Jongno sashimi spot with aged flatfish and clam odeng soup: Suksseong

I met up with my friend Guchil for a long-overdue dopamine recharge. We wanted dinner and a light drink together, so I searched for good Jongno restaurants and Jongno sashimi places and found Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch (숙썽수산 종로본점). Every seat is private, and the aged sashimi was so fresh and chewy, with amazing savory flavor. Okay, let's start another dopamine day with Guchil!

Where is Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch?

Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch is on the 3rd floor of a building in the eating alley in front of Jonggak Station. It's super easy to reach by public transport, and Cheonggyecheon Stream is nearby, so it's good for a walk after eating too.

Suksseong Susan on the 3rd floor looked pretty upscale from the outside.

Are the seats private at Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch?

Every table at Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch is a private seat separated by partitions. So we could talk among ourselves without worrying about the next table.

Isn't it perfect for a blind date too? I think it's also fine for anyone looking for a place in Jongno to drink and talk quietly.

If you're lucky, you can even get a window seat.

Side dishes and how to order

The complimentary side dishes at Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch are green peas and a tofu dish. You could finish a bottle of liquor with just these! The tofu especially was good for warming up the stomach before drinking, haha.

You order with the kiosk. It also explains Suksseong Susan's aging method, and a receipt review event was running. The review event perks were pretty good, so be sure to grab them if you qualify.

We ordered these three dishes. We came without having eaten dinner, and there were plenty of dishes that work as a meal, which was nice.

• Small aged sashimi set (for 2)
• Clam odeng soup (fish cake soup)
• Red crab innards cream croquettes

What comes in the small aged sashimi set (for 2)?

And the liquor with us today is... Gangsoe, haha. A Gangsoe infused with the energy of Jirisan... I ordered it because I'm low on vitality lol. It went well with the aged sashimi.

The first thing out was the small aged sashimi set (for 2). With assorted sashimi you often don't know which fish is which, but Suksseong Susan writes the name of each fish, so picking and trying them is fun. Just look at the color, it looks chewy just by looking.

There's sweet shrimp (dan-saeu) and monkfish liver (an-kimo) too. Even with just the aged sashimi the lineup is quite varied, so it was fun trying them one by one.

Next came the clam odeng soup. It was overflowing with fish cake and all kinds of clams. I'm personally someone who must have a hot broth when drinking, so I was very satisfied.

Last was the red crab innards cream croquettes. It's not a dish you usually find at a sashimi restaurant, so I was curious and ordered it. But it came out looking like real cooking, more than I expected.

The best fish in the aged sashimi: flatfish

The best thing in Suksseong Susan's aged sashimi for me was the flatfish (gwangeo). It was aged so well that the savory flavor surged up and the chewy texture was exceptional. It tasted different from ordinary sashimi, so it was memorable for me. Wrapped in the white kimchi (baek-kimchi) that came with it, it was clean and not greasy, which was great.

Special cuts of croaker, red-fleshed fish and sweet shrimp

The small set also comes with special cuts of croaker (jeomseongeo), which is a real treat. Very chewy and firm in texture, with a nutty flavor too. If you like texture, you'd probably like these cuts.

After the white fish I tried the red-fleshed fish too. I wrapped it in seaweed (gim), and it wasn't fishy at all, with a rich, oily flavor I loved.

And my favorite, sweet shrimp. True to its name, super sweet and springy. I just can't resist sweet shrimp.

Couldn't resist, so Gangsoe cheers! Let's enjoy today's dopamine day, Guchil.

Is the clam odeng soup good with drinks?

Suksseong Susan's clam odeng soup, boiled up bubbling hot, is the kind where one bite and the drinks just flow. The refreshing taste from the clams plus the spicy clear broth makes an amazing combination.

The amount of clams and hard clams is substantial. It's not just a broth with fish cake, the solid ingredients are packed in properly.

The clam meat is chewy too. Taking a sip of broth in between sashimi makes the sashimi go down easily again. A drinking table really needs a hot broth.

How are the red crab innards cream croquettes?

Suksseong Susan's red crab innards cream croquettes are packed with red crab innards. I first ordered them for a light bite, but a properly made dish came out, and I was surprised. Crispy outside, with the rich flavor of red crab innards inside, and it was delicious. If you want something different from the usual sashimi restaurant side dishes, this was good too.

And then Guchil's show time began hahaha. Wrapping everything up thoroughly.

The aged sashimi is chewy, and you're not just eating plain sashimi: you can have it with white kimchi or seaweed and try many combinations, which was great.

Overall review of Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch

A day of meeting Guchil after ages, having dinner and a drink, and properly recharging my dopamine. Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch has every seat divided privately, so it was good for drinking and talking without noise, and of the aged sashimi, the flatfish was the best. The chewy texture and surging savory flavor felt different from the sashimi I usually eat.

The clam odeng soup was perfect with drinks, and the red crab innards cream croquettes were satisfying as an uncommon dish. If you're looking for a private place for a drink near Jonggak Station, or a clean Jongno sashimi restaurant, it was a good choice. We said it'd be great for a blind date, and next time let's aim for a window seat!