# Gangnam sushi bar for horse mackerel fry and nigiri: Sakai - By Chaerin (https://superchart.com/en/@dining-room/) - Written Sep 12, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@dining-room/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@dining-room/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/index.md) ## In short Sakai is a high-end izakaya near Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul, serving individually ordered nigiri and drinking snacks. At a weekday counter dinner, the sushi rice, fish, and freshly fried horse mackerel all beat expectations. Sakai is a must for choosing omakase-quality sushi piece by piece. ## Good to know - **Location**: 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, 1F, Unit 101, Gangnam-gu, Seoul - **Seating**: Counter seats and table seats - **Visit time**: Weekday evening, 18:30 - **Alcohol prices**: Suntory draft beer ₩10,000; bottled beer ₩8,000; soju ₩8,000; Kakubin highball, Sui gin and tonic, and sour ₩10,000 - **Sake prices**: House sake ₩15,000–₩25,000; sake ₩68,000–₩298,000 - **Sashimi prices**: White fish sashimi ₩36,000; blue-backed fish sashimi ₩25,000; moriawase ₩34,000; bakudan maki set ₩28,000 - **Fried dishes and snacks**: Horse mackerel fry ₩15,000; chicken nanban ₩20,000; fried eggplant, French fries, and grilled mackerel ₩12,000; sweet-and-sour pork, karaage, and seafood ramen ₩18,000 - **Nigiri prices**: Salmon and sea bream from ₩3,700; conger eel, sweet shrimp, horse mackerel, mackerel, and benizari from ₩4,500; chutoro, yellowtail, and pressed sushi from ₩6,100; abalone and ikura ₩8,000; uni ₩10,000; golden eye snapper ₩11,000 *as written by the visitor on Sep 12, 2026* I went to Sakai near Seolleung. It is a newly opened sushi sakaba—an omakase-style sushi-and-drinks bar where you can order nigiri piece by piece. It was my first time at a place like this, and aside from ordering individually, both the food and mood felt like omakase! The atmosphere is a little freer than omakase, haha. It had been so long since I ate this well, so my husband and I left completely satisfied. ## Sakai near Seolleung Station: reservations and seating It is close to Seolleung Station, so it is great after work. It is on the first floor at 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil. I booked ahead, and I recommend reserving if you want counter seating or have another seat preference. It started getting crowded around 19:00! ![Location guide for visiting Sakai near Seolleung](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-01-1dztq-900.webp) This is the exterior! It is easy to pass by at a glance, but it is a first-floor shop on the corner. ![Sakai exterior on the first floor at a corner](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-02-g1r98-900.webp) ![Sakai restaurant logo](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-03-hfmrd-900.webp) The Sakai logo! I read so many reviews before coming, and everyone said it was delicious, so I arrived with huge expectations. But it tasted even better than expected! ![Inside Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-04-myheq-900.webp) ![Atmosphere inside Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-05-14qt9-900.webp) The two of us came for weekday dinner at 18:30 and sat at the counter. This is a high-end izakaya, not omakase, so water and everything else are self-service! ![Counter seating at Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-06-bn8fo-900.webp) ![Self-service area at Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-07-c0ogv-900.webp) There are table seats too. ![Table seating at Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-08-di5qq-900.webp) ## Today’s available nigiri and drinks menu There is a separate menu, but the available nigiri for the day is posted above!! Just look at it and order. Some items were selling out by around 20:00. ![Available nigiri for the day](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-09-y90i0-900.webp) ![Sakai nigiri menu information](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-10-un9al-900.webp) Since it is an izakaya, drinks are a must. But there are lots of beer and soju options, so it does not feel burdensome. ### Drinks menu prices - Suntory draft beer ₩10,000 - Asahi, Sapporo, and Kirin bottled beer ₩8,000 - Chamisul, Jinro, Cheoeumcheoreom, and Saero soju ₩8,000 - Kakubin highball, Sui gin and tonic, and sour ₩10,000 - House sake ₩15,000–₩25,000 - Sake ₩68,000–₩298,000 So many options, right? I think it works for everyone, from serious drinkers to people who do not drink much. I cannot drink very well, so I ordered one Kakubin highball and one Suntory draft beer. ### Sashimi menu prices - White fish sashimi ₩36,000 - Blue-backed fish sashimi ₩25,000 - Sashimi moriawase ₩34,000 - Bakudan maki set ₩28,000 - Goma saba ₩25,000 - Sweet shrimp sashimi ₩40,000 - Sake-steamed abalone with geu sauce ₩25,000 - Sardine pressed sushi ₩15,000 There are various salads too, plus tiramisu for dessert. I tried to order the limited sardine pressed sushi here, but it had sold out right before me. Sob sob. ![Sakai sashimi menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-11-4dte1-900.webp) ## Horse