Anniversary dinner with rice portion adjusted at Sushi Ryeo, Gwanak

I was trying to figure out where to take my husband for our anniversary dinner when I got a great chance to visit this place. It's famous as a restaurant near Seoul National University's Sharosu-gil, and people were calling it the ultimate value-for-money omakase, so I went in with high expectations!

Just like the reviews said, it was an incredibly packed course for a dinner in the ₩100,000s, and there was even a room where a group was having a company dinner. Here's my detailed review of the dinner course at Sushi Ryeo, a sushi spot on Sharosu-gil!

Basic info on Sushi Ryeo, omakase near Seoul National University

They accept local currency and consumption coupons, offer parking support, and allow corkage (paid). Best of all, there's a separate room, so I'd recommend Sushi Ryeo to anyone who wants to eat quietly.

Blue Ribbon exterior, interior with a private room

When I arrived at the door, I counted how many stickers there were... this Blue Ribbon spot near Seoul National University is no joke.

Stepping inside, you feel that quiet atmosphere unique to omakase restaurants. There are two hall tables,

and a room that fits about 6 people. Room-style restaurants aren't common near Seoul National University, and I feel like I've barely seen any among omakase places especially. I'd recommend it to groups having a dinner gathering!

What's in Sushi Ryeo's dinner course?

We went for dinner,

Course lineup

• Chawanmushi
• Sea bass arai (thinly sliced raw fish)
• Tuna belly
• Amberjack
• Mozuku (seaweed) cold salad
• Steamed abalone
• Red sea bream
• Striped jack
• Fish ball and shrimp clear soup
• Akami (lean tuna)
• Sweet shrimp with sea urchin
• Tuna belly
• Miso-grilled sablefish
• Yellowtail
• Gizzard shad
• Grunt fish
• Kaisendon (seafood rice bowl)
• Fried pufferfish
• Herring
• Sea eel
• Tamago (sweet egg omelet)
• Dessert

It started off gently with chawanmushi. The temperature was just right for eating, so it went down easily.

The sea bass arai had a pretty chewy texture. A subtle sweetness came through the more I chewed.

The tuna belly came with just a bit of salt on top, so you could really taste the ingredient itself. The fat content was just right, not greasy at all.

The amberjack paired really well with the garlic soy sauce. The sauce wasn't overdone, so the fish's natural flavor still came through.

The mozuku played the role of resetting your palate with its tanginess. There were whelk and cherry tomatoes in it too, so it was fun to chew on.

The steamed abalone was cooked soft and just right. It still had that signature abalone chewiness, which I loved.

The red sea bream and striped jack sushi had rice at just the right temperature. The sushi pieces were also a nice bite-sized size.

The fish ball clear soup warmed up my stomach once. The broth was clean, not overly strong.

The akami had been lightly marinated in soy sauce, at just the right saltiness for sushi.

The sweet shrimp and sea urchin combo was easily one of the best in the whole course! The shrimp's sweetness and the sea urchin's creaminess worked so well together.

Tuna belly made its second appearance, but from a different cut this time. The texture was a bit richer than the belly from before.

The miso-grilled sablefish was on the salty and savory side. The outside was lightly charred while the inside stayed moist.

The wild flounder and kelp brought out a huge burst of umami. The kelp aroma lingered subtly.

Can you ask them to adjust the rice portion during the dinner course?

The gizzard shad and grunt fish came up one after another next. By this point I was already full, so I asked for less rice from here on out. The dinner course really has that much food, so I think women especially might want to ask for less rice from the very start haha.

The kaisendon filled me up all over again. It's topped with a bunch of seafood, and wrapping it in seaweed was so good!

The fried pufferfish came with shishito peppers and was nice and crispy. The batter wasn't thick, so it felt light to eat.

The herring and sea eel followed right along. The eel was cleanly prepared, so I didn't have to worry about small bones.

It wrapped up cleanly with tamago at the end. The sweet rolled egg felt like the perfect note to close out the course.

The warm soba broth was so good that I kept eating even though I was already full ㅠㅜ

And the full course wrapped up with green tea ice cream for dessert!

Wrapping up my recommendation for Sushi Ryeo, the room omakase on Sharosu-gil

With omakase, even with a lot of courses, the energy often fades toward the end, but Sushi Ryeo kept the balance steady all the way to the final tamago.

Omakase restaurants with a separate room are rare, so I'll have to come back to Sushi Ryeo, the room omakase near Seoul National University, next time I want a spot for a relaxed chat with friends! With corkage available and parking support too, I'd recommend Sushi Ryeo, the sushi spot on Sharosu-gil, to anyone looking for a room omakase for an anniversary or another special occasion.