# Gangnam eel rice bowl after work on a Friday, Ganghwa-do eel: Unagiwa - By Somi Kwon (https://superchart.com/en/@yeonhui-spoon-diary/) - Written Sep 18, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written as part of a paid store visit sponsorship. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@yeonhui-spoon-diary/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@yeonhui-spoon-diary/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/index.md) ## In short Unagiwa is an eel rice bowl restaurant a 4-minute walk from Yeoksam Station in Gangnam, Seoul, serving Nagoya-style hitsumabushi that is charcoal-grilled and then steamed again. On a Friday after work, Unagiwa's antibiotic-free Japonica eel, raised at the restaurant's own farm on Ganghwa-do, came four ways: plain, with perilla leaf and seaweed, as ochazuke, and with umeboshi plum sauce. The eel was chewy yet moist, making Unagiwa's hitsumabushi a genuinely restorative dinner. ## Good to know - **Location**: 2nd floor, 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (4-minute walk from Yeoksam Station) - **Hours**: Mon-Fri 11:00-21:00 (break 15:00-17:00) - **Closed**: Every Saturday and Sunday - **Good to know**: Naver reservations, groups welcome, solo dining welcome, valet parking available - **What we ordered**: Hitsumabushi (served with shiitake egg custard, salad, miso soup and ochazuke broth) *as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026* The perfect restorative meal after work on the last Friday of the week! Eel rice bowl!!! I went and paid my respects. They say the eel is slow-grilled over charcoal every morning in the Nagoya style, then steamed once more to keep it moist — and you can taste all that effort in the tender, chewy texture. It was genuinely moving. Yeoksam's Unagiwa was such a satisfying hit! ## Where is Unagiwa and what are its hours? - Address: 71 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (4-minute walk from Yeoksam Station) - Hours: Mon-Fri 11:00-21:00 (break time 15:00-17:00) - Closed every Saturday and Sunday - Naver reservations available, groups welcome, solo dining welcome, valet parking available ![Exterior of Unagiwa, an eel rice bowl restaurant near Yeoksam Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-01-1w46c-900.webp) ![Entrance sign for Unagiwa's 2nd floor location](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-02-8f2yi-900.webp) It's about a 4-minute walk from Yeoksam Station, so it's perfect for an after-work get-together or dinner spot. And above all, it's a genuine, flavor-guaranteed favorite for Gangnam eel rice bowls! ## Inside Unagiwa: the dining room ![Unagiwa's interior with a calm Japanese-style atmosphere](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-03-j7bov-900.webp) ![View of Unagiwa's interior seating area](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-04-qlblg-1200.webp) Walking in, I felt the calm, warm atmosphere of a Japanese restaurant! ![Neatly arranged seating in Unagiwa's dining hall](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-05-87o7a-900.webp) ![Table and interior decor at Unagiwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-06-2gmpb-900.webp) The clean, tidy vibe made for a relaxing, almost healing meal after work! ## Antibiotic-free Japonica eel from Unagiwa's own Ganghwa-do farm ![Sign describing Unagiwa's Japonica eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-07-17d2s-900.webp) ![Sign introducing the Ganghwa-do company-run eel farm](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-08-4r4le-900.webp) ![In-store sign about antibiotic-free eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-09-1nct1-900.webp) ![Sign introducing Unagiwa's eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-10-16nqr-900.webp) ![In-store information material about Unagiwa's eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-11-1oc1q-900.webp) Unagiwa says it only selects top-grade Japonica eel with healthy, firm flesh, raised eco-friendly and antibiotic-free at its own farm in Ganghwa-do! ![Hitsumabushi set served with shiitake egg custard and salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-12-ag57b-966.webp) ## What comes with Unagiwa's hitsumabushi set The hitsumabushi looked amazing!! It came with shiitake egg custard and salad, plus neatly arranged seaweed and perilla leaf, scallions and gungchae (Korean lettuce), and a red umeboshi plum sauce to go with the eel! It even came with miso soup and broth for ochazuke, so it was a tidy, substantial spread! ## Charcoal-grilled