mackerel fry and per-piece nigiri prices ### Snack and fried-dish menu prices - Chicken nanban ₩20,000 - Horse mackerel fry ₩15,000 - Fried eggplant ₩12,000 - Sweet-and-sour pork and karaage ₩18,000 - French fries ₩12,000 - Grilled mackerel ₩12,000 - Grilled cutlassfish ₩25,000 - Seafood ramen ₩18,000 And more!! There are lots of snacks too. We ordered the horse mackerel fry here, and it was incredible. There is a photo below, but without even trying more dishes, I knew this place was the real deal for fried food. ### Nigiri sushi menu prices These are per-piece prices, and honestly... it is delicious. If you want to choose your own omakase-quality sushi, you absolutely have to come! - Salmon, sea bream, and more ₩3,700 - Conger eel, sweet shrimp, horse mackerel, mackerel, benizari, and more ₩4,500 - Chutoro, yellowtail, pressed sushi, and more ₩6,100 - Abalone and ikura ₩8,000 - Uni ₩10,000 - Golden eye snapper ₩11,000 There is so much variety! But only the fish posted on the wall are available. ![Per-piece nigiri order menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-12-1hg82-900.webp) I loved the old-school feeling of writing it on paper and handing it in, haha. First I ordered benizari, sea bream, horse mackerel, mackerel, gizzard shad, abalone, and akami, haha. It was so good that we added the horse mackerel fry; my husband said the horse mackerel was delicious, so we ordered four more pieces of it and one more mackerel. Then I had one more piece each of horse mackerel, conger eel, egg, salmon, and sweet shrimp. We went wild!!! Hahahaha. ![Kakubin highball order](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-13-1f9rp-900.webp) The Kakubin highball is not sweet at all, so it may not be what you expect if you like sweet drinks! My husband enjoyed it, haha. ## How the nigiri tasted, from sea bream to abalone This is the sea bream. The fish was so soft yet pleasantly chewy, but the shari (seasoned sushi rice) here... was truly delicious and captivating. Wow, amazing sushi for the first time in ages!! This is benizari. It had a smoky grilled flavor, and I loved it!! It made me think anything I ordered would be delicious. This is abalone, which was practically my number one that day. It was so chewy, and the salt on the outside plus the geu sauce inside were just amazing. ![Abalone nigiri with geu sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-14-kjc2q-900.webp) This is mackerel: thick, not fishy, and so delicious. I keep saying everything was delicious, but I genuinely thought it was all so good. ![Mackerel nigiri sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-15-1hndm-900.webp) Horse mackerel! My husband’s number-one pick, haha. It was so soft, rich, and delicious. I liked the mackerel even more, but my husband says he wants to eat 15 pieces of horse mackerel alone, haha. Gizzard shad! Delicious, though I think the look of this one might be difficult for some people, haha. ![Gizzard shad nigiri sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-16-1jzab-900.webp) The akami was savory and chewy! Yellowtail! It was really thick and rich, with a great bite, so delicious. ![Yellowtail nigiri sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-17-ha4ua-900.webp) ![Additional nigiri order](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-18-1l23s-900.webp) ## Freshly fried horse mackerel and a tip for ordering more Four pieces of horse mackerel fry... insane. It is a really generous portion and fills you up fast, hahaha. If we had not ordered it, we might have kept eating sushi, but thankfully the fry stopped us. It was freshly fried, piping hot, incredibly tender, and so delicious..!!! ![Freshly fried horse mackerel](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-19-ih19z-1200.webp) My husband’s horse mackerel love, hahahahaha. It really is delicious. Each item comes out as it is ordered and can take a little time, so I recommend ordering everything you want in one go. Salmon! I asked for it aburi-style, and the salmon was thick and so delicious. ![Aburi salmon nigiri](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai-20-xdxe3-900.webp) The sweet shrimp was really sweet too; I highly recommend it if you like sweet shrimp. My beloved egg.. My husband does not like sweet egg, but I love it, haha. As expected, it was delicious. The conger eel was light and truly soft! It did not even have a sweet sauce brushed on it, but that was what made it so charming. We ate so, so well. After all this, we were full and it was just perfect. It was my first time at a sushi nigiri izakaya like this, and being able to choose and order high-quality sushi I actually wanted was completely my thing. I definitely recommend Sakai near Seolleung to anyone who loves omakase but also wants to choose what they eat, haha. ## Where it is - Sakai (사카이) - 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 강남구 역삼로67길 15 1층 101호 - 37.5023593, 127.0528285 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%82%AC%EC%B9%B4%EC%9D%B4/@37.5023593,127.0528285,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@dining-room/seolleung-nigiri-aji-fry-sakai/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt