Conveyor sushi lunch with Mom at Nowon Station: 22 plates, Sushi Ianen

Late June is my birthday season, so I end up eating out and going out a lot. Recently I went to a department store in Nowon with my mom to look at gifts, and before we knew it, lunchtime had rolled around. Eating in the department store felt like too much of a commitment, so I searched for good spots around Nowon Culture Street and found Sushi Ianen (스시이안앤), a conveyor sushi place near Nowon Station where every plate is a flat ₩1,990. So off we went together~

Mom and I both love sushi, and with this many different dishes to share, it seemed perfect, so we picked it without a second thought! I'd also played soccer that day and it was right at lunchtime, so I figured it would be crowded and hurried over.

Where is Sushi Ianen Nowon Station?

Sushi Ianen Nowon Station is less than a 5-minute walk from Nowon Station, Line 4, Exit 2. Come into the middle of Nowon Culture Street, look up, and the purple sign jumps right out at you.

There's a standing sign in front of the building, so even first-timers can find it easily, and inside there's an elevator that goes up to the 3rd floor :)

Sushi Ianen Nowon Station hours and break time

Opening hours are the same every day, weekdays and weekends alike: 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. There's a break time from 3 to 5 p.m. on weekdays, but none on public holidays or weekends! Get off on the 3rd floor, go down one flight of steps, and you reach the entrance.

How long was the lunch wait?

I got there at 12:10 and it was already full, with no empty seats! Luckily we were second in the waiting line and there were only two of us, so we got in almost right away. Turnover is pretty fast at this Nowon Station favorite~

Sushi Ianen Nowon Station seating and restroom

Inside, bar-style seats stretch all the way along the kitchen, and there are waiting seats along the window wall. It's wide and open, so even if you have to wait, you can wait comfortably, haha

At the very back there are table seats, good for groups or when you have kids. Most conveyor sushi places only have little counters attached to the belt or bar seats (dacchi-seok), so having tables at Sushi Ianen is a real plus.

Best of all, there's a restroom inside, so it's easy to use! Haha It's right next to the counter, so no need to go out and look for one; just use the one inside. (Men may have to go outside, though.)

Mom and I were given two bar seats and settled in comfortably. You can leave your bags on the waiting seats or hang them on the chair. The bar has paper cups, utensil sets, tissues, pickled scallions (rakkyo), pickled ginger, and wasabi ready for you.

Current events at Sushi Ianen Nowon Station

They also run a bunch of events. Here's the summary:

• Visit 11:30–12:30 or 5:00–5:30 p.m. and get free udon or cold soba per table (but you have to eat 10 plates)
• 50+ plates per table gets you 5 extra plates; 100 plates gets you 10 extra
• Guests who come in military uniform get unlimited soda
• Discounts on sake, which goes great with sushi

Unlimited soda if you wear a military uniform, haha

There's a sake discount too, so I'd recommend it if you like a drink with your meal. While we sorted out the events, they also brought us miso soup, and I slurped down a warm cup~

How does conveyor-belt sushi work here?

At Sushi Ianen you just pick whatever you like from all the sushi and dishes moving along the belt! First I grabbed the two that caught my eye, the octopus yukhoe (seasoned raw beef-style) and octopus wasabi, haha, two zingy ones. Some plates have 2 pieces, some have 1, so choose to your taste.

None of the belt sushi at Sushi Ianen comes with wasabi, so you add it yourself as you like. I mixed it into the soy sauce and dipped as needed~

Free cold soba served at 12:10

The original event notice said the free udon or cold soba ended at 12:00, so I was a bit bummed arriving at 12:10, but the staff said it had been changed to 12:30 and told me to choose, lol. So I got the cold soba~ The portion is generous, packed with slushy ice, and there's even a shrimp tempura on top. The looks are insane!

The cold broth and chewy noodles were so good that I slurped them down alongside the sushi. I'll have to visit in winter and try the udon, haha

Among the moving sushi there are also pickled radish and spicy peppers, so you can take some and put the rest back, and dishes that need to be made fresh are shown as photos on the belt. The system is really well set up, so it was easy to eat there!

How good is 1,990-won sushi?

Sushi Ianen is run by a chef with a hotel background, and they say the sushi is made with quality ingredients like domestic live fish and Norwegian salmon. Whatever I picked was delicious and melted in my mouth. There's little rice and big toppings, so your mouth is totally full!

Can you order sushi from the menu, not just the belt?

Yes, at Sushi Ianen you can order sushi from the menu as well as taking it off the belt. There's such a variety on the belt that grabbing is fun, but I wanted exactly what I felt like eating, so later on I ordered almost everything.

The live fish, the shrimp, and the seasoned kinds were all delicious, so I was really happy with the sushi at Sushi Ianen.

Favorite of the day: salmon yukhoe aburi

I also ordered the sweet shrimp sushi with gamtae (seaweed) and sea urchin, which came out so cute and high quality. And my favorite of the day was the salmon yukhoe aburi (torch-seared)..! It really melts in your mouth, ㅠㅠ While ordering I suddenly saw a tataki being torched, and the moment it hit the belt, I grabbed it! The smoky flame flavor was spot on~

After that I kept eating lots of my favorites and enjoying the conveyor sushi, lol. Every single one was delicious and I was so happy~

For the finish, pineapple and melon, which were quite sweet and tasty! They each came with 4 pieces, but Mom ate one of each, so there are only three, lol. She couldn't wait before I took the photo, the cutie..lol

How many plates did two people eat?

Mom and I ate 22 plates of Sushi Ianen sushi, and we finished the free cold soba down to the broth. I was full all day long, seriously. At a flat ₩1,990 you eat without worry, so watch out for the food coma.

At ₩1,990 a plate I was a little worried about quality, but after eating there that thought vanished completely, and we just left having had a great meal at Sushi Ianen near Nowon Station. You can order too, so it's easy to enjoy it your own way like an omakase (chef's choice course). Recommended!