Jongno sashimi date night with Busan Galmaegi soju: Suksseong Susan

Why we picked Suksseong Susan Jongno for a Wednesday date

Jongno. It makes up about 70% of our dates.

My boyfriend said, "Don't we need to soak up Jongno energy once a week to have an energetic week?" Not really true, but Jongno is always fun, so here we go again! As always! Jongno!

How to find Suksseong Susan Jongno and where to park

Since Suksseong Susan Jongno doesn't have its own parking, people usually use 'Modoo Parking' to access nearby buildings in the afternoon, but if you're planning to drink, it's better to take public transit.

Jongno's night streets... always lively and cool. Office workers hurrying home after work, or stopping for a drink, in the bustling food alley is Suksseong Susan. You just head up to the 3rd floor.

Inside Suksseong Susan Jongno: a private room at every table

Walking in, I was surprised by the unexpectedly great interior. I'd already seen a lot of reviews calling it a Jongno hotspot sashimi restaurant, and my reaction was, 'Oh! oh!'

Right at the entrance there's a fish tank by the kitchen, which as soon as you walk in makes you think, "I absolutely have to eat that fresh sashimi!!" We had a reservation and went in.

Oh. My. God. How can a space be this good...? Every single table is set up as its own private room, and the space you can see from inside is just the right amount open, just the right amount hidden.

What we ordered: aged sashimi, salt-grilled shrimp and vinegared rice

The basic side dishes were already set on the table, and since this is a Jongno hotspot sashimi restaurant, of course we ordered aged sashimi as our base.

• Aged sashimi (small) ₩69,000
• Salt-grilled shrimp ₩35,000
• Vinegared rice ₩2,000
• And a drink to go with it^^

Busan Galmaegi soju...?? Let's give it a taste

I'm in Busan....... I am currently in Busan........... Busan Galmaegi, of all things.................♡

Don't underestimate the aged sashimi just because it's the small size — the composition was so generous and truly, so many different kinds of fish came out.

This one plate feels like it holds the entire ocean.

Now, before tasting this perfect meal!

Salt-grilled shrimp cooked at the table

Peeling the shrimp and eating them hot

The grilled shrimp arrives off to the side. I took a photo from a distance first — the live shrimp were flopping around so much as they died that it kind of broke my heart, so I watched while feeling sorry for them...

Held a little ceremony for a moment, na-mu gwan-se-eum-bosal, na-mu seok-ga-mo-ni-bul...

Looked away for a bit and took a sip of soju, and... goodbye... little shrimp

Sashimi and shrimp on top of vinegared rice

Time to try a piece of sashimi. My boyfriend's favorite combo was flounder with aged kimchi on top of vinegared rice — flounder-aged-kimchi rice.

I wrap vinegared rice in seaweed like this, and kraah~~ it's the perfect side to make a glass of Busan Galmaegi go down smooth!

The live shrimp were also so good — melts in your mouth and slides right down.

How does the aged sashimi taste?

They call it aged sashimi for a reason — if you love soft, delicate raw fish, you won't regret this place. It's soft enough to chew with your gums, and the nutty flavor comes through clearly.

Even the basic tofu-sesame sauce side dish was surprisingly smooth and just right as an accompaniment.

By the time we'd had a piece or two of sashimi, the shrimp had 'died' nicely (?)...??? Cooked through and turned red. Go ahead and eat them~~~~~~~~

Shrimp-peeling duty: pouty-face girlfriend ♡

The shrimp I peeled so diligently goes straight into my mouth — shrimp number one~ ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

A bite of shrimp, a bite of sashimi, a shot of Busan Galmaegi, nina-no~~~~~~~~♪

I really love red-fleshed fish, and this bluefin tuna had such a deep red color that it was even softer and even more my style.

My boyfriend was busy, I was busy

There wasn't even time for a toast — we each just grabbed our soju glasses and ate on our own (solo cheers!), and before we knew it, we'd demolished this much sashimi haha!

After scraping the last bits of sashimi off the plate with a loud scratchy sound, I wondered if we'd eaten a bit too fast, but our mood was just this good!!!

In this private space, after a while, chatting about this and that, sharing work stories, Wednesday quietly came to a close.

Is Suksseong Susan Jongno worth it for a date night?

For Jongno hotspot sashimi restaurant, it's 'Suksseong Susan!' Don't get confused — there are many similarly named places, but make sure you go to Suksseong Susan specifically.

Today, we were so absorbed in talking about ourselves that Suksseong Susan felt even better — I think the private room played a big part. They say free corkage is possible too, so if you have good wine, this is definitely a place to bring it!