Busanjin sushi restaurant with delicate shari: Kumano Sushi

The shari that determines how sushi tastes

When choosing sushi, we tend to look first at the fish on top. But once you eat it, the rice shaped underneath can be what determines how satisfying it is. The vinegared rice used for sushi is called shari, and after visiting Kumano Sushi (쿠마노스시), I found that...

The grains hold their shape, yet the rice bites softly. ˗.ᐟ.ᐟ

While looking for good sushi in Jeonpo, I put together my own criteria for spotting a great sushi restaurant.

The chef behind Kumano Sushi

Kumano Sushi is run by Chef Lee Jae-hwan. He is introduced as an adjunct professor at Busan Health University and a chef who has given cooking demonstrations at the Busan International Food Expo.

The owner had quite a presence at first impression, but when I saw him welcoming a customer who came in alone during the meal, he turned out to be such a warm person ◡̈

He happily greeted a customer who seemed to be a regular, asking if they had come again and saying he would make it delicious for them. So much warmth... The customer looked like someone who had come for lunch from a nearby workplace, and seeing their easy back-and-forth with the owner made me feel comfortable too.

Parking near Kumano Sushi

We also checked the nearby public parking lot, but it was full at lunchtime, so we parked at the Sangga-ro private parking lot.

Based on the map attached, it is 145 m to Kumano Sushi, or about a 2-minute walk.

At 1:30 pm on a weekday, how long did we wait for the food?

We visited around 1:30 pm. One couple was in the middle of their meal, and a customer dining alone came in partway through.

The restaurant is on the small side, and the owner runs it alone. Since he personally cooks and attends to guests, the food took a little while to arrive on the day we visited. Watching him prepare the sushi, I got the feeling that he was carefully making every single piece.

The difference between the Kumano Sushi and Kumano Special Sushi sets

The Kumano Sushi set is 11 pieces for ₩20,000, while the Kumano Special Sushi set is 12 pieces for ₩25,000.

According to the menu, the Kumano Sushi set includes aged fish and seasonal fish, while the special set includes items such as honmaguro fatty tuna belly and abalone.

There is a ₩5,000 difference between the two menus, and both the number of pieces and the toppings differ.

How to judge a sushi restaurant by the rice in the first piece

When you eat the first piece of sushi at Kumano Sushi, notice how the rice loosens once you begin chewing. It should keep its shape when you pick it up, then the grains should softly separate in your mouth and blend with the fish.

On the other hand, it would be disappointing if you had finished chewing the fish but were left chewing a tightly pressed clump of rice. This difference is affected not only by how the rice is cooked, but also by the pressure used to shape the sushi.

Saying that the grains are distinct does not mean they are firm and hard to chew. Their shape should remain, while they still chew softly all the way through. Rice that has a hard, undercooked center, or rice that is so crushed it sticks to the mouth like paste, is difficult to call a good texture. Sticky rice and rice clumped together like rice cake are different things.

This rice was what I loved, too. I started getting full midway through and wondered whether I could finish the remaining sushi, but the rice was springy and delicious, so I kept eating even while saying I was full... haha. In the end, I did not leave a single last piece . . ෆ

Even though I was full from midway through, I kept reaching for the next piece and finished every last one. If rice flavor matters to you when looking for a sushi restaurant in Jeonpo, I want to mention Kumano Sushi. It was a place where the thought that it was delicious stayed with me even after I had eaten my fill . . ෆ