# Yeoksam eel rice bowl restaurant with Ebisu draft beer: Unagiwa - By Junseo (https://superchart.com/en/@white-tray-seoul/) - Written Sep 6, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was hosted, with the meal provided by the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@white-tray-seoul/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@white-tray-seoul/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/index.md) ## In short Unagiwa is a Nagoya-style eel rice bowl restaurant on Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, near the GS building in Yeoksam, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Having eaten eel bowls in Fukuoka and Nagoya, the writer ordered one hitsumabushi teuk and one unadon teuk to compare side by side, with an Ebisu draft beer alongside. Unagiwa's unadon is steamed once more before serving, so the eel came out far softer and tasted better than the famous Nagoya shop, making a return visit a certainty. ## Good to know - **Location**: 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 2nd floor (near the Yeoksam GS building) - **Closed**: Saturday and Sunday - **Hours**: Weekdays 11:00–21:00 - **Ordered**: Hitsumabushi teuk, unadon teuk, Ebisu draft beer - **Break time**: 15:00–17:00 - **Menu sizes**: Hitsumabushi and unadon both come in teuk (large), sang (regular) and mini - **Sides**: Grilled eel, fried eel, salad, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) *as written by the visitor on Sep 6, 2026* I'd eaten eel rice bowls in Fukuoka and Nagoya and had been hunting for a good one in Seoul ever since — honestly, it was hard to find a place I fully loved. Then I discovered Unagiwa in Yeoksam!! ## Where is Unagiwa, and what are its hours? - 📍Location: 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul - 📍Closed: Saturdays, Sundays - 📍Hours: Weekdays 11:00–21:00 - Break time: 15:00–17:00 ![Exterior and entrance of Unagiwa in Yeoksam](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-01-bs6rd-900.webp) ![Sign guiding to Unagiwa's second-floor entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-02-1ltmw-900.webp) Unagiwa is located near the GS building in Yeoksam, and since the area is full of office workers, it's a shame they're closed on weekends ㅠㅠ!! If your workplace is around Gangnam-Yeoksam, you really should try this after work... ![Interior of Unagiwa with roomy table spacing](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-03-1am1v-900.webp) ## Inside Unagiwa: atmosphere and table spacing The inside of Unagiwa is clean, and even though there are a lot of tables, they're not packed too tightly together, so it didn't feel disruptive to eating! We showed up right after break time at 5pm and got lucky as the very first customers, haha. ![Unagiwa's dining hall during a quiet hour](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-04-x8fth-900.webp) ![Table setting and overall view of Unagiwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-05-91m7n-900.webp) ## Unagiwa's menu: hitsumabushi and unadon sizes Unagiwa's signature dish is of course Nagoya-style hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice, eaten three ways)!! It comes in three sizes — teuk, sang, and mini — so it covers everyone from light eaters to big eaters. Unadon is steamed one more time, which apparently makes it extra tender! Unadon also comes in teuk, sang, and mini sizes. We ordered one hitsumabushi and one unadon, both in the teuk size! The prices also felt very reasonable compared to what we paid in Japan. ![Unagiwa's menu board listing hitsumabushi and unadon sizes](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-06-1iu4g-900.webp) They also have grilled eel and fried eel available. If you love eel, adding one of these could be a good idea (though some were sold out..!) The famous original shop in Nagoya also had a lot of eel dishes besides hitsumabushi (I went to A***a Hor**iken), and honestly — is this Japan or Korea?~~ ![Side menu board with grilled and fried eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-07-qb960-900.webp) ![Unagiwa's à la carte menu page](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-08-11q94-900.webp) ![Drinks menu with Saero Omija and draft beer](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-09-wyohk-900.webp) ## What can you drink? Ebisu draft beer and Saero Omija Unagiwa has a nice variety of drinks too, including Saero Omija (a soju-based omija berry drink)!! I've heard it's famous for being delicious lately, and sure enough, Unagiwa in Yeoksam had it. But... the moment I saw Ebisu draft beer, I couldn't resist... ![A glass of Ebisu draft beer ordered at Unagiwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-10-18iqn-m-900.webp) There's no resisting a draft beer after work ㅠㅠ Ebisu draft has that distinctive salty edge to it! The price was a bit steep, but still,, ![Full spread of Unagiwa's unadon teuk set](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-11-10sou-1200.webp) ## Unadon teuk: twice-steamed eel and gungchae side dish First up, the unadon I ordered! Because of the extra steaming step, it took about 10 minutes, and I was surprised at how big and hearty the eel was. Even in Japan you sometimes get eel that's dried out and skimpy... They also served gungchae (a crunchy pickled stem vegetable) as a side, which was great for balancing out what could otherwise be a one-note texture. ![Unadon served with gungchae side dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-12-1tqzn-900.webp) And this is the hitsumabushi! This one gives off that classic eel rice bowl feel we all know, right?! Both had such a great tare (sweet soy glaze) aroma that I couldn't wait to dig in... I was really hungry that day ㅠㅠ ![Hitsumabushi topped with finely cut eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-13-1n48m-900.webp) ![Close-up of unadon topped with large eel pieces](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-14-n23up-900.webp) ### Hitsumabushi vs unadon: what's the difference? (Top) The eel in the hitsumabushi is cut into slightly smaller pieces, while (bottom) the eel in the unadon comes in bigger chunks, so you can choose based on your preference — but keep in mind the unadon doesn't come with the ochazuke broth and such! Just something to note :) Honestly, ordering one of each and sharing seems like the best move! ![A piece of eel grilled crispy at the edges](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-15-1w5gi-900.webp) ![A scoop of Unagiwa's eel flesh lifted with rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison-16-1m4b9-900.webp) ## Unagiwa vs Nagoya eel bowls: the final verdict I'm not sure this comes across in photos, but... the eel was surprisingly hearty!! And the pieces with crispy grilled edges were absolutely fantastic;;; Personally I wish there had been a bit more tare sauce brushed on, but the overall balance was really good. My personal ranking? Yoshi**ka Unagiya in Fukuoka is on a whole other level at number one, and Unagiwa in Yeoksam actually tasted better to me than Hora**ken in Nagoya (I mean it). Hitsumabushi leans more toward the eel's natural flavor, while unadon is much more tender, which suited my taste better!! I'd actually built up my expectations too much for Nagoya and ended up a bit disappointed, but Unagiwa lets you enjoy sides like salad and chawanmushi alongside your meal, which is so much better — and I absolutely, absolutely want to come back...❤ Highly, highly recommend Unagiwa, the eel rice bowl spot in Gangnam Yeoksam..🤤 ## Where it is - Unagiwa (우나기와) - 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (2nd floor) - 서울특별시 강남구 봉은사로30길 71 2층 - 37.5030197, 127.0370094 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%9A%B0%EB%82%98%EA%B8%B0%EC%99%80/@37.5030197,127.0370094,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@white-tray-seoul/unagiwa-yeoksam-nagoya-eel-bowl-comparison/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt