Gwanghwamun sushi set with somyeon noodles: Elephant Sushi

Why Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun for a weekday lunch?

Here's my visit to Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun, a spot I picked when looking for a good sushi lunch in Gwanghwamun. I was trying to decide what to eat for lunch in Gwanghwamun and this time I really wanted sushi, so I went to Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun.

Gwanghwamun sees a lot of office workers passing through, so there are tons of lunch options around. Since it's easy to reach by public transit, it seemed like a good place to suggest for a work lunch meeting in Gwanghwamun.

Where Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is and where to park

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is close to Gwanghwamun Station, so accessibility is pretty good. It's specifically located on the basement floor of KT Gwanghwamun, connected to Exit 2 of Gwanghwamun Station, so finding it wasn't hard at all~ Parking is supported for up to 2 hours.

• 📍 178 Sejong-daero, B1 B109-5, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰ Daily 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• 🚘 2 hours free parking in the building
• ✔️ Corkage allowed, Naver reservations available

You can also visit after booking through Naver reservations.

Sushi handed over piece by piece by the chef

The restaurant introduces itself as a new-concept sushi specialist run by a head chef who has operated high-end brands like Sushi Shimizu, Sushi Umi, and Dosan Sakaba Kawasemi. Maybe that's why one distinctive feature here is that when you order sushi, the chef hands each piece to you directly.

The restaurant can accommodate groups and also offers takeout and delivery. With separate men's and women's restrooms, a waiting area, reservations, and even a high chair, it looked convenient for all kinds of situations.

Tablet ordering and what's on the menu

First, once you sit down they give you salad and soup, and you order through a tablet. Personally, when I go to a sushi place, I prefer ones that also have sashimi or rice bowl dishes rather than just sushi alone, and Elephant Sushi felt like it had a pretty wide range of choices, from a light lunch to a full dinner.

I ate the potato croquette I got as part of the review event, warm and tasty~

The 10-piece sushi and somyeon set: rice-to-fish balance

I ordered the set that comes with sushi and somyeon (thin wheat noodles) together. The sushi comes as 10 pieces~

The balance between rice and fish really matters for sushi. If there's too much rice, it drowns out the fish flavor, and if the fish is too big, it's awkward to eat — but the size here was just right for me.

The most important thing at a sushi place is taste, so I tried each piece one by one. Overall the rice wasn't too clumpy or too wet — it had just the right loose texture, which I liked. The fish was clean with almost no fishy taste, and I could feel the soft texture unique to properly aged fish. In particular, since the slices weren't too thin, it didn't feel like eating rice alone — I could really taste and feel the fish's texture and flavor.

The sushi rice wasn't over-seasoned either, so it didn't get in the way of the fish's flavor! Sometimes sushi rice has such a strong vinegar smell or sweetness that it overwhelms the fish, but here the overall balance was good ☺️

Adding a sashimi rice bowl and red seabream

I also ordered a sashimi rice bowl (hoedeopbap) on the side. It had been a while since I'd had one and it was really delicious — loaded with vegetables and plenty of sashimi, so it was very satisfying~!!

Usually with sushi, if there's too much rice you get full after just a few pieces, but here the rice-to-fish ratio was moderate, so eating several pieces still didn't feel like too much — I really enjoyed it.

I also ordered red seabream. This one was really a special treat. Plenty of flesh and really tasty~!!

Is Elephant Sushi worth it for sushi in Gwanghwamun?

If you're looking for a good sushi spot in Gwanghwamun, Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is convenient to get to and has a varied enough menu to work for lunch or a casual dinner. I recommend it 🥰