Exit 9 Hongdae sushi alley: 26-piece Couple A Plus set, Yu Iksang

I was craving sushi in Hongdae today, so here's my review of Yu Iksang Sushi, a Hongdae sushi spot I visited. Yu Iksang Sushi is run by a chef with 16 years of experience in Japanese cuisine, and this location alone has been open in Hongdae for 6 years already. They highlight the freshness and natural flavor of their ingredients while adding sauce and a smoky, torched flavor to their sushi — the extra-long tail sushi, the distinctive smoky aroma, and their homemade sauce are said to be Yu Iksang Sushi's signature.

Where is Yu Iksang Sushi? An alley off Exit 9, Hongik University Station

Yu Iksang Sushi, a Hongdae sushi restaurant, is located in a one-way alley right behind Seocho Elementary School, just after you exit Exit 9 of Hongik University Station. It's a bit further than you'd expect walking from the station, so if it's your first visit, check Naver Maps to find your way!

It's tucked inside the alley, but if you follow the map you won't have trouble finding it :)

What are the counter seats and atmosphere like at Yu Iksang Sushi?

Walking inside, the space is smaller than expected, but it's decorated with an interior that feels distinctly Japanese.

Seating consists of counter seats and about 2 tables for 4, giving the whole place a cozy feel.

At the counter seats especially, you can watch the sushi being prepared, which gives it that distinct sushi-restaurant atmosphere. It seemed like a nice place to come with friends or as a couple in Hongdae.

Yu Iksang Sushi menu and prices

🍣 The full Yu Iksang Sushi menu

Value sets

• Assorted sushi 8 pieces — ₩15,000
• Half tuna, half tamago aburi — ₩15,000
• Half flounder, half fried shrimp — ₩15,000
• Half salmon, half soy-marinated shrimp — ₩15,000
• Half tuna, half soy-marinated shrimp — ₩15,000
• Half flounder, half tamago aburi — ₩15,000

Couple sets

• Couple A — ₩52,000
• Couple A Plus — ₩56,000
• Couple B — ₩60,000

À la carte and other sushi

• Yu Iksang Cooked Sushi — ₩23,000
• Salmon Sushi 8 pieces — ₩25,000
• VIP Sushi — ₩35,000
• Yu Iksang Special Sushi — ₩27,000
• Yu Iksang Sushi — ₩24,000

There's a really wide range of menu items, so check the photos for the details :)

What comes in the Couple A Plus set (26 pieces, 56,000 won)?

We ordered the Couple A Plus (26 pieces) for ₩56,000.

Before the sushi arrived, they first brought out cabbage salad, cold soba, and a light soup. It was nice to start light with the salad, wake up the palate with the cold soba, and then move on to the sushi.

Couple A Plus (26 pieces, ₩56,000) — 2 salmon / 4 flounder / 4 tuna / 4 beef / 2 tamago aburi / 4 garlic shrimp aburi / 2 mekagari aburi. It's meant for two people, but once the sushi started coming out piece by piece, the portion turned out to be more than expected.

True to a couple set, you get to try a wide variety of sushi types all at once, so it suits anyone who wants to sample a bit of everything.

Salmon sushi

The salmon was soft and clean-tasting, with a distinct nutty flavor coming through nicely. Yu Iksang Sushi's salmon sushi is known for its long, draped tail, and it really stood out visually in the Couple A Plus too.

Tuna sushi

It had a slightly heavier, softer taste than the salmon and flounder, adding to the fun of trying a variety of sushi types.

Flounder sushi

I could taste the clean, light flavor of the flounder, and switching between it and the other sushi types helped refresh the palate.

Garlic shrimp aburi

This was shrimp aburi with a garlic flavor added on top, giving it a different feel from regular shrimp sushi. Between the smoky torched flavor and the garlic, the nutty taste really came alive.

Tamago (egg) aburi

Tamago aburi is lightly torched egg sushi with a sweet, soft flavor.

Mekagari aburi

This piece let you taste the combination of smoky flavor and sauce that Yu Iksang Sushi talks about, giving it a different kind of fun compared to regular fish sushi.

Beef sushi

Rather than just eating fish sushi the whole time, having beef sushi mixed in made the overall lineup feel even more varied.

Free fried shrimp and fried eggplant sushi

They also gave us 2 pieces of fried shrimp and fried eggplant sushi on the house. Fried food too... we got to eat generously right to the end. The fried eggplant sushi in particular felt novel, since it's not something you commonly see at regular sushi restaurants. Between the Couple A Plus for two and these extras, we ended up completely full.

⭐ Final verdict on Yu Iksang Sushi

Yu Iksang Sushi's Couple A Plus gave two people a generous, varied sushi spread for ₩56,000. It included everything from basic sushi like salmon, flounder, and tuna to beef, tamago aburi, garlic shrimp aburi, and mekagari aburi — so we got to enjoy many different flavors in one order. If you're in Hongdae and want to try everything from classic sushi to aburi sushi, ordering a couple set at this Hongdae sushi spot, Yu Iksang Sushi, seems like a good idea :) If you're looking for a sushi restaurant near Hongik University Station, check the map and give it a try!