Seolleung izakaya sushi after work: two sakes and negitoro maki at

Sakai, an izakaya-style sushi spot in Seolleung I'd recommend to Gangnam office workers

A new izakaya sushi spot, 10 minutes on foot from my Daechi-dong office

My office is in Daechi-dong. Not long ago, an izakaya sushi place called Sakai opened about a 10-minute walk from work. A new(?) place like this simply has to be visited! So I made a reservation the day before and paid Sakai a visit.

• Address: 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, 1F, Unit 101, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 17:00–01:00 (closed the first Tuesday of every month)
• Parking: Not available

Around 6pm. Once inside, the staff checked the reservation list and kindly showed us to our seats. The place was compact, but decorated with such care it felt like stepping into a little slice of Japan. This is Sakai, dripping with izakaya atmosphere.

Table seats and counter seats — we took the counter, for two

Inside there were private table seats like this,

and counter seats that were great for eye candy too. We came as a pair, and they sat us at the counter, so that's where we settled.

Right on time for our reservation, the table was already set up and waiting.

Nigiri orders via Post-it notes

Sakai's menu. For nigiri, what's available changes daily depending on the day's catch. As shown in the photo, the items available that day were written out on Post-it notes, and we picked what we wanted from among them.

House sake, an izakaya essential. They poured it right to the brim!

Banshu Ikkon Junmai Cho Karakuchi 180ml (₩15,000)

White fish sashimi and rich ankimo (monkfish liver)

The white fish sashimi we ordered (₩36,000) was arranged like a fan, catching the eye immediately. Next to the wasabi sat a generous helping of creamy ankimo.

The chef serving us in front of the counter kindly explained the types of fish.

We tried a bit with wasabi, then loaded on plenty of ankimo — I loved that rich, silky ankimo.

The chef rolled up a hosomaki with shiso and served it to us on the house. The shiso's aroma filled my mouth and left a clean, refreshing finish. After that, our sushi kept coming, one after another.

Every single piece of sushi was delicious... T_T Especially the fish-based pieces — there wasn't a trace of fishiness, and everything was so fresh. It was great ordering piece by piece and tasting a variety of sushi, and it was fun watching the chefs' hands at work from the counter.

One more sake, and negitoro hosomaki

With such good food to go with it, the drinks kept flowing~ Inevitably, we ended up ordering more sake. Zaku Miyabi no Tomo Nakadori 180ml (₩25,000)

Since we ordered more to drink, we also ordered more hosomaki to go with it.

A wise six pieces — enough that two or three people wouldn't fight over them, haha. And the negitoro (fatty tuna) — need I say more? Absolutely delicious! After a great meal at Sakai, we headed toward the door and...

only then did I notice these window seats looking out onto the street. If you'd like a more private atmosphere, these seats would be a good pick too. I'm so glad a place like this opened near my office! Sakai, a sushi spot in Seolleung — a place I really liked.

Who should visit Sakai in Seolleung

• Gangnam office workers who want a casual drink after work
• Anyone who loves fresh, live-caught sashimi