Gimhae sushi restaurant for a first-night dinner in town: Sushi Hwa

Why Sushi Hwa in Bongridan-gil was the first dinner in Gimhae

The moment I arrived in Gimhae, I headed straight to Bongridan-gil for dinner. Bongridan-gil has filled up with more cafés and restaurants than before, so there are quite a few more options now. That night I was craving sushi, so I went to Sushi Hwa, right there in Bongridan-gil.

Sushi Hwa hours 📍32 Gimhae-daero 2315beon-gil, 1st floor, Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do ⏲Daily 10am – 9pm (Last order 8:40pm)

Where Sushi Hwa is and where to park

Sushi Hwa sits right in the middle of Bongridan-gil, so it's a good spot to also stroll around before or after the meal. 🅿 There's no dedicated parking for Sushi Hwa, but it's close to the free Bonghwang-dong public parking lot, and if that's full, you can park around Bonghwang-dong Historic Site, about a 4-minute walk away.

I visited on a weekday evening and there were more customers than I expected — I guess since there aren't that many sushi options in Gimhae, a lot of people looking for sushi end up here.

Sushi Hwa menu and prices

There's raw sushi topped with fish straight off, but the flame-seared sushi, torched on the surface, seemed to be the main event on the menu. The set menus come with either hot udon or cold soba.

• Sushi Hwa flame sushi set (for 2) ₩38,000
• Flame sushi set ₩15,000
• Tuna flame sushi set ₩16,000
• Salmon flame sushi set ₩16,000
• Raw sushi set ₩15,000
• Salmon belly sushi set ₩18,000
• Tuna sushi set ₩16,000
• Salmon sushi set ₩16,000

Besides sushi, there are also rice bowl dishes: eel rice bowl set ₩18,000, flame cheese pork cutlet rice bowl ₩9,000, flame chicken karaage rice bowl ₩8,000.

If you leave a Naver review, you get a free drink or 2 pieces of sushi.

What comes in the 38,000-won flame sushi set for two

The Sushi Hwa flame sushi set I ordered is well-portioned for two: 27 pieces of flame sushi + 2 salads + choice of 2 from udon or cold soba.

The sushi set lets you try many kinds of sushi at once, so for a first visit, ordering the set feels a lot easier than picking each piece individually.

Flame sushi has the surface of the fish lightly seared, which changes both the color and the aroma, giving it a different eating experience from raw sushi. If you're not used to the texture of raw fish, this style could be a good option.

Spicy sauce on one half, buttery sauce on the other

Each piece was a decent size, with a good rice-to-fish ratio. The flame sushi came in a mix — half topped with a spicy sauce and half with a sweet, buttery sauce — so it was fun picking whichever suited my mood.

With the cold soba or udon included, the meal felt heartier and more filling. The portion wasn't too much or too little — just right to enjoy alongside the sushi.

Salmon sushi set: raw salmon vs flame-seared

I also ordered raw salmon sushi. The raw sushi and flame sushi styles are polar opposites, so it really comes down to which style you personally prefer.

If you care most about the fish's natural texture and flavor, go raw. If you prefer sushi with sauce added, go flame-seared.

If you're looking for sushi in Gimhae, give Sushi Hwa in Bongridan-gil a try~