Eel bowl restaurant in Yeoksam with unlimited rice refills: Chisot

I've been really into eating alone lately. Not long ago I finished a whole bowl of pufferfish soup solo, and today it's a hitsumabushi solo dining review. And yep — finished this one too (?).

Eating alone so often, I realized one-bowl dishes are perfect for it. So today I tried Nagoya-style eel rice bowl, hitsumabushi, solo.

I love eel rice bowls so much I've hunted down a lot of eel spots in Seoul. Today's place, Chisot, had a reputation as a great Japanese restaurant near Yeoksam Station, and it really was delicious. I hadn't planned this visit at all — I was supposed to meet a friend at Centerfield but plans changed, so I went to eat solo instead. Maybe because it was unplanned, it tasted even better somehow.

After eating at Chisot this time, I genuinely met the best eel rice bowl of my life near Yeoksam Station. Why would anyone go to Japan??? Unlike the usual eel that melts apart softly, this one had a firm, chewy texture almost like eating pufferfish sashimi — that's what really moved me. Here's my honest solo dining review of Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch.

Where is Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch, and what are the hours?

Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch is on the 1st floor at 59 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Exit 7 of Yeoksam Station. Hours are 11:00–21:30 with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00. It's a great spot for Yeoksam-dong office workers or anyone in the Gangnam area looking for a solo dining or hearty nourishing meal.

• Address: 59 Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 1st floor (5-min walk from Yeoksam Station Exit 7 / near Eonju Station)
• Hours: 11:00 ~ 21:30 (break time 15:00 ~ 17:00 / last order 21:00)
• Regular closed days: Every Sunday and public holidays
• Parking/convenience: Takeout available, open-kitchen style bar table

Inside Chisot: open kitchen, seating and menu

Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch is a Japanese restaurant with an open-kitchen bar table where you can watch eel being grilled over binchotan charcoal. The main dish is hitsumabushi (freshwater eel rice bowl), with sides including salmon rice bowl (sakedon), unagi bento, kaisendon, and more.

Walking in, the first thing you notice is the open-kitchen bar table where you can watch chefs grilling eel to a golden brown over binchotan charcoal. The bar seats are well set up, so it's totally fine as a solo dining spot near Yeoksam Station! But I proudly did not sit at the bar — I sat at a regular 2-person table haha. That's just where I'm comfortable hahaha.

• Main menu: Hitsumabushi (freshwater eel rice bowl)
• Side menu: Salmon rice bowl (sakedon), unagi bento, kaisendon, and more

Eel rice bowl is the main event, but they also have great side salmon dishes for salmon lovers. Honestly, I wanted to order salmon too on top of the eel bowl, but held back so I wouldn't look like a pig.

A whole eel: is it enough for one person?

Chisot's hitsumabushi comes with a whole eel on top, along with steamed egg (gyeranjjim) and clear soup. There's a lot of eel but comparatively little rice, so it's a portion an adult can absolutely finish solo. The moment my hitsumabushi arrived, a gentle charcoal aroma hit my nose.

Steamed egg and clear soup came along, so I took a bite of that first. How is it this soft...

Looking at the eel, it really was one whole eel laid on top. The portion is genuinely generous. But don't worry! It's a portion one adult can finish. Well, of course, I do eat quite a lot for an adult woman hahaha.

Why can you finish it all? Because there's a lot of eel but comparatively little rice. That's exactly what makes it finishable. There's just soooo much eel!!!!! But since rice is refilled unlimited, even people who eat more than me can still fill up plenty.

How to eat hitsumabushi in three stages

At Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch, you divide the rice into four portions and enjoy it in order: eel alone, mixed with toppings, then ochazuke. Since the ochazuke broth and rice are refilled unlimited, you can go all the way through all 3 steps without any hesitation.

As a proper eel rice bowl specialist, I tried the classic method of dividing the rice into four portions and combining it various ways. One of Chisot's biggest strengths is that the ochazuke broth and rice are unlimited refills! I could refill broth and rice without any hesitation and reach the final step-3 ochazuke feeling very full and satisfied.

Tasting the original flavor: chewy eel alone placed on rice soaked in tare sauce, enjoying the pure charcoal aroma.

Mixing in toppings: adding green onion, seaweed flakes, and wasabi and mixing it all together (the sharp wasabi kick cutting through richness is my top pick combo!)

Making ochazuke: pouring in the warm ochazuke broth for a soft, clean finish, slurped down at the end.

Chewy like pufferfish: the eel texture at Chisot

Unlike the usual eel rice bowl that melts apart softly in your mouth, Chisot's eel has a springy firmness like pufferfish sashimi. They say it's aged at low temperature for 72 hours, then grilled over binchotan charcoal to tighten up the moisture and fat.

The moment I took my first bite, I actually blurted out, "wait, eel can be this chewy?" Most eel rice bowls are soft and melt apart in your mouth, but Chisot's eel has that springy, dense bounce you feel biting into pufferfish sashimi. In terms of texture alone, this was hands down the best I've ever had! Genuinely, so, so good, T.T

• Taste & texture: Pufferfish-level chewiness, worlds apart from ordinary eel!
• Recommended for: Solo diners near Yeoksam Station, Japanese rice bowl enthusiasts, anyone seeking a hearty nourishing meal
• Would I return: 200% (next time I definitely want to try the side salmon rice bowl too)

If you want to try proper Japanese hitsumabushi in Yeoksam-dong, I strongly recommend Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch!