Hongdae sushi restaurant with free fried eggplant: Yu Iksang Sushi
In short
Yu Iksang Sushi is a sushi restaurant tucked into a Seogyo-dong alley in Hongdae, Seoul, known for long-tail sushi where the fish hangs well past the rice. On a Saturday evening, the writer and a friend ordered the Couple A Plus set — salmon, flounder and tuna sushi plus three aburi (torched) pieces: tamago, garlic shrimp and mekagalli — and were given a complimentary fried eggplant on the side. At Yu Iksang Sushi the lightly smoky torched aburi pieces were more memorable than the famous long-tail sushi.
Good to know
- Address
- 18-7 Wausan-ro 23-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Unit 101)
- Hours
- 11:00 - 21:00 (last order 20:00)
- Closed
- Every Monday
- Getting there
- 7-8 minute walk from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 9
- What we ordered
- Couple A Plus set (salmon x2, flounder x4, tuna x4, tamago aburi x2, garlic shrimp aburi x4, mekagalli aburi x2)
- Set includes
- Salad, fried shrimp, soup, soba noodles
as written by the visitor on Sep 19, 2026
Saturday evening, hanging out with Juyeon in Hongdae and decided to grab sushi for dinner! Hongdae has so many good restaurants that it took a while to decide, but we landed on sushi that day.
And that place was "Yu Iksang Sushi, Hongdae branch." It's known for its extra-long tail sushi, and I'd been curious about it just from photos — turned out to be even better in person than I expected.
How to walk to Yu Iksang Sushi from Hongik Univ. Station
Yu Iksang Sushi Hongdae is a walk of just under 10 minutes from Hongik Univ. Station, so it's easy enough to reach. Turn into the alley near Seogyo Elementary School, climb a small slope, and you'll find it.
The restaurant is on the small side, which actually makes it a calm spot to eat away from the chaos of the main Hongdae streets.
We came on a Saturday evening for a date, and it felt like an easy, low-pressure spot for dinner together. There are plenty of famous menus in Hongdae, but that day I wanted something a bit different.
Honestly the reason I even knew about Yu Iksang Sushi was because of a visual quite different from typical sushi — the long-tail sushi!
What comes in the Couple A Plus set at Yu Iksang Sushi
Since there were two of us, we ordered a set menu so we could try several kinds at once. It was a solid combo: 2 salmon sushi, 4 flounder, 4 tuna, plus 2 tamago aburi, 4 garlic shrimp aburi, and 2 mekagalli aburi.
They first brought out salad, fried shrimp, soup, and soba haha. After waiting a bit longer, a big plate arrived with all the different sushi at once — the sheer volume of it already looked great.
Long-tail sushi: fish longer than the rice, soy sauce brushed on
The first thing I tried was, of course, the long-tail sushi where the fish is longer than the rice 🐟 The visual alone is borderline aggressive (in a good way). Because the fish slice is so long, even one piece gave a really solid, clear sense of the fish's texture, and it felt fresh too.
Above all, the fish's presence was so dominant over the rice that even though I was eating sushi, it felt a bit like eating proper sliced raw fish. I'd assumed the long-tail sushi was more of a novelty for the visual, but the taste held up too, which made it even more satisfying.
Since the tail is so long it's hard to dip in soy sauce, they give you a little brush instead — easy to apply, and so good ♥
The real highlight: three torched aburi sushi pieces
But the real highlight of the meal ended up being the aburi, which I liked even more than expected. "Aburi" might sound unfamiliar, but most people have probably had it — sushi with the surface lightly torched.
Before visiting, I'd only been thinking about the famous long-tail sushi, but once I started eating, the torched sushi turned out to be genuinely delicious. The lightly seared surface had a subtle smoky aroma, and the sauce on top was seriously good. It wasn't an overpowering sauce — it brought out the savory, nutty flavor of the grilled fish even more, and the pairing worked really well.
The toppings on top also added texture, which made it even better. I came here on a whim while trying to figure out where to eat sushi in Hongdae, but it turned out so good that it's become a place I want to revisit.
This one's the fried eggplant the owner gave us on the house haha.
Honest verdict on Yu Iksang Sushi in Hongdae
I wondered if "Yu Iksang Sushi" meant something, but it turns out that's just the owner's name lol. When you visit, the owner in this photo actually cooks for you haha. He looks young, but according to Naver he has 16 years of experience, which surprised me. I really enjoyed the meal that day, and next time I want sushi in Hongdae, I'll be back here.
Saturday evening, great sushi with Juyeon, and a Hongdae date wrapped up nicely! The long-tail sushi was tasty, but personally the torched aburi sushi is what stuck with me most about Yu Iksang Sushi. Next time I'll come back to try other menu items 🍣
Visit info: hours, closing day and directions
- Address: 18-7 Wausan-ro 23-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (unit 101)
- Hours: 11:00 - 21:00 (last order 20:00)
- Closed every Monday
- Walk-in: 7-8 min walk from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 9
Where it is
18-7 Wausan-ro 23-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (1st floor, unit 101)서울특별시 마포구 와우산로23길 18-7 101호 유익상스시
