Family dinner with jujube soy sauce chicken don at Sonsi Sushi

I got off work early today and asked my sibling to grab dinner. We usually eat out together with their spouse, so once again it was the usual trio. It's right in front of a university area, but this sushi place had a presence that felt way above your typical student-town spot.

Here's my honest review of Sonsi Sushi Yeungnam University Main Branch, already known as a sushi hotspot near Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan.

There was a short wait, but since it takes a while to get out to Yeungnam University, we arrived just past the dinner peak and got seated quickly.

What's the vibe inside?

The space is on the smaller side, so tables are packed close together and you might normally feel a bit self-conscious about the next table over. But pretty rattan dividers are set up between tables, so we could eat comfortably without worrying about other people's eyes or noise.

10 years of history and a low-sodium soy sauce aged with Gyeongsan jujubes

This place has been quietly making sushi in the same spot for 10 years — a genuine Gyeongsan-Yeungnam University institution. What impressed me most was that they use a low-sodium aged soy sauce brewed with jujube, a local Gyeongsan specialty. I'm usually the type who chugs water after eating out because of that salty aftertaste, but this was noticeably different. Tasting it with the sushi, the depth of umami was clearly on another level, and it really brought out the natural flavor of the sushi itself.

My sibling, who had recently been to another sushi place, kept saying, "This is so, so much better than the last place we went to."

A generous lineup from the value set to futomaki

We ordered mostly from the best-seller menu to keep it simple and satisfying.

The signature value set gathers all the top hits: sashimi rice bowl (hoedeopbap), assorted sushi, udon, and fried shrimp — an incredible spread. The quality and quantity for the price were beyond what I expected. Even the shrimp on the side was plump and crispy, and the house-made sauce was seriously good.

Futomaki

Partway through, my sibling said they really wanted futomaki (thick seaweed rice roll) too, so we added it. The rice portion was light, but it was packed full of bigeye tuna, aged salmon, crispy fried shrimp, and soft rolled egg — the moment I took a bite, all the ingredients felt like they were dancing in my mouth.

Aged soy sauce chicken don

The combo of savory, crispy fried chicken and aged soy sauce is fantastic. I started eating it as-is, but once I mixed in the cheongyang chili seasoning that comes with it, a whole new spicy, punchy umami exploded!

I think we lost our minds — we ended up ordering another round of assorted sushi on top of everything. When food is this good, you can't help but think of people you wish were there with you. My sibling kept thinking of their daughter (my niece), who works out of town and loves sushi so much she goes to sushi buffets alone, and was genuinely sad she couldn't join us.

Final thoughts and store info

The three of us left this dinner completely stuffed and satisfied. You might underestimate a place just because it's in a university commercial district, but thanks to 10 years of experience and the deep flavor of their special jujube-aged soy sauce, the quality was outstanding. If you're looking for a Gyeongsan-Yeungnam University sushi spot with taste, price, and atmosphere all in one, I'd strongly recommend Sonsi Sushi Yeungnam University Main Branch.

• Hours: Daily 11:30–21:00
• Break time: 15:30–16:30
• Parking: No dedicated lot, but street parking was easy to find on the day of our visit.