Gatbawi-route lunch at a Hayang sushi restaurant: Sonsi Sushi Hayang

A review of Sonsi Sushi, a sushi restaurant in Hayang. Text and photos ©Alice

A small sushi restaurant in Hayang I stopped by for lunch on the way to Gatbawi on Palgongsan: Sonsi Sushi Hayang branch.

It's a cozy sushi place close to both Hayang Station and Daegu Catholic University. With such a generous spread and every dish so well made, I had a really satisfying lunch! Let's get into the review of Sonsi Sushi Hayang branch.

• Sukseong Iljeom Sang (上) ₩15,800
• Sukseong Iljeom Geuksang (極上) ₩18,500
• Sonsi Ankimo Futomaki ₩12,000
• Hand-sauce Fried Shrimp ₩5,000

Where is Sonsi Sushi Hayang branch, and is parking covered?

Sonsi Sushi Hayang branch is located about 128m from Exit 1 of Hayang Station, also close to Daegu Catholic University.

There's room for about one car to park in front of the store, and roadside parking is possible nearby, but if there's no space, you can use the Hayang Station parking lot about 3 minutes on foot, or the Hayang Sauna parking lot just 1 minute away.

Worth noting: if you use an outside parking lot, they'll support ₩1,000 of the parking fee.

Inside Sonsi Sushi: interior and solo counter seats

Sonsi Sushi Hayang branch is a cozy-sized space decorated in white and wood, giving off a warm, comfortable atmosphere.

Along with 4-seat tables, there are also 2-seat tables and solo seats, making this a great spot for solo dining near Daegu Catholic University.

Maybe because it's near a university area, I actually saw quite a few students eating alone, and even though break time was coming up soon, the tables were nearly full.

Since we were the last lunch customers, we got lucky and were able to take photos of the completely empty interior, haha.

It's a small store, but it even has an indoor restroom, manner items for after your meal, and a lost-and-found box — truly nothing missing here.

Sonsi Sushi menu and what we ordered for lunch

Sonsi Sushi is centered around sushi but also offers a wide range from single dishes like rice bowls, udon, and fried items, to full set menus,

and they're clearly thoughtful about visits with kids too, with a kids' menu, baby rice, and kids' cutlery sets all prepared.

The lunch menu looked like a pretty great deal and caught my eye, but I was a little disappointed I couldn't use it since we came late, haha. I debated ordering a set menu, but ended up craving the ankimo futomaki, so I decided to get that alongside a sushi platter.

We ordered one each of the 'Sang' with 10 pieces of sushi and the 'Geuksang' with 12 pieces, and since the sushi platter already comes with mini udon, we just added fried shrimp! I actually double-checked the price because the portion and quality were so satisfying.

How were the 10-piece Sang and 12-piece Geuksang sushi sets?

The Sonsi Sushi platter, plated beautifully on lovely ceramic dishware. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the wooden cutting boards commonly used at sushi restaurants for hygiene reasons, so seeing ceramic dishware here made a great first impression.

The presentation itself was so neat and pretty, it lifted my mood.

The sushi platter comes standard with mini udon and salad, so it wouldn't feel lacking even if ordered on its own.

The Geuksang has two more pieces than the Sang, making a 12-piece set, so you could enjoy a wide variety of sushi in just one plate.

Lately a lot of sushi restaurants go for the long-tail style, but Sonsi Sushi impressed me more with thickness than length in how the sashimi was piled on. Getting to enjoy the characteristic soft texture and deep savory flavor of aged sashimi was another charm of Sonsi Sushi.

The meal started with freshly fried shrimp. One bite in and the crunch of the batter practically rang in my ears, with plump, springy shrimp meat! You can't have sushi without fried shrimp on the side, right? Haha, why is that.

My first piece of sushi was the salmon nigiri finished with a torched aroma. Since it's seared, I thought about saving it for last, but eating it first turned out to be a genius move!

The smoky char really brought out the salmon's savory richness and woke up my appetite. It was thick enough to have a satisfying chew, with a soft texture and a subtly sweet finish — a truly delicious bite from the very first piece.

The plate had quite a variety, from white fish to red fish, and the soft texture unique to aged sashimi stood out. The octopus gunkan sushi added a nice point of contrast with its crunchy, chewy bite.

Low-sodium aged soy sauce made with Gyeongsan jujubes

At Sonsi Sushi, even the soy sauce for the sushi felt like a dish in its own right. The low-sodium aged soy sauce made with jujubes, a local specialty of Gyeongsan, wasn't too salty and added a gentle depth of savory flavor that paired really well with the sushi.

Since it wasn't too strongly seasoned, it was nice being able to use it a bit more generously without feeling overwhelmed.

Sonsi ankimo futomaki: 5 pieces, 12,000 won

The Sonsi Ankimo Futomaki I'd been looking forward to. It's a futomaki roll filled with salmon, egg, fried shrimp, and more, topped with ankimo (monkfish liver), and one bite brought all the ingredients together at once — crunchy, crispy, and creamy textures all layered in a fun mix.

It's only 5 pieces, but each one was really big and thick, making it more filling than I expected. If eating solo, I think pairing the ankimo futomaki with just a bowl of udon would already make for a satisfying meal.

Is Sonsi Sushi Hayang worth a stop? Final verdict

Sonsi Sushi Hayang branch, a place I casually stopped by on the way back from Gatbawi on Palgongsan. From the thick cuts of aged sushi to the ankimo futomaki and crispy fried shrimp, the portion was generous for the price and every dish was genuinely enjoyable.

Being close to both Hayang Station and Daegu Catholic University, this is a Hayang restaurant I'd want to come back to whenever I want a clean, satisfying sushi platter.