and steamed the Nagoya way ![Nagoya-style eel rice bowl with the lid opened](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-13-186ts-900.webp) Unagiwa makes hitsumabushi (eel rice bowl) the way it's made in Nagoya, its birthplace! Every morning the eel is slow-grilled over charcoal, steamed once more to stay moist, then brushed with a centuries-old Nagoya-style tare sauce imported directly from Japan and grilled again. The moment I lifted the lid, the faint charcoal aroma and sweet sauce scent rose up! Biting into the eel, the outside had that chewy, charcoal-grilled texture while the inside was moist, blending beautifully with the sauce — genuinely delicious! Texture is the thing I care about most in an eel rice bowl, and you could really feel the care that went into the traditional cooking method! ## Four ways to eat the hitsumabushi at Unagiwa The staff showed me four ways to eat the eel rice bowl! You divide it into quarters, crosswise, and try each quarter a different way! ![Eel rice bowl divided into four quarters, crosswise](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-14-1c433-900.webp) ### 1. Eel, rice and sauce on their own First, the original way — eel and rice as is! The sweet-savory eel sauce had soaked nicely into the rice, and the chewy, tender eel came with a savory flavor and a faint charcoal aroma. The sauce wasn't too strong either, so the balance between rice and eel was just right!! ### 2. With perilla leaf, scallion and seaweed flakes ![Side accompaniments including perilla leaf, scallion, and seaweed flakes](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-15-gnaf7-966.webp) Second, topped with perilla leaf, scallion, and seaweed flakes! Adding the perilla leaf and seaweed flakes made the fragrant perilla scent burst through the rich, savory eel flavor, while the seaweed added a salty, nutty note that made it much more layered! ![Spoonful of eel rice bowl topped with perilla leaf and seaweed flakes](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-16-1deqn-900.webp) Eel itself is a fairly oily food, but the perilla leaf cut through it cleanly in the middle, making it feel lighter than expected! ### 3. As ochazuke with hot broth poured over Third, poured with broth and eaten like ochazuke! The flavor completely changes when eaten this way! Pouring in the warm broth, the distinctive savory aroma and umami of katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) seeped between the grains of rice, and the eel's seasoning softened even more. Spooned up with the broth, it went down moist and smooth — a nice change of pace toward the end! ![Eel rice bowl turned into ochazuke with broth poured over](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-17-17o4g-900.webp) My partner said the ochazuke way, number three, was the tastiest. ![Bowl of ochazuke broth with the eel rice bowl](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-18-1aoxb-900.webp) ### 4. With umeboshi plum sauce ![Eel rice bowl with red umeboshi plum sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-19-sayuk-856.webp) Last, the fourth way, with umeboshi plum sauce. Sweet, tangy, and fragrant with the distinctive scent of umeboshi, it refreshes the oily richness of the eel. After a few bites, it was great for cleansing the palate! ![A bite of eel topped with umeboshi sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-20-1gnj4-856.webp) ## Which of the four ways tasted best? Splitting it into four ways to eat made it clear how different the same eel rice bowl could taste, and comparing them was genuinely fun. If you want to taste the eel itself properly, go original; if you want fragrant and clean, go with perilla leaf and seaweed; if you like savory, go ochazuke; and if you want a refreshing finish, umeboshi plum sauce suits well! My personal favorite for the true, essential eel rice bowl flavor was number one — haha! ![Hitsumabushi spread after being eaten all four ways](https://img.superchart.com/images/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner-21-ckf4h-900.webp) At Unagiwa, the eel's chewy yet tender texture and its own natural flavor came through, with the sauce soaked in just the right amount — I felt like I'd properly restored my energy by the end! If you're looking for a hearty dinner in Gangnam, or an eel rice bowl near Seolleung or Yeoksam, try Unagiwa's hitsumabushi! ## 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/@yeonhui-spoon-diary/unagiwa-gangnam-hitsumabushi-friday-dinner/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt