Dongnae sushi restaurant with sea squirt bibimbap set: Moshi Moshi

With my mom's arm in a cast, we've been eating out a lot lately. This time we went to Moshi Moshi Sushi, which is inside the Lotte Department Store Dongnae branch where we often go to watch movies — really convenient for a meal before or after the show.

Let me introduce Moshi Moshi Sushi, the go-to spot near Lotte Cinema Dongnae, known for fresh ingredients and neatly prepared Japanese food, plus hearty set meals loaded with sushi, udon, salad, and tempura.

Where is Moshi Moshi Sushi in Dongnae, and what are the hours?

• Address: 8F, 1393 Jungang-daero, Dongnae-gu, Busan
• Hours: Daily 10:30-20:30 (*closed on department store holidays)
• Last order: 20:00
• Transit: 199m from Exit 5, Myeongnyun Station, Line 1
• Parking: Lotte Department Store parking available

My dad is such a movie buff that he watches every new release without fail, so whenever I'm in Busan we end up at Lotte Department Store Dongnae to catch a film together. The food court floor makes it easy to pick from a variety of menus, and it's convenient to stop by before or after shopping or a movie. Moshi Moshi Sushi is apparently a Busan Japanese restaurant brand that runs three directly-operated branches — 15 years at Busan National University, 7 years at Gwangbok, and 3 years here at Dongnae.

We visited before peak time, so we could eat relatively at ease. And since they run with no break time, this would be a great spot to drop by even when your meal timing is a bit awkward.

Inside, there was a spacious hall, bar seating, and partitioned rooms as well. On the day I visited, there was a reserved room set aside, so if you want to use a room for a family gathering, work dinner, or important meeting, it seems worth booking ahead.

What is on the menu at Moshi Moshi Sushi?

The menu ranges widely, from sets for 2-4 people to one-plate combo sets, sushi, noodle dishes, and à la carte items.

There were three of us, so we debated ordering a set menu but ended up choosing three combo meals instead: the sushi set, the sea squirt bibimbap set, and the sashimi set.

What comes in the 25,900-won sushi set "the better one"?

The sushi set comes with 8 pieces of sushi, 3 pieces of tempura, udon, vegetable salad, and tofu salad. It's split into 'the good one' at ₩21,900 and 'the better one' at ₩25,900, and I went with the better one.

'The better one' includes eel, butter-grilled shrimp, and tuna, so you get to enjoy a slightly wider variety of sushi.

My dad happened to want eel sushi, and mine came with it, so instead of ordering more we just swapped pieces. The flounder and tuna were fresh too, and even my parents, who are usually picky eaters, enjoyed it, which made me happy.

What comes in the sashimi set?

The sashimi set my dad ordered came with 8 pieces of sushi, sashimi, tempura, udon, tofu salad, and even a small tasting portion of sashimi — a genuinely full spread.

The sashimi included salmon, flounder, tuna, and even abalone. It was plenty for one person, and I had a bite too — fresh and chewy, really good.

The sushi was varied too — flounder, salmon, squid, sweet shrimp, soy-marinated shrimp, scallop — fun to pick through according to your taste.

We had the salad and tofu salad first as an appetizer — not too strong-flavored, clean and neat, so it worked well eating together with my parents.

And personally, my favorite part of the set was the tempura! The shrimp, sweet pumpkin, and eggplant were crispy and savory — I kept reaching for more even though I was already pretty full.

Meongge bibimbap set: a sea squirt rice bowl for a small appetite

My mom, who usually loves the fragrant taste of sea squirt (meongge), ordered the sea squirt bibimbap set.

After two days in the hospital and a bunch of medications, she'd had almost no appetite, but once she tried the sea squirt bibimbap she said her appetite was back for the first time in a while and looked genuinely pleased. Mixing the fragrant sea squirt with rice made for a meal that felt light yet still filling.

Add the plump noodles and hot broth of the udon on the side, and this one combo set alone was quite satisfying.

Is Moshi Moshi Sushi worth it for a meal with parents?

Moshi Moshi Sushi is a great stop when you're peckish while shopping at Lotte Department Store, or looking for somewhere to eat before or after a movie at Lotte Cinema Dongnae. With combo sets that let you enjoy sushi, sashimi, sea squirt bibimbap, udon, tempura, and salad all at once, it was a good place to visit with my parents. Being on the 8th floor of Lotte Department Store Dongnae makes it easy to get to, and running with no break time was convenient too.

If you're looking for neat sushi made with fresh ingredients and hearty combo sets, Moshi Moshi Sushi is worth a visit as a sushi spot near Myeongnyun Station or a go-to restaurant at Lotte Department Store Dongnae.