Gwanghwamun sushi set with karaage and pork cutlet: Elephant Sushi

In the middle of a downtown forest of office towers, a perfect meal waits to break up an ordinary day.

Where is Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun, and what are its hours?

It's in the basement arcade of the KT Tower, right connected to Gwanghwamun Station Exit 2. Among the countless office-district restaurants down there, Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun stands out with its bold red signage, soft wood-toned interior, and a chef's hands busy at work to greet you!

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun

• 📍Location: 178 Sejong-daero, basement 1F arcade, KT Tower, Jongno-gu, Seoul (near Gwanghwamun Station)
• ⏰Hours — Daily 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
• Break time: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

It's in the basement of the Gwanghwamun KT Tower, and thanks to the clean interior and high-quality sushi lineup, it's popular enough to have a wait at lunchtime. In front of the open kitchen there's a long row of counter seats where you can watch the chef shape sushi in real time.

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun menu and prices

Meals and sashimi

• Kaisendon (₩23,000)
• Vegetable-loaded sashimi rice bowl (₩18,000)
• Mini cold soba (₩4,000)
• Aged fish onigiri ochazuke (₩6,000)
• Steamed rice (₩1,000)
• Assorted sashimi for two (₩50,000)

Sushi sets: sushi plus cold soba

• Elephant A (₩19,000): 10 pieces sushi + cold soba
• Elephant B (₩28,000): the BEST-selling set — 12 pieces sushi + cold soba
• Elephant C (₩38,000): 14 pieces sushi + cold soba
• Akami platter (₩40,000): 10 pieces akami tuna sushi + cold soba
• Toro platter (₩50,000): 10 pieces toro sushi + cold soba
• Akami & toro half-and-half (₩45,000): 10 pieces (half akami, half toro) + cold soba

• Salmon platter (₩35,000): 10 pieces salmon sushi + cold soba
• Salmon & seared salmon half-and-half (₩35,000): 10 pieces + cold soba
• Seared salmon platter (₩35,000): 10 pieces seared salmon sushi + cold soba

Kids' menu

• Elephant Kids (₩12,000): 6 pieces sushi + cold soba
• Pork loin cutlet (₩12,000)
• Plump fried shrimp, 6 pcs (₩12,000)
• Chicken tenders, 4 pcs (₩5,000)
• Truffle mayo fries (₩6,000)
• Boneless chicken karaage (₩9,000)

À la carte dishes

• (Limited) Salt-grilled red seabream kama (₩15,000)
• (Limited) Salt-grilled salmon kama (₩15,000)
• Grilled sablefish / miso-marinated (₩18,000)
• Futomaki (₩15,000)
• Plump fried shrimp, 6 pcs (₩12,000)
• Squid karaage (₩10,000)

What comes in the 28,000 won Elephant B set: 12 pieces of sushi

This is the Elephant B set (₩28,000). This satisfying spread of 12 pieces of sushi plus refreshing cold soba shows off a perfect balance hiding behind its flashy looks.

The definition of sweetness done right, the tamago (egg) sushi. Its thick, golden form is almost as overwhelmingly thick as a premium castella cake. The soft, moist, faintly sweet flavor never feels artificial — it's genuinely refined. A cheat code that steals the hearts of everyone from kids to adults.

Rich and savory salmon sushi, with vivid orange marbling that really pops. Not a trace of fishiness — it melts away the moment it hits your mouth.

The definition of vivid crimson beauty, the akami tuna sushi. A big, generous slice of bright red flesh with visible grain, covering the rice completely. None of the dryness or fishiness of frozen tuna — just a clean, mellow, deep flavor. The kind of clean taste you'd expect from a high-end omakase!

Smoky aburi (seared) fish sushi, packed with grilled aroma. The surface is torched crisp with a soft gradation of char, glistening under a special sauce. The gentle smoky scent gives way to the chewy texture of the fish, and the harmony with the sauce is pure art.

Artistically plated squid sushi, with a green leaf and a bright sauce dot on top of the smooth white squid. The chewy bite of the squid gives way to a refreshing, sweet sauce — an unusual but delightful combination.

The uni gunkan-maki, with its pop of briny texture. Firm seaweed wraps the rice tightly, and uni packed on top without a single gap steals the show. The moment you bite in, a savory, rich umami explosion fills your mouth.

The cold soba included with the set

The finishing touch to a perfectly balanced set, the cold soba. The moment you slurp up the springy buckwheat noodles in that refreshing, umami-packed broth, you'll understand exactly why this set is the top lunch pick for Gwanghwamun office workers.

Boneless chicken karaage, 9,000 won — no ordinary side dish

The definition of crispy-outside, juicy-inside: the boneless chicken karaage, fried golden brown and crisp.

Write this off as 'just a side dish at a sushi place' and you'd be making a big mistake. It's a textbook example of crispy outside, tender inside. The saltiness is spot-on both for kids and for pairing with beer.

Dip it in the special shichimi mayo sauce that comes alongside, and the savoriness doubles!

Pork loin cutlet, 12,000 won — how good is cutlet at a sushi restaurant?

The refined touch of a proper Japanese restaurant: the pork loin cutlet. Fried crisp along the grain and cut into easy bites, plated neatly with fluffy rice and sauce that catches the eye.

Just looking at the breading tells you it's not a thin cutlet. The cross-section reveals thick loin meat with pink juices soaked all the way through.

The tender bite of the meat inside the crispy breading is honestly better quality than plenty of dedicated cutlet specialty shops! A dish that impresses your eyes once and surprises your tongue twice — a hidden gem in the Gwanghwamun office district. Highly recommend Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun for your next lunch!