Charcoal-grilled mackerel ochazuke set at a Songjeong Japanese restaurant in Busan: Yuok

I was looking for something a little special to eat around Songjeong in Busan, and ended up at Yuok (유옥). I wanted somewhere with a nice atmosphere and a menu with some character, rather than just an ordinary meal. What caught my eye in particular was that you can try Osaka-style eel rice bowls here, so I picked it for this outing. Even from the outside it looked clean with a Japanese feel, so my first impression was pretty good. If you're after Japanese food in Songjeong, Busan, this is a place where the atmosphere is worth seeing along with the food.

Close to Songjeong Beach

Yuok is on the first floor at 47 Songjeonggangbyeon-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan. It's walkable from Songjeong Station and close to Songjeong Beach, so it was easy to fit into a travel route. After spending time at Songjeong Beach, it was an easy distance to move over for a meal. I liked that the location works well for bundling with nearby sightseeing plans.

If you're coming by car, parking is always a concern. There's a dedicated parking space for the restaurant, so it's relatively convenient. That said, at mealtimes or on weekends the parking may not be so roomy, so it might be worth arriving a bit early.

A space that feels like Japan

There's a garden-like area around the restaurant, so there was something to look at even before going in. If there's a wait, it seemed like a fine place to pass the time looking around.

Inside, the calm, wood-toned interior continues. It's not overly flashy, but it naturally felt like being in a restaurant on a trip to Japan.

Seating was split between tables and counter (tachi) seats. It seemed like a place where you wouldn't feel awkward eating alone, not just for dates or family meals.

Menu and ordering

The menu has a variety of set meals (hansang, a full tray with sides): eel rice bowl, salmon rice bowl, mackerel rice bowl, toridon (chicken rice bowl) and more. There are also single dishes like mazeudon (mixed udon), tempura udon and karaage, so the choices were pretty wide. Yuok's signature is, of course, the Jumbo Unaju set. You get a huge piece of eel, so it's the menu item that draws the eye when looking for Japanese food in Songjeong, Busan.

What we actually ordered was the Jumbo Unaju set and the Saba Ochazuke set. Eel and mackerel—both fish rice bowls, but with clearly different characters.

Enjoying it as a full set

When the food arrives, it's not just a single rice bowl set down; several side dishes come with it. It feels like being treated to a proper meal, so I liked the set composition. The eel dish also comes with wasabi, chopped scallions, seaweed flakes and so on, so you can switch up how you eat it.

Jumbo Unaju set

The moment the unaju (grilled eel over rice in a box) came out, the first thing I noticed was the size of the eel. A huge piece of eel covered the whole rice, so it had real presence just visually. It had a natural glossy sheen, and my expectations shot up before I'd even taken a bite.

The first thing I noticed about the eel was its tender texture. The rich, savory flavor went well with the rice—it was better eaten together than on its own. Under the eel there's also a thick tamagoyaki (rolled omelet). The sweet, soft omelet added a different flavor in between the eel, so the set didn't feel one-note. At first I enjoyed the eel and rice as they were. Then adding a bit of scallion or wasabi was a nice way to vary the taste. Eel rice bowls can start to feel a little heavy if you keep eating, but the accompaniments lightened that up.

Saba Ochazuke mackerel rice bowl

The other dish we ordered was the Saba Ochazuke set. Simply put, it's a mackerel rice bowl topped with charcoal-grilled mackerel (saba), so it has a different appeal from the eel. Mackerel tends to have an image as an oily fish. But Yuok's Saba Ochazuke is grilled over charcoal, so overall it was easy to enjoy as a clean, light dish.

The surface of the mackerel was grilled golden and looked appetizing even in photos. It had that toasty character of charcoal-grilled fish, which paired well with the rice. If the eel is the soft, rich one, the mackerel leans lighter and cleaner, so I was glad we ordered both. They're both Japanese rice bowls, but the flavors don't overlap, so it was fun alternating between them.

One more time as ochazuke

As the name Saba Ochazuke suggests, this isn't a dish that ends as just a mackerel rice bowl. At first it was nice to eat the mackerel and rice as they were and enjoy the natural flavor. Once you've eaten a fair amount, switching to ochazuke style (rice with broth poured over) changes the mood completely.

Add the warm broth and the rice loosens softly into a more soothing flavor. I liked being able to eat one dish two ways. The same taste never repeated right to the end, so I really got to feel the fun of the set meal.

Eel or mackerel—which to choose?

If you're torn between the two, I'd say go by preference. If you want something soft and rich with a bit more of a showstopper look, the Jumbo Unaju is a good fit. If you like light grilled fish and want to finish cleanly with ochazuke, the Saba Ochazuke is a good choice. Personally, if you're visiting with two or more people, I think ordering one of each and sharing is a great option.

A Japanese set meal in Songjeong

Yuok was a Japanese restaurant in Songjeong where the atmosphere of the space is as enjoyable as the food. The Jumbo Unaju set in particular stuck with me for the combination of huge eel and tamagoyaki. The Saba Ochazuke was fun too—enjoying the charcoal-grilled mackerel plain and then adding broth. If you're looking for a different kind of rice bowl set near Songjeong Beach, Yuok, where you can have eel rice bowl and mackerel rice bowl together, is worth a visit. It was a Japanese restaurant in Songjeong, Busan where both the atmosphere and the food came together neatly.