Weekday dinner at a Cheonan sushi restaurant: Ganghan Sushi 12P + soba

These days the mornings and evenings are getting cooler, and it makes me want to eat something out for no reason haha. My appetite has really opened up lately. This is a place I visit often whenever I have errands in Buldang-dong — Ganghan Sushi Cheonan Buldang Branch in Buldang-dong, Cheonan.

Where is Ganghan Sushi Cheonan Buldang Branch, and what are the hours?

• Address: 1F First Plaza, 67-12 Buldang21-ro, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do
• Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:30, no break time)
• Regular holiday: None (open every day of the year)

A while back I asked a friend if they knew any good sushi restaurants in Cheonan, and after seeing a thick shrimp sushi photo in their review, I saved it right away. Just a bit off the main Buldang21-ro street, the sign is easy to spot. It's on the 1st floor of First Plaza, so it wasn't hard to find.

Parking at First Plaza: free for 3 hours

You can park inside the First Plaza building! Free for 3 hours (self-registration when leaving).

Full tables even on a weekday evening: inside Ganghan Sushi

When I arrived it was still early on a weekday evening, but I was a little surprised to see every seat but one taken. Makes me wonder if word has already spread that this is a sushi restaurant worth visiting in Buldang-dong.

Ganghan Sushi menu and what comes included with every set

Prices for everything from the 2-piece sushi to the set menus are laid out clearly. Near the entrance, a sign in big letters says no break time, solo diners very welcome, and takeout available.

It was nice not having to worry about timing when walking in. Apparently when you order sushi, udon, seafood croquette, miso soup, and washed aged kimchi come included as standard.

We ordered right at the table using a tablet. All the photos looked so delicious that it was genuinely fun just picking what to get. There was a big lineup of platter menus like assorted shrimp sushi and half-halibut-half-salmon sushi, plus side menus like handmade cold soba, fried shrimp, and croquettes.

On the table: Ganghan Sushi 12-piece set, flame-seared egg sushi and soba

After much deliberation, we ordered the Ganghan Sushi 12-piece set, flame-seared egg sushi, and one soba. It took forever just to choose the menu, and I barely managed to resist ordering everything haha.

The moment the table arrived, a 'wow' just slipped out. Each piece of sushi was clearly thick — the real thing looked even more substantial than in photos.

The thickness of the fish alone kept drawing me back for more.

We didn't order them separately, but the udon, croquette, and miso soup all came included, so we ate really well.

The croquette especially was crispy outside and soft inside, so anyone who likes fried food would be satisfied.

Gunkan sushi and raw shrimp wrapped in gamtae (fine green seaweed)

The gunkan sushi (battleship sushi) had scallions piled generously on top. Over a savory sauce with chopped green onion sprinkled on, it had a salty style with real umami depth.

The raw shrimp wrapped in gamtae (green laver) was large, with a sweet, chewy texture that got sweeter the more you chewed. Wrapped in gamtae, it carried a subtle fragrance that made it easy to enjoy.

None of the 12 pieces overlapped, which made me feel like this was one of the more generously composed sushi restaurants in Cheonan.

The add-ons: shrimp sushi and flame-seared egg sushi

These are the shrimp and egg sushi we added! The egg sushi had a hint of flame-seared flavor, with seaweed in the middle as an accent.

It seemed like the surface had been lightly torched, because a subtle savory smoky aroma lingered. The combination of sweet egg and salty seaweed worked better than expected — I couldn't stop eating it, argh.

The shrimp looked like it had come straight off the grill, with a clear light char mark, and the sauce on top was subtly savory.

The egg sushi also had a light smoky note on the outside while staying soft inside, which made it fun to eat one after another, alternating between pieces.

Is Ganghan Sushi worth a trip for sushi in Cheonan?

With thick sushi and generous sides on top, I think I can comfortably recommend this to anyone looking for a sushi restaurant in Cheonan.

The atmosphere worked well whether for lunch or dinner in Buldang-dong. Next time I want to try the omakase sushi. Thanks for the meal today — that was Ganghan Sushi Cheonan Buldang Branch!