JejunagiA Hitsumabushi That Brings Nagoya Back, Taken to Go in Aewol

A memory from Nagoya

I've also eaten it at a famous old restaurant in Nagoya, said to be the home of hitsumabushi. I don't remember the name, but it was a very old place, and I got a table only after trying to book twice.

I haven't forgotten that taste. It's the reason hitsumabushi was on my mind in Aewol in the first place.

Tender eel, an indulgent meal

The weather was good, so I got it to go, and ate it in the sun on an empty stomach. That made it better.

The eel was so tender it was a pleasure to eat. Honestly, it was an indulgent meal — not an everyday one, but now and then a meal like this feels right. Jejunagi's hitsumabushi brought that Nagoya taste back to mind.

What it looks like

In the takeout box, a whole eel lies lengthwise over the rice, scored and sliced crosswise, glossy with sauce. The compartments on the right hold nori, finely cut green herbs, wasabi and sesame, and the lower ones hold pickled vegetables and shredded ginger among other things. Two lidded containers of broth sit beside the box.

What hitsumabushi is

Hitsumabushi is Nagoya's grilled-eel rice bowl. You usually eat one bowl in three passes — plain first; then with garnishes like seaweed, sesame and spring onion; and finally with dashi broth poured over, like ochazuke.

As in the photo, the garnishes come divided into little compartments. Because it was takeout, that whole format came packed as is.

For foreign visitors

• Hitsumabushi (ひつまぶし) is Nagoya's grilled-eel rice. Eel is grilled and laid over rice. It is not spicy.
• Garnishes (seaweed, sesame, spring onion, wasabi) and a dashi broth come with it. Eating it three ways is the standard.
• Takeout is available. If the weather's good, eating it outside nearby works well.
• It isn't cheap. It's more of a "do it properly once" meal.

Who this suits

• ✅ You like eel rice / hitsumabushi
• ✅ You want a slightly indulgent meal during an Aewol day
• ✅ You want to take it away and eat outside in good weather
• ✅ You can't eat spicy food — hitsumabushi isn't spicy
• ⚠️ You want a cheap quick meal — this isn't that price range
• ⚠️ You're expecting Korean-style marinated grilled freshwater eel — this is the Nagoya style

Before you go

• Hours, prices, closing day — 11:00 AM–9:00 PM (break 3–5 PM, last order 2 PM/8 PM), hitsumabushi ₩39,000 (special ₩53,000), no regular closing day. This is as of Aug 2026 and can change, so confirm on the map or by phone before you go.
• Takeout — available. Good for eating nearby in fine weather.
• How to eat it — plain / with garnishes / with broth poured over, in three passes.
• Want noodles instead? — Aewolli Sun Memil Makguksu is a short drive away, in the same Aewol-eup.