Hongdae Japanese restaurant with refillable seaweed: Ochaya Yeonnam

Getting to Ochaya Yeonnam from Hongik University Station

After enjoying some solo time around Hongik University Station, I headed to Ochaya, a popular spot near the station, for a solo meal! 🚶♀️🚶♀️

It is about an eight-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik University Station. There is no dedicated parking, so I heard you can use Yeonnam Street Parking Lot or Dongjin Parking Lot instead!

It is on the second floor of the building, and there is no elevator!

A day when I was craving warm broth and salmon

Ochaya is known for ochazuke (rice served with tea or broth). The weather had turned chilly, and I wanted both warm broth and salmon—then I found Ochaya, which serves salmon ochazuke, so I had to visit haha.

How could there be a place that fit so perfectly...🫶

I visited early on a Wednesday evening and did not have to wait, but since it is such a popular restaurant, I guess there can be a queue.

Ochaya's ochazuke menu and sake chazuke

• Chamnamul perilla-oil soba ₩13,000
• Buta no kakuni ₩14,000
• Sake chazuke ₩13,000
• Unagi chazuke ₩14,000
• Kaisen chazuke ₩14,500
• Matoudai chazuke ₩15,000
• Mentaiko ochazuke ₩10,000

There were all kinds of ochazuke options, including pork, salmon, and eel. They also had fried sides, which looked nice to enjoy alongside a meal. I ordered the sake chazuke.

The chamnamul perilla-oil soba was a summer-only menu, and I wanted to try it next time, but it was already fall... such a shame 🥹🥹 They also give matcha ice cream for a review event, so keep that in mind if you visit!

A warm wood-toned space for solo meals or dates

Inside, the mood was warm and wood-toned. It was great for eating alone, but also seemed like a nice space for groups or dates. Aprons and wet wipes were self-service, and they even had phone chargers and handheld fans available.

Sake chazuke enjoyed with broth poured separately

The food came out quickly. At Ochaya, the broth for every menu item is served separately, so you can enjoy the toppings and rice first, then add the broth for two different flavors. I also loved that the broth came in a kettle, so even if I poured it later after taking my time, it was still warm!

They said to add the broth after eating about half of the toppings and rice! Rice, seaweed, side dishes, and broth can all be refilled, so it seems like you can eat as much as you like.

They said the salmon is aged in-house using the konbujime method, and it was so soft and delicious. It practically melted in my mouth..🤤 The rice had corn, beans, and more in it, which made it feel wholesome as well as tasty.

Salmon wrapped in seaweed, followed by broth

I tried the salmon and wasabi over rice, and I also wrapped them in seaweed. The popping texture of flying fish roe and the soft salmon really came through! Salmon can get rich if you eat a lot of it, but the wasabi and side dishes balanced that out. It was delicious without becoming heavy. I especially loved wrapping it in seaweed, so I got a seaweed refill too haha. You should definitely try it wrapped in seaweed..!

I added the broth too, and it was delicious in a totally different way from eating it plain. I thought the broth might dilute it, but it had a tsuyu-like flavor, so it actually became even tastier and went down easily while still leaving me full!

With the wholesome mixed rice and warm broth, it felt easy to digest and like such a satisfying meal—it was the kind of good restaurant that even lifted my mood. Next time, I want to come back and try the eel ochazuke and a fried side too..!! If you are looking for a Japanese ochazuke restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, I recommend Ochaya!