Nampo-dong sashimi restaurant in Busan: ₩60,000 set at Ppong Sashimi

My review of the assorted sashimi course at Ppong Sashimi, a room-seating Japanese restaurant in Nampo-dong, Busan.

Fresh sashimi and seafood delivered the same day, tuna sashimi, grilled and fried dishes, and a full meal to finish — a Japanese course restaurant with private rooms in Busan that even celebrities visit.

How to find Ppong Sashimi: 400m from Busan Station Exit 2, with parking

Ppong Sashimi is at 56 Chungjangdae-ro 5beon-gil, Jung-gu, Busan, listed as 400m from Busan Station Exit 2, so it's not hard to reach by public transport either.

We came by car, and roadside parking is available around the restaurant, so parking nearby was easy.

If you're looking for a Japanese restaurant in Nampo-dong, Busan with good access from Busan Station or Jungang-dong, Ppong Sashimi near Busan Station in Jungang-dong is a solid option.

What are the private rooms like at Ppong Sashimi?

Walking into Ppong Sashimi, the interior felt much more Japanese-styled than the exterior suggested. Wood-tone interior with cherry blossom and Japanese-style decor made for an overall cozy feel.

Best of all, each table is separated, which was great for eating comfortably with company. It seemed like a good structure for family meals or gatherings — especially engagement or wedding invitation meetings — where you want to talk quietly while eating.

There are also private room seats, which I thought would be fine even for a formal meeting between families before a wedding. Both the atmosphere and the food were excellent, so I recommend it.

Lots of celebrity autographs hung on the walls, and apparently many well-known actors and film directors visit this place too.

Ppong Sashimi menu and prices: assorted sashimi set for two, ₩60,000 per person

The menu ranged from single sashimi dishes to assorted sashimi and full course meals. We went with the assorted sashimi set for two (₩60,000 per person) to try a bit of everything at once.

Course part 1: side dishes, tuna yukhoe, abalone porridge and seaweed soup

The assorted sashimi set kicks off the course by laying out the banchan (side dishes) one by one.

Pickled radish, pickled ginger, and wasabi, along with octopus, pickled dishes, and salad — good side dishes to pair with the sashimi as you go. With salad, egg, and cucumber also served, the table was already quite full before the main dishes even arrived.

The tuna yukhoe (raw tuna tartare) was lightly seasoned, keeping the texture of the raw fish intact — easy to eat and light. As someone who loves sashimi, seeing a dish like this raises expectations for what's coming.

The abalone porridge and seaweed soup need no explanation. In particular, the seaweed soup had pepper sprinkled on it, which I found really appealing as a seaweed soup lover.

Course part 2: mixed seafood, sushi and flame-grilled cold pork

Then the main dishes started coming out in full force, and the table filled up in no time.

A plate with abalone, whelks, and various seafood in small portions — fun to eat one piece at a time. Freshness was a given, and everything was prepared to bring out its own texture well.

Shrimp sushi, sea bream sushi, and grilled salmon sushi followed.

This is cold pork grilled over an open flame — wow, please sell this one separately... My husband and I both fell for this side dish. It felt like something only available here, which made it all the more special.

Course part 3: red sea bream, flounder and salmon sashimi

Finally, the assorted sashimi that could be called the main event.

Sea bream, flounder, and salmon — all the expensive, delicious fish gathered together.

Each piece was cut thick, radiating presence the moment you picked it up with chopsticks. The sea bream especially, with its crunchy-yet-chewy skin and sweet flesh, had a great texture — I was won over.

The side dish they recommended pairing with the sashimi was so much to my taste that we asked for a refill twice.

Tuna makes another appearance. It's great just dipped in soy sauce, but wrapping it in seaweed with radish sprouts and sesame oil sauce is obviously the better way to eat it.

Course part 4: cheese-topped grilled seafood, grilled fish and fried shrimp

The grilled abalone, shrimp, and clams came piled high with golden cheese, taking the visuals to the extreme — and the taste matched, bringing out the strengths of each ingredient in a top-tier grilled dish.

The grilled fish, lightly seasoned, was salty and savory — delicious.

The fried shrimp had a thin batter that stayed crispy even after cooling down. It paired well with a light sprinkle of curry powder.

How the course ends: Japanese soup, clear jiri fish soup and roe rice

Maybe a sukiyaki-style soup — a soy-sauce-based Japanese soup came out loaded with meat, tofu, and vegetables, hearty and comforting. It felt a bit like shabu-shabu, and I imagine this broth would have been even more welcome with a drink.

The meal ends with a clear jiri soup and egg rice. The broth was properly done — I thought it'd be great as a hangover cure, tasting like the pufferfish jiri soup you'd get at a high-end restaurant. Adding about three swirls of the accompanying vinegar upgrades the flavor considerably, so I'd recommend pouring in plenty.

With sashimi as the centerpiece but also seafood, sushi, tuna, grilled dishes, fried food, and a full meal, Ppong Sashimi let us taste a wide range of dishes. It's a Japanese restaurant with private rooms in Nampo-dong, Busan that's great for the days you want to properly treat someone special.

Ppong Sashimi opening hours and closing days

• Business name: Ppong Sashimi (56 Chungjangdae-ro 5beon-gil, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea)
• Hours: 11:30–14:30 (last order 14:00), 17:00–22:00 (last order 21:00)
• Closed: Every Sunday; open Sunday if Monday is a public holiday
• Parking: Private lot
• Reservations: Inquire directly with the restaurant