Sashimi rice bowl with soy bulgogi at Seoul Japanese restaurant: Tawa

I kept seeing this Japanese restaurant blowing up on SNS lately and really wanted to check it out (๑˙ꄃ˙๑)♡⃛

I'm a huge fan of good fresh seafood rice bowls, so while searching for a solid kaisendon spot I found Tawa, a hitsumabushi and kaisendon restaurant with private rooms near Deoksugung and City Hall Station in Seoul, and went straight there.

Where is Tawa, and what does it look like inside?

Tawa sits right in front of City Hall Station Exit 10, so it's super accessible from the subway, and the neighborhood itself is cozy and really pretty. (•ө•)♡ Great area for a stroll around too.

Stepping through the door, the classic yet warm interior caught my eye first. (˙ө˙) They use a charcoal grill imported directly from a craftsman in Japan, and you can feel that professional touch in the space.

Is Tawa a good spot for dates or family meals?

The seating inside is neatly arranged, and the lighting and wood interior give off such a comfortable feeling that it's perfect for a date, and also a good place to bring your parents. (๑•̀ㅁ•́๑) The staff were warm and welcoming too, so I felt at ease the whole meal.

What seafood comes on Tawa's kaisendon?

I sat down full of anticipation and ordered the signature kaisendon (seafood rice bowl). (๑❛ڡ❛๑) The moment it arrived, packed generously into the bowl, I gasped. Such a neat, photogenic spread. Flounder, tuna, fatty tuna, salmon, squid,

and cuttlefish were all piled on generously, colorful and fresh. Every piece of sashimi had zero fishy taste and that clingy, chewy texture was just wonderful.

The fatty tuna especially — the moment it hit my mouth, it melted away with such savory richness, an absolutely moving bite. (๑˙ꄃ˙๑)♡⃛ The salmon and flounder were unusually fresh too, giving off more savoriness the more I chewed.

The sashimi cuts were seriously thick, so the texture was amazing. The squid and cuttlefish had this chewy, springy texture that made them a fun little delicacy to eat. The rice underneath was seasoned just right too, so eating it topped with sashimi was the perfect combo. (•ө•)♡

How the soy-marinated bulgogi tastes with the sashimi bowl

A little wasabi added a clean sharpness to it all. The bulgogi that came alongside, marinated in Japanese-style soy sauce, was also really impressive.

The sweet-and-salty, umami-packed soy sauce marinade soaked into the meat so well, it was really delicious.

A gentle char flavor spread through it, and the meat was so tender it was basically a rice thief on its own. They really nailed getting rid of any gamey smell, so the umami just exploded in my mouth. (˙ө˙)

The seafood and meat combo was better than I ever expected — I couldn't stop eating. You can tell care went into every single dish. By the way, since they also run a wine import business, good wines come at reasonable

Tawa's corkage policy: 15,000 won per bottle

prices here. (๑•̀ㅁ•́๑) The corkage policy is ₩15,000 per bottle, glasses and chilling included, so it's a great spot to enjoy a drink alongside delicious food.

Next time I want to come with wine-loving friends and bring a nice bottle. Tawa has great atmosphere and top-notch food quality, so it's perfect for a special occasion too. (๑❛ڡ❛๑) The care and quality that go into the food make it well worth the money.

If you want to properly enjoy fresh kaisendon and neat Japanese cuisine, give it a try. I'm already planning to come back whenever I'm craving good sashimi again. (๑˙ꄃ˙๑)♡⃛