Busan Nampo-dong Eats Handsot Eel Rice Bowl, a Cozy Dish to Savor Slowly
Jufy
3 days ago
On this trip to Busan, Nampo-dong was on the itinerary almost every day. It brings together shopping, food, and sights, so you won't get bored from day into night. After wandering all day that night, it was a bit cold and my feet were sore, I just wanted to find a place to sit down and have a hot meal. I found Handsot Eel Gamasot Rice tucked in an alley.
The restaurant isn’t on the main street, it’s tucked a bit further in, which makes it quieter. The exterior is simply designed with a slight Japanese vibe, clean and classy, inviting you to step inside. Photos of the dishes and a menu are displayed at the entrance, so even if you don’t read Korean you can get a good idea of what the restaurant specializes in.
After studying the menu at the entrance, I found they mainly offer various gamasot rice dishes, like eel, seafood, and beef, and each one looked really good. The prices are mid-range for a tourist area, not cheap, but not so high you’d hesitate for long, a price where you can comfortably enjoy a proper meal.
When you walk into the restaurant, the space is more spacious than you’d expect, the lighting is soft, and the atmosphere is very comfortable. The seating isn’t crowded, tabletops are neat and clean, and you can relax even before ordering. The staff are friendly, and although their English isn’t fluent, they communicate with simple words and gestures, so there’s no pressure. Because gamasot rice is made to order, you’ll need to wait a little while. This is a good time to sit and rest, and to watch other diners’ dishes, each of which looks carefully prepared, making you more excited for your own meal.
The meal arrived as a full set, not just a single bowl of rice, and came with various banchan, a salad, and a soup. The whole tray was packed and looked very plentiful.
Although the salad looks simple, the vegetables are very fresh and crisp, and the dressing isn’t too strong, so it tastes refreshing. After several days of heavy-flavored Korean dishes, this kind of side makes you feel especially comfortable, and it’s great as an appetizer.
The main dish, Eel Gamasot Rice, grabbed everyone's attention as soon as it arrived. The stone pot was still steaming, and the air was filled with a light kabayaki-style sauce aroma. The eel was cut into neat small pieces, slightly charred on the surface, the sauce glistening, looking very tempting.
Taking the first bite makes you feel the wait was worth it. The eel is tender and delicate, almost melting in your mouth, with no fishy smell, and the sweet and savory balance is just right. The rice underneath soaks up the sauce and oils, giving each bite a fragrant flavor, and the scallions add a fresh aroma, creating rich layers of taste overall.
The restaurant also offers another way to enjoy it: pour the hot broth provided into the gamasot rice to turn it into broth-poured rice (ochazuke-style). When the hot broth is poured into the stone pot, you can hear the scorched rice (crispy rice) being soaked, adding an instant sense of ritual.
After turning into broth-poured rice (ochazuke-style), the original rich flavor becomes milder and smoother, the eel’s oiliness is balanced, and it tastes much fresher. The scorched rice (crispy rice) at the bottom slowly soaks up the broth, becoming slightly crunchy without being too hard, creating a very interesting texture. It’s like the same dish, yet you get to enjoy two different flavors.
The whole set meal is actually quite filling without feeling too heavy. Especially on cold days, having a bowl of steaming gamasot rice like this is really comforting.
Besides the food itself, what stood out to me about this restaurant was the overall dining atmosphere. The setting is quiet and comfortable, not too noisy, making it perfect for taking your time over a meal. Whether you come with family, friends, or travel companions, you’ll have a pleasant experience.
This meal was booked through Creatrip, so we didn’t have to line up on site, we just checked in and were seated, which is really convenient for travelers with tight schedules. Nampo-dong is especially crowded often, so being guaranteed a seat saved a lot of time.
Overall, Handsot Eel Gamasot Rice is a restaurant where you can enjoy a distinctive dish, with a comfortable atmosphere, generous portions, and a low chance of being disappointed. It's located near the Nampo-dong shopping area, with convenient transportation, making it very friendly for tourists. Whether it's your first time in Busan, or you've visited many times and are looking for new food to try, it's a great place to plan a meal.
If I have the chance to visit Busan again, I’d still want to come back, especially when the weather is colder, since a steaming bowl of gamasot rice would surely cure a day’s worth of fatigue.
