Jonggak curtained sashimi bar: croaker and raw shrimp: Suksseong

Today I'm sharing my visit to Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch (숙썽수산 종로본점), a private-room izakaya near Jonggak Station, where I had aged sashimi and raw shrimp 🦐! The Jonggak area is pretty crowded, so finding a place to sit quietly, talk and have a drink is surprisingly hard. This place has separated, private spaces, so it works for a Jonggak date, gatherings or company dinners!

Where is Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch?

It's a 3-minute walk from Exit 4 of Jonggak Station, and also close to Jongno 3-ga and Euljiro 3-ga stations! It's on the 3rd floor of the building.

At lunch they serve kaisendon (sashimi rice bowl), yukhoe bibimbap (seasoned raw beef bibimbap) and more, so it's a good lunch option near Jonggak Station too 👍

And the huge fish tank you see as soon as you walk in!! They catch the fish in the restaurant itself, so you can enjoy fresh aged sashimi.

Are the seats at Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch private?

Every seat is divided by partitions and curtains, and private seating is available for 2 to 10+ people. The interior has soft lighting and stylish decor, and it was much classier than I expected! Totally a high-end izakaya vibe.

So it's perfect for dates, blind dates and all kinds of gatherings ᐠ( ¨̮ )ᐟ I also had a cozy drink 🍶 with my husband for the first time in a while.

The seats I coveted most were these window seats! There are quite a lot of them, and I think it'd be better to make a reservation (* ॑ᵕ ॑* )

Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch menu and prices

Seasonal dishes, aged sashimi and signature plates

• [Seasonal] Raw shrimp ₩39,000
• [Aged sashimi] Small (2 people) ₩69,000
• Medium (3 people) ₩99,000
• Large (4 people) ₩129,000
• [Signature dishes] 1+ hanwoo yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) ₩29,000
• Hanwoo yukhoe tangtangi ₩39,000
• Hanwoo yukhoe with uni (sea urchin) ₩58,000
• Sweet shrimp with uni ₩54,000
• Cuttlefish perilla-oil makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles) ₩29,000
• Brisket rosé pasta (spicy) ₩23,000
• Sweet shrimp basil pasta ₩21,000
• Suksseong tuna maki ₩25,000
• Sweet shrimp ₩25,000
• Uni ₩30,000

Seafood, stews and mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), fried dishes

• [Seafood] Assorted seafood (PICK) ₩55,000
• Steamed whole squid ₩31,000
• Boiled horn turban shell / live octopus / sea pineapple / sea cucumber, ₩28,000 each
• [Stews and mulhoe (cold raw fish soup)] Small squid mulhoe ₩39,000
• Seafood mulhoe ₩55,000
• Clam fish cake soup ₩27,000
• Blue crab roe stew ₩39,000
• [Fried] Fried shrimp ₩17,000
• Chicken nanban ₩19,000
• Crab-innards cream croquette ₩19,000

The drink list is varied too: sake, traditional liquor, soju, beer, highballs and more.

What a couple ordered for two

• Aged sashimi, small (2 people) ₩69,000
• Raw shrimp ₩39,000
• Crab-innards cream croquette ₩19,000
• Cass beer ₩7,000

The complimentary side dishes were tangy stir-fried kimchi, green peas and a soft tofu cabbage salad. Perfect starter snacks for an izakaya!

Which fish come in the small aged sashimi platter (₩69,000)?

The small aged sashimi set for 2 costs ₩69,000 and comes neatly arranged with bluefin tuna, croaker (mineo), greater amberjack and more. I always just eat sashimi going "so good!" without knowing what's what, so I loved that the fish names were written out ᐠ( ¨̮ )ᐟ

Bluefin tuna first! Maybe because it's aged, it's chewy yet melts in your mouth ( ᵕ_ᵕ̩̩ ) It has just the right amount of fat, and the nuttiness is insane. I'm definitely team aged sashimi over live-fish sashimi 🐟

There was also croaker, a prized fish that's in season right now! It has a mild, subtle sweetness and a clean taste, and it's really good with a little wasabi on top!

My favorite combo! A piece of aged sashimi on seaweed with wasabi and aged kimchi adds fun texture and layers of flavor.

And this one, I fell for it: the amberjack (jaetbang-eo)! It has a different charm from winter's big amberjack (daebang). The crunchy, chewy texture really comes through, and the fattiness isn't overwhelming, so it gets nuttier the more you chew ( ˶ ̇ ̵ ̇˶ )♡

If you put the ankimo (anglerfish liver) that comes alongside on the sashimi, it adds a rich, melting creaminess. Insanely good ( '༥' 🥢 )

How was the seasonal raw shrimp with fried heads (₩39,000)?

The raw shrimp is a ₩39,000 seasonal menu item, prepared so it's easy to eat, with the heads fried separately. The look of it was absolutely crazy 🤍

The shrimp are nicely peeled and prepped, and a light squeeze of lemon made them even better.

No fishy smell at all, just fresh and springy. I feel like I could eat 30 of them by myself ( ˃ ⩌˂)

Thoughtfully, the heads come out fried. Nutty and salty, perfect with beer!!

Does the crab innards cream croquette (₩19,000) taste like imitation crab?

I was worried the crab-innards cream croquette (₩19,000) would taste like imitation crab, but it's really good... I highly recommend it ( ᵕ_ᵕ̩̩ ) I ordered it because I was craving something warm with carbs.

It's packed with rich, melty innards, goes well with the slightly spicy sauce, and is nutty and luxurious, the whole package..

With the fried shishito peppers and crunchy cabbage served alongside, the richness disappears completely. Absolutely recommend, recommend 😋

Who should visit Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch?

• Anyone looking for a cozy private-room pub near Jonggak Station: the space is divided by partitions and curtains, so it's good for private dates or get-togethers with friends.
• Anyone who wants high-end aged sashimi with deep umami, plus side dishes: seasonal fish is aged so the texture is chewy and the flavor stays full.