Eel rice bowl meal in Bucheon: Haehwagaban at Lotte Department Store

Craving Japanese food near Sinjung-dong Station, I visited Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch (해화개반 롯데백화점 중동점) with a friend.

While looking for somewhere to eat after meeting my friend in Sinjung-dong, we wanted a place that was easy to get to and where we could have a neat, proper meal. I was in the mood for Japanese food rather than the meat or Korean dishes I usually eat, and the eel rice bowl caught my eye, so I chose it right away.

Rather than grilling eel separately, it looked convenient and filling to enjoy it as a one-bowl meal with rice.

Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch: location and information

Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch is on B1 of Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch, 300 Gilju-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.

It is close to Sinjung-dong Station, so it was easy to choose as a meeting spot with my friend. Since it is inside the department store, it was also nice to continue on with shopping or other plans before or after our meal.

Regular hours are 10:30 AM to 8:00 PM, with service until 8:30 PM on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Hours may change according to department-store closing days or operating hours, so checking before you go is more convenient. I also liked that I could use the department store parking lot when visiting by car.

A meal of eel rice bowl

My friend and I looked over the menu, and the eel rice bowl was what we chose that day.

With eel and rice together, it looked substantial enough for a meal without ordering several separate dishes. When the food arrived, the first thing I noticed was the appetizing eel laid over the rice. The glossy eel was well coated in sauce, and just looking at it made my mouth water. I first tried a piece of eel, then had it with some rice

and, as expected, the combination really came together when I ate the eel rice bowl that way. Eating the rice and eel in a balanced ratio kept either flavor from feeling too strong, and they went together nicely.

The tender texture of the eel rice bowl

Texture is something I pay close attention to when I eat eel.

The eel in Haehwagaban's eel rice bowl was tender, making it easy to eat with the rice. Its sauce also went well with the rice, and the savory flavor with a subtle sweetness kept drawing me toward the next bite.

I especially liked scooping up the eel together with rice lightly coated in sauce. Rather than eating eel continuously, the rice naturally balanced the flavor, so I did not tire of it throughout the bowl. Even though I ate slowly while chatting with my friend, the eel-and-rice combination held up right to the end.

A convenient and filling one-bowl meal

When I think of eel, I usually first imagine going to a specialty restaurant and taking the time to grill it, but having it as a rice bowl was much more convenient.

With rice and eel together in one bowl, it was easy to eat and more filling than I expected. It was also good for a relaxed meal while talking with my friend, and the food arrived neatly presented and appetizing. I thought it would be a good choice for a proper Japanese one-bowl meal when you want to eat well while shopping at the department store.

Being able to look around the department store immediately after eating was another convenient part of Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch.

Shopping and a meal together in Sinjung-dong

Whenever I meet a friend in Sinjung-dong, I spend a long time wondering where

to eat. This time, it was nice to move around comfortably inside the department store and have a filling eel rice bowl, too. The eel's tender texture and sauce blended naturally with the rice, and because it was a one-bowl menu, I could finish the meal neatly.

If you are looking for Japanese food near Sinjung-dong Station and want to enjoy eel a little more easily, Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch's eel rice bowl seems like a good fit. It was nice to eat slowly while talking with my friend, and being able to take care of both shopping and a meal near Sinjung-dong Station suited our plans that day.

Having eel with warm rice made for a filling finish that felt like I had properly taken care of a meal.