Daegu sushi: no-egg fish assortment and 14-piece special, Sushi Naru

Sushi Naru Yeongdae Hospital Main Branch: hours and location

Sushi Naru Yeongdae Hospital Main Branch is on the first floor of 145 Jungang-daero, Nam-gu, Daegu, and is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30–22:00. The break is 15:00–17:00, last order is 21:30, and it is closed every Sunday and Monday.

Today I was hunting for a good sushi place in Daemyeong-dong near Yeongdae Hospital and ended up at Sushi Naru Yeongdae Hospital Main Branch (스시나루 영대병원본점) 🍣 I'd heard the fish is sliced fresh the moment you order, and that there's a special set with uni, otoro, scallop and freshwater eel, so off I went 🔥 Right here 👇

The exterior has a really modern feel! The sign is white with Sushi Naru written in black, so it catches your eye right away.

Is Sushi Naru Yeongdae Hospital Main Branch good for eating alone?

Yes. Sushi Naru Yeongdae Hospital Main Branch has a long row of bar seats and a separate table for solo diners, and there is also a 4-person table by the window.

Step inside and a navy noren (door curtain) with cherry blossoms greets you 🌸 The long bar makes it great for eating alone, and it gives off a proper Japanese sushi-shop vibe ✨ There were also little maneki-neko (lucky cat) figures on the counter, so cute, haha!

There's a 4-person table by the window too 👍 You can see trees outside, so the mood was cozy, and the round lights and fan decorations were a nice touch ✨

Apart from the bar seats, there's also a table like this that's good for eating alone!

There's a notice at the counter saying that because the fish is sliced and prepared the moment you order, takeout and delivery orders can take a while when it's busy 🙏 I'd recommend allowing extra time at peak hours 👍

Chopsticks, small plates and a soy sauce bottle are all set up on one side of the table ✨ The pickled scallion (rakkyo) and pickled ginger come in jars, so you can take as much as you like 🤤

Sushi Naru menu and prices

At Sushi Naru Yeongdae Hospital Main Branch, assorted sushi is ₩13,000 for 10 pieces, premium sushi ₩18,000 for 12 pieces, and special sushi ₩25,000 for 14 pieces 🍣 Flounder sushi and salmon sushi are ₩16,000 each, and there are also shrimp, seared and fish assortments 😲 You can order extra sushi à la carte in 5-piece or 2-piece units 👍

Besides sushi there's aged sashimi, rice bowls and katsu, sides, sake and futomaki (thick rolls) 🍶 With one-bowl dishes like salmon rice bowls and beef bowls, you have plenty of options on days you don't feel like sushi ✨

What's in the 14-piece special sushi?

• Flounder, 2 pieces
• Raw salmon
• Engawa (flounder fin)
• Seared salmon
• Akami (lean tuna)
• Sea bream
• Scallop
• Uni (sea urchin)
• Otoro (fatty tuna)
• Sweet shrimp
• Soy-marinated shrimp
• Beef
• Freshwater eel

So the special set is 14 pieces in total 😲 For ₩25,000, isn't that a steal? 🔥

In one corner there's a Kirin draft beer server, so a cold draft beer with your sushi is an option 🍺 The restroom is up the stairs at the back, and a sign says the warm water is self-serve 👍

Assorted fish sushi and special sushi with mini udon

I ordered two plates this day: the assorted fish sushi and the special sushi. Ta-da, both plates filled the table, and the gorgeous look made my jaw drop 😲 Order the assorted sushi and mini udon comes as standard 👍

Mini udon, a salad and pickled scallion come together ✨ The salad of cabbage and red cabbage has a nutty dressing, perfect for cleansing the palate between pieces of sushi 🤤 The mini udon has a hot broth that wipes away any richness 🔥

This is the mini udon in hot broth, topped with seaweed flakes and crown daisy (ssukgat) 🍜 The noodles are plump and chewy and the broth is clean and refreshing, so a sip between pieces of sushi resets your mouth ✨

Sushi Naru piece by piece: how did it taste?

Raw salmon, flounder and engawa

The raw salmon is cut thick with a glistening orange color, and the oily fat melts in your mouth 🤤 It's rich without being greasy and balanced nicely with the rice.

The flounder is translucent with a visible grain 😲 It's chewy and clean-tasting the more you chew 👍 Engawa is the fin meat, so it has a crunchy bite and a faint smoky note? Something like that. The nutty oil bursts out, and this one is the real deal 🔥

Sea bream, akami and otoro

The sea bream has pretty white flesh with a pink tinge ✨ It's firm and chewy, and a subtle sweetness rises as you chew 🤤 A light dip in soy sauce brings out even more savoriness 👍

The akami catches your eye with its vivid red 🔥 The flesh is dense and soft, and tuna's deep flavor fills your mouth 😲

The otoro is packed with fine white marbling ✨ The fat melts the moment it hits your mouth and tastes so rich that you could say you ordered the special just for this.

Seared salmon, scallop and sweet shrimp

The seared salmon is lightly scorched on top with a torch 🔥 A faint smoky aroma rises and the fat melts, doubling the richness 🤤

The scallop has a slight char on the surface ✨ It's plump with a subtle sweetness spreading, and that soft scallop texture was the best 😲 It honestly just melts in your mouth...

The sweet shrimp is translucent and plump 🍤 The sweet flavor spreads through your mouth, and together with the uni the savoriness really pops 👍

Soy-marinated shrimp, beef, freshwater eel and uni gunkan

The soy-marinated shrimp is lightly salt-cured on top 🤤 It has a springy bite with deep savoriness, and with rice it's salty and quietly addictive 🔥

The beef sushi is lightly seared 🥩 A faint pepper aroma comes through, and sliced onion and scallion on top cut the richness ✨ The tender beef melts in your mouth, so you have to try this.

The freshwater eel is scorched golden on top 🔥 It's soaked in a sweet-salty sauce, and the soft, nutty eel flavor is superb 🤤 A piece of scallion adds even more flavor 👍

Last is the uni gunkan (seaweed-wrapped sushi) 😲 It's piled high with deep yellow uni wrapped in seaweed ✨ In one bite the sea aroma spreads strongly, and the creamy sweetness wraps around your mouth.

Verdict: is Sushi Naru Yeongdae Hospital Main Branch worth it for sushi in Daemyeong-dong?

If you're looking for a great sushi place in Daemyeong-dong, Sushi Naru Yeongdae Hospital Main Branch gets my approval 👍 The fish is sliced fresh to order, and basics like flounder, salmon and sea bream were solid 🍣 The 14-piece special is ₩25,000 and includes otoro, scallop, uni, beef and freshwater eel, so the lineup is a total steal 🔥

The assorted sushi comes with mini udon as standard, so a sip of hot broth made the palate cleanse perfect ✨ (Highly recommended for anyone who dislikes egg sushi!) For anyone looking for sushi near Yeongdae Hospital or around Apsan, I highly recommend Sushi Naru Yeongdae Hospital Main Branch 👍