the self-serve bar

At Ochaya, this Japanese spot near Hongik Univ. Station, you order via kiosk. I ordered

• Unagi chazuke (eel)
• Mushroom tempura
• Zero-sugar cider

like this!

There are self-serve aprons, a phone charger, and wet wipes, so it's easy to get comfortable.

There are even hair ties, so you can eat more, well, aggressively (?) haha. If you have long hair that gets in the way while eating, a hair tie really comes in handy.

How to eat ochazuke at Ochaya Yeonnam

Here's how to eat well at Ochaya, this Japanese spot near Hongik Univ. Station! Eat about half, then pour the broth over the rest. Nutritious rice, seaweed, side dishes, and broth are all refillable! For the braised pork belly and eel, just mash them a bit with your spoon.

My order arrived!

Shiitake tempura: crisp outside, juicy inside

I heard you absolutely have to order the mushroom tempura at Ochaya, this Japanese spot near Hongik Univ. Station, so I tried it. Doesn't it look super crispy just from the photo?

The basic side dishes look really good too — kimchi, dried radish, and seasoned seaweed.

Unagi chazuke: a whole eel over nutritious rice

Unagi chazuke (eel over tea rice) comes with a whole eel on top, which makes it look extra hearty and delicious. Anyone who likes eel would love this!

Underneath the eel there's a generous amount of nutritious rice too. Best of all, it's refillable, so even big eaters can leave full.

The eel marinated in sauce looks so good! When you need a boost of stamina, nothing beats eel.

The mushroom tempura was crispy outside and moist inside, which made it even tastier. If you come to Ochaya, this Japanese spot near Hongik Univ. Station, you absolutely have to order the mushroom tempura!

The eel's seasoning is sweet and savory, so good! Adding a bit of wasabi hit exactly my taste.

No words needed. If you need to recharge your energy, order the unagi chazuke, no question.

How the unagi chazuke tasted after pouring the broth

As instructed, I ate about half and then poured the broth over the rest. The broth is seasoned too, so it was even tastier! Adding the seaweed on top made it perfect. I'm not usually someone who enjoys soaking rice in water or green tea, but this time at Ochaya I truly discovered the charm of ochazuke. It really goes down smoothly.

Delicious down to the last bite. Best of all, since it's nutritious rice, I felt healthier eating it. I usually prefer brown rice over white rice, so I enjoyed it even more. Ochaya, this Japanese spot near Hongik Univ. Station — next time I want to try the sake chazuke (salmon)! I love salmon, too. If you're looking for lunch near Hongik Univ. Station, or a good solo dining spot near Hongik Univ. Station, I recommend Ochaya!