Gwanak raw fish restaurant: Set D with flounder & mulhoe, Doha Susan

Whenever I crave sashimi near Sillim Station, I end up stuck on the same dilemma. The places called good value often have disappointing portions, and the places known for thick, generous cuts have prices that jump way up. This time I visited a place that blew that frustration away.

It's Doha Susan (도하수산), a good-value Sillim sashimi restaurant that's quietly building a reputation lately!

Where is Doha Susan and what are its hours?

Doha Susan is in the basement of a building at 1600-20 Nambusunhwan-ro, Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, and it's open until 4 AM. It's near Sillim Station, so public transport access is great, and when you head down the stairs, a sign reading "Sillim Station No. 1 Sashimi Restaurant" catches your eye right away.

Signs at the entrance advertise seasonal sashimi, mulhoe and a specialty in large amberjack (daebang), which got my hopes way up. It's open from opening time until 4 AM, so you can visit late at night, which is a big plus! One thing though: sponsored visits aren't possible on Fridays and Saturdays, so please check before you go.

What kind of raw fish restaurant is Doha Susan?

Doha Susan is a Sillim Station sashimi restaurant where the owner, with 15 years of experience, says he only uses ingredients supplied the same day from Yeonan Pier. It's not just an old shop, and that's what impressed me. A place this proud of its freshness, I figured, would naturally have different thickness and quality in its fish.

Having eaten there, I can say those weren't empty words. It doesn't have the cluttered feel of a typical sashimi joint. The interior is clean and hip, so it works for a date or a get-together with friends without any pressure. If you're looking for a good Sillim Station restaurant, the atmosphere more than holds up too.

What comes in Doha Susan's Set D and how much is it?

Set D at Doha Susan is flounder + rockfish + Doha mulhoe for ₩65,000. That day I ordered one Set D plus the self-bar for two (₩2,000), which came to ₩67,000. With the ₩50,000 discount applied, I actually paid ₩17,000.

Set D comes with flounder and rockfish sashimi together on one platter, plus a bowl of Doha mulhoe on top of that. You get a nice variety at once, and for two people one set was enough to leave us full. As a live fish sashimi place, nothing in the set felt like filler.

Flounder and rockfish sashimi platter

The flounder and rockfish in Set D came out generously portioned and quite thick. The more you chew, the more clean, nutty flavor comes through.

The grain of the flesh is clear and springy, so the freshness is visible. The sauces that came along were chogochujang (sweet-and-sour chili sauce), soy sauce, and a side sauce for the rice. My favorite is dipping in chogochujang, and the tangy-sweet sauce really goes well with the mild white fish.

Topping the fish with pa-chae (shredded scallion salad) makes it even more refreshing. And if you're after mackerel sashimi near Sillim Station, you'll be surprised by how many other kinds of fish Doha Susan has to choose from.

Doha mulhoe (cold raw fish soup)

The Doha mulhoe included in Set D was the real highlight. It arrives in a big stone bowl packed with sashimi, vegetables, fruit and a sweet-and-sour broth, and it already looked delicious.

It's piled with carrot, sprouts, perilla leaves and shredded radish, with sashimi on top of that. The broth is tangy and cold, and mixing it with the fish makes a refreshing bowl. It suits this time of year as the weather warms up, so I strongly recommend it. It's often named among Sillim Station drinking spots, and the Doha mulhoe alone is a perfect partner for a glass of alcohol.

How much is the Doha Susan self-bar and what's on it?

At Doha Susan's self-bar, you pay ₩1,000 per person for unlimited ramen noodles and sujebi. The self-bar is another big draw of this place.

After finishing the sashimi, you can boil ramen noodles or sujebi in the leftover broth for a hearty finish. I tried adding ramen noodles to the mulhoe broth, and the tangy soup soaking into the noodles made it another treat. If you're someone who starts thinking about a second round after sashimi, the self-bar alone seems like it would finish you off nicely.

Doha Susan menu and prices

The Doha Susan menu has a variety of fish, including flounder, rockfish, olive flounder-type doda (sand flounder), salmon and large amberjack, and depending on the set you can enjoy 2 to 3 kinds of sashimi at once. There's a reason it has a reputation as a good-value Sillim sashimi place, and on value it makes sense.

Mulhoe also has a wide range, from high-end mulhoe (₩49,000) to Doha mulhoe (₩29,000), and there are plenty of add-on items too, such as assorted seafood, sea cucumber, sea squirt (meongge) and conch.

Is Doha Susan worth it as a Sillim Station raw fish restaurant?

If you're looking for a sashimi restaurant near Sillim Station, Doha Susan could be the answer. Thick flounder and rockfish made with ingredients supplied directly from Yeonan Pier, plus tangy-sweet Doha mulhoe, and then a hearty finish with self-bar ramen noodles. The course felt really well put together.

The atmosphere is clean and hip too, a great space to share a plate of sashimi with an old friend. If you're after a live fish sashimi place or a good-value Sillim sashimi restaurant, give Doha Susan a try!