Yongsan eel rice bowl restaurant for engagement party gatherings: Una

Since I was already in Yongsan, I went around checking out all the good restaurants — and this time I heard there's a Yongsan hitsumabushi specialty spot run by a Japanese chef with 22 years of experience, made the traditional way. So I went to check it out.

That's Una Yongsan Main Branch. From the neatly plated eel rice bowl to the charcoal-grilled chicken rice bowl torimabushi, everything looked as good as it tasted — this is Una, a top Yongsan eel rice bowl restaurant.

The interior is upscale too, apparently known as a spot for engagement party gatherings and family meals. Let me quickly walk you through the location, atmosphere, and the food at Una Yongsan Main Branch.

Location, hours, and parking

Una, a top Yongsan eel rice bowl restaurant, is located in Episode Yongsan, across from the HYBE building, about a 10-minute walk from Yongsan Station Exit 1 toward the Han River.

There's no regular closing day, but there is a break time, so just avoid that window. Parking is free for the first hour and ₩1,000 per 10 minutes after that — for reference, we walked.

Exterior and interior atmosphere

The exterior of Una Yongsan Main Branch. It's on the 2nd floor of a black-toned building. There's a café called Standard Bun on the 1st floor, for reference.

Head up to the 2nd floor and Una's entrance is right there at the end of the hallway.

Step inside and you're met with a calm, upscale black-toned interior.

There are beige blinds hung in the center, giving the space a private feel even though it's the main hall.

The seats are also spaced pretty generously.

Menu and prices

We sat down and looked at the menu.

Una Yongsan Main Branch's three signature dishes are hitsumabushi (Nagoya-style eel rice bowl), torimabushi (charcoal-grilled chicken rice bowl), and meromabushi — Korea's first.

There are also sets with pollack roe added to the base rice bowl, plus single grilled items and eel omelette. I decided to try the two signature dishes: hitsumabushi and torimabushi.

The engagement party champagne event

While we were waiting for the food, the table next to us seemed to be having an engagement party gathering. Champagne showed up and I wondered what that was about — turns out Una Yongsan Main Branch runs a promotion where groups of 4 or more celebrating an engagement get free champagne!

I was so jealous watching them, haha. The atmosphere is great and the food is clean-tasting, so it does seem like a good spot for an engagement party gathering. A bit later, our food arrived.

How the hitsumabushi and torimabushi taste

Hitsumabushi (₩42,000)

Torimabushi (₩29,000)

Both came very neatly arranged in lunch boxes. The bottom tier is the rice bowl,

and the top tier is the side dishes to eat alongside.

Green tea and broth for making ochazuke also came along. Everything except the eel and chicken can be refilled, so just ask if you run out while eating.

First, I tried the eel and chicken. Both were subtly seasoned and well-grilled — soft and delicious. Nothing too intense, so I think older family members would enjoy it too. Would be great for a family gathering.

If it needs more seasoning, you can add the soy sauce on the table to taste.

Just note that the grilled eel has some fine bones, so keep that in mind while eating.

Finishing with ochazuke

Along the way I ate the pickles and side dishes too, and pouring the broth over the rice midway to make ochazuke added some fun variety to the meal.

For torimabushi, the broth that comes out is milky white, almost like gomtang (bone broth soup) — with a nice umami depth, really tasty.

The eel rice bowl has green tea mixed in, so you get a clean, light flavor when you pour it in. Between all the different ways of eating it, I finished the whole bowl before I knew it.

For dessert, matcha ice cream came out. Not too sweet, with a nice bitterness — perfect as a palate cleanser. A perfect finish.

Wrap-up

If you're looking for an upscale spot near Yongsan Station for a family gathering or an engagement party meetup, consider Una Yongsan Main Branch, a leading Yongsan eel rice bowl restaurant.

The atmosphere is great and the food comes out clean and well-plated, making it a perfect meal spot. Beyond the eel rice bowl, there are other rice bowl options like chicken and Chilean sea bass, so you can enjoy a variety of Japanese-style charcoal-grilled rice bowls depending on your taste.