Seoul sushi restaurant in Hapjeong: 12- vs 10-piece sets, Sushi Sakaba
In short
Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is a Japanese sushi restaurant a 5-minute walk from Exits 3 and 4 of Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer ordered the Hap Sushi Set (12 pieces) and the Dong Sushi Set (10 pieces) and added 4 extra pieces to compare them: the Hap set comes with wagyu, monkfish liver, fatty tuna and eel, while the Dong set uses vinegared shrimp instead. The seasoning of the sushi rice and the way the grains loosened were both satisfying, so Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is worth a visit if you want good-quality sushi.
Good to know
- Location
- About 300m, a 5-minute walk from Exits 3 and 4 of Hapjeong Station / 2nd floor
- Parking
- Hapjeong public street parking lot (paid), a 3-minute walk away
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 11:30–22:30, Sat 11:30–23:50, Sun 11:30–22:00
- Break time
- 14:30–17:00
- Lunch menu
- Udon set 13,000 won / Lunch special 14,000 won / Pork loin cutlet set 13,000 won / Soba set 13,000 won / Sashimi rice bowl 13,000 won / Eel rice bowl 19,000 won
- What we ordered
- Hap Sushi Set (12 pieces), Dong Sushi Set (10 pieces), 4 extra pieces (salmon, flounder, herring, mullet)
- Reservations
- Bookable on Naver; following the shop gets you a coupon for 2 random sushi pieces
- Price reference
- ₩10,000 ≈ $7.4 (2026-09-23)
as written by the visitor on Sep 23, 2026
What kind of place is Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong?
Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is a Japanese sushi restaurant on Dokmak-ro 3-gil in Mapo, Seoul. They say they bring in fish from the fish market every dawn, make all the side dishes by hand, and age all their live fish using the Tsumoto method after ikejime and shinkejime (specialized slaughter techniques for freshness).
- Fish sourced from the fish market every dawn
- All side dishes made by hand
- All live fish aged using the Tsumoto method after ikejime and shinkejime
- Hours: Mon–Fri 11:30–22:30 / Sat 11:30–23:50 / Sun 11:30–22:00
- Break time 14:30–17:00
It'd been ages since I had sushi, so while hunting for a good sushi place I found this Hapjeong/Hongdae Japanese spot, "Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong." Since it was a rare treat, I wanted truly fresh, high-quality sushi over just value for money — and Sushi Sakaba looked different just from the visuals, plus they said they follow the same principles of umami and freshness you'd find at an omakase place, so I didn't hesitate to visit haha.
How to get there from Hapjeong Station, and parking
It's about 300 meters from Exits 3 and 4 of Hapjeong Station, so around a 5-minute walk — easy to get to. If you're driving, the Hapjeong Public Roadside Parking Lot (paid) is a 3-minute walk from there.
You can also book through Naver! If you turn on Naver alerts, you get a coupon for 2 random sushi pieces~ It's on the 2nd floor, but you only need to climb about half a flight of stairs.
Inside Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong: counter seats and group tables
You see counter (dachi) seats right at the entrance, and the space opens up wide further in.
There are long tables that seat anywhere from 4 up to 6–8 people, so it looks great for group gatherings or work dinners! Sushi Sakaba doesn't just serve sushi either — they have sweet shrimp, mixed grilled dishes, all kinds of seasoned or stir-fried sides, hot pots, soups and fried items, so the menu is varied enough to make it a great Hapjeong Japanese restaurant for a night out with drinks too.
Every day from 2:30pm to 5pm is break time, and since I went right before it started, the place was nice and relaxed!
There are even more 4-person tables further inside like this. The spacing is generous too, so it probably doesn't feel crowded even at peak times.
Menu and lunch special prices
There's a large standing menu board outside by the stairs leading up to the entrance. Sushi Sakaba has a separate lunch menu, so it's also good for anyone looking for a light, good-value Hapjeong lunch.
- Udon set ₩13,000
- Lunch special ₩14,000
- Pork loin cutlet set ₩13,000
- Soba set ₩13,000
- Raw fish rice bowl ₩13,000
- Nourishing eel rice bowl ₩19,000
Most of the set menus are in the low ₩10,000s, so you can eat a hearty meal for a reasonable price.
We ordered the Hap Sushi Set and Dong Sushi Set, both labeled as budget-friendly omakase, which came to 12 and 10 pieces respectively, so we added 4 more pieces on top!
Hap Sushi Set vs Dong Sushi Set: what's in each
[Value omakase] Hap Sushi Set / [Value sushi] Dong Sushi Set, plus we ordered 4 extra pieces: 1 salmon, 1 flounder, 1 herring, and 1 mullet.
I liked that they served tea instead of plain water.
Each sushi order comes with a little note telling you what each piece is! You know how sometimes with mixed sushi platters something's really tasty but you have no idea what it is?
Every sushi set comes with mini udon, steamed egg (gyeranjjim), a salad, and clear broth soup.
My Hap Sushi Set came with flounder, tuna loin, sea bream, salmon, fatty tuna, seasonal fish, blue-backed fish, wagyu, jumbo shrimp, monkfish liver, eel, and egg sushi! Almost everything was a premium cut of live-fish sushi, so it was a very satisfying set haha.
The Dong Sushi Set has 10 pieces total, and the wagyu, monkfish liver, fatty tuna and eel are dropped in favor of sweet shrimp, so the lineup is a bit different! If you want to eat well on a budget, the Dong Sushi Set looks like a great option too.
How good was the sushi at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong?
As for quality: the fish was fresh, the rice portion was just right, the vinegared rice (shari) seasoning was spot on, and even how the rice grains loosened apart was perfect — it was so delicious. I actually worked at a sushi place for a long time and made sushi myself, so believe it or not I take sushi pretty seriously?? This place is genuinely good. You can trust it.
I finished off all 4 extra pieces too, no problem. If you want quality sushi, go check out Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong.
Where it is
38 Dokmak-ro 3-gil, 2nd floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 마포구 독막로3길 38 2층
