Gangnam sushi bar with king crab sushi: Sakai

Sakai, where you choose only the sushi you want

The sushi counter comes into view as soon as you walk in. Neatly prepared fish is lined up across the counter. Ahhh, those scallops look so delicious ㅠㅠ hahaha, I’m happy already...

With sushi omakase, I’m a little sad that I don’t get to choose. I want to control it—eat only the ingredients I like, and only as much as I want.... That’s when a sushi sakaba is the very best option. It’s an izakaya where you can happily have a drink alongside the sushi and bar snacks you want~~~~ Sushi sakaba~~~ I’m so, so happy that more are opening all around Gangnam and Seocho lately.

At Sakai (사카이), I just scribble down the dishes I want on a note and order them. It’s a somewhat classic method, which makes me like it even more!

A short video from the day

There are sushi counter seats, plus quite a few tables behind them, so it’s great for visiting with friends or colleagues. Today’s fresh fish is listed on wooden plaques on the wall, so you can look at those and order.

I settled into a counter seat.

Asahi and potato salad on an empty stomach

Potato salad feat. Asahi on an empty stomach

They were running a review event, so I received potato salad on the house. The finely shredded imitation crab and onion, crisp cucumber, and mashed egg were memorable. It goes wonderfully with beer.

The beer glass fits right into one hand—so cute, classic, with a retro feel. Lately, beer on an empty stomach tastes unbelievably good ^^; The downside is that the alcohol absorbs so quickly and gets you drunk fast, but that first sip is just so good ^^;

First up: scallop and sweet shrimp

First up, scallop & sweet shrimp

Scallops are my absolute favorite, so they were my very first order~~~~ Oh? This place is good. They melted softly in my mouth. They might be even tastier if they were a little thicker. So good from the very first bite.

It seemed like a pretty famous menu item, so I ordered it. Three sweet shrimp are piled on at once, making for a generous portion, and it is topped with egg-yolk sauce. Aww, it fills your mouth in one bite and is so delicious.

The scallop I loved in the sashimi moriawase

Ahhh, time to focus on sashimi and leave out the carbs. The plump scallop gets an immediate pass hahaha. Red sea bream, flounder, engawa, amberjack, sweet shrimp, salmon, mackerel, and egg—what a lovely combination.

The scallop quality was insanely good ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ!!!!! The shime saba, cured mackerel, was delicious too haha.

The amberjack was also very tasty, and the engawa was rich and delicious even with just a tiny dip in salt.

Spear squid and horse mackerel

Third part: spear squid and horse mackerel

Spear squid from Samcheonpo on the south coast. It had just the right chew, then gently melted in my mouth. The horse mackerel came with scallion pesto, and of course it was nutty and delicious. I really do love blue-backed fish.

The day’s top two: king crab and ikura

The best of the day was the king crab. Wowww... They picked out and mixed the innards and body meat, then topped it with leg meat. I love king crab so, so much that I even had it steamed at Garak Market this year, but honestly, picking out the meat is no easy task. Here, they pick out only the delicious meat and turn it into sushi, and it is simply the best... the kind of flavor that makes you nod without even realizing. At ₩10,000 a piece, it’s fairly expensive, but I highly, highly recommend it.

My king crab food log ♡

The ikura, salmon roe, was incredibly high quality too. So moving!! The crisp nori (seaweed) was lovely, the shari (seasoned sushi rice) with every grain intact was lovely, and then came the festival of ikura popping salty in my mouth. Ahhh... This day’s ikura was from Hokkaido.

The sky I met after the meal

After finishing a delicious meal and stepping outside, an amazing film was playing in the sky. Ahhh... it made me clap like a seal. Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked up. It was a view like a gift from the sky.

By the time I rushed to the Han River, it was already starting to get dark, so the fantastic clouds had disappeared. But the gradient behind Namsan Tower in the distance was spectacular. Today was modest, but happy too :)