Gangnam eel restaurant for hitsumabushi tasted plain first: Unagiwa

If you're looking for a special eel meal in Gangnam

I went to Unagiwa (우나기와), a great eel rice bowl restaurant in Gangnam. It's an eel spot near Yeoksam Station that's perfect for when you want to enjoy really good eel on a special day. The space is clean and has a nice atmosphere, so I'd also recommend it to anyone looking for a date spot near Yeoksam Station.

Unagiwa, the Gangnam Station eel rice bowl restaurant, is about a 5-minute walk from Yeoksam Station.

A calm, clean interior

Past the exterior, which looked like a hanok (traditional Korean house), the inside had a calm, clean atmosphere that made it nice to enjoy a relaxed meal. When I visited, it seemed like a lot of people were there for small work dinners or dates.

What's in the hitsumabushi set and how to order

The hitsumabushi comes as a full set meal. It includes 1 whole freshwater eel, chawanmushi (savory egg custard), 3 kinds of pickled side dishes, steamed egg, miso soup, and side toppings.

Unagiwa runs its own eel farm on Ganghwa Island, so they say they can get a steady supply of high-quality eel.

You order on a tablet, and the instructions on how to eat it are all there too, so I read through them while waiting for the food.

• Divide the eel rice bowl into quarters, scoop a portion onto your plate and enjoy the eel's natural flavor.
• Add scallion and wasabi for an extra layer of flavor.
• Pour the tea from the pot over it with seaweed flakes and enjoy it as ochazuke (rice with tea or broth poured over).
• Finish clean with Unagiwa's house-made plum sauce.

I tried the hitsumabushi three ways

What I ordered was the hitsumabushi, a Japanese-style grilled eel rice bowl. What makes hitsumabushi so appealing is that you get to enjoy perfectly grilled eel with rice while tasting it in a variety of ways. You can eat it plain, then add perilla leaf, scallion, wasabi and other toppings, and finally pour in broth, so there are all sorts of ways to enjoy it. The staff kindly explain everything when the food comes out, too.

The eel at Unagiwa, the Gangnam Station eel rice bowl restaurant, looked even more appetizing thanks to its moist, glossy appearance. There was a generous amount of eel, and quite a lot of rice too, so I was very satisfied.

Salad and chawanmushi came with it too, which went really nicely alongside the eel.

First, eel and rice just as they are

First, as instructed, I tried the eel and rice plain, and that's where the eel's rich, nutty flavor came through the most. The beautifully grilled eel had a subtle smoky char, and the tender flesh inside was outstanding. The sweet-yet-salty glaze had soaked right into the eel, and eaten with rice it was really delicious💖👍🏻

Second, with perilla leaf, scallion, wasabi and seaweed

Second, I added perilla leaf, scallion, wasabi and seaweed, which brought in a fragrant, clean taste. Personally, the second way was the most delicious.

Last, ochazuke with warm broth

Finally, I poured over the warm broth they'd prepared and enjoyed it like ochazuke, which made for a soft, light finish. Being able to experience several different flavors to suit your taste while eating a single dish was the biggest charm of hitsumabushi.

A place I'd recommend if you love eel

Unagiwa, the Gangnam eel rice bowl restaurant, is a Yeoksam Station spot I'd recommend visiting at least once if you love eel. Unagiwa, the Gangnam hitsumabushi restaurant where one dish can be enjoyed so many ways that it's genuinely fun to eat❤️ If you're looking for a special meal or a delicious eel rice bowl, I recommend the hitsumabushi at Unagiwa.