Songdo sushi spot: tablet waitlist & ankimo on flounder, Sushi Doku

Songdo in Incheon is somewhere I visit often to see a friend who moved there. She'd been wanting to try Sushi Doku The Songdo because the line is always full at lunchtime, even on weekdays, so we went together. After eating, I understood why it's so packed.

Where is Sushi Doku The Songdo?

Sushi Doku The Songdo is on the 2nd floor of Honesta Mall in Songdo, Incheon. It connects to Songdo Hyundai Premium Outlets and Triple Street mall, so it's ideal for a bit of shopping after your meal.

Opening hours, break time and parking

• Hours: 11:00 - 21:00
• Last order: lunch 14:30, dinner 20:15
• Break time: Mon-Fri 15:00 - 17:00
• Parking: 2 hours covered at the Honesta Mall parking lot

How does the tablet waitlist at Sushi Doku The Songdo work?

You register for the waitlist on the tablet at the front of the restaurant, and after registering you have to stay put and keep your place. There's a wait even on weekdays, so unless you arrive right at opening, you'll most likely have to wait.

Seating and atmosphere

Inside there's group seating that works well for company dinners, plus tables for 2 and 4 that suit solo meals or regular outings. We came right at opening and it still filled up fast, so I took the interior photos a bit timidly.

For anyone visiting with kids, there are plenty of high chairs. Warm plum tea (maesil-cha), nice as an after-meal palate cleanser, is also set out at the entrance.

Sushi Doku The Songdo menu and the Premium Sushi Special Set

Most of the menu at Sushi Doku The Songdo is neat, full-tray sushi sets. Depending on your taste, you can also add single pieces of sushi or sides like tempura and udon. We ordered the classy Premium Sushi Special Set (₩25,900).

The Premium Sushi Set we ordered was a tidy full tray: 10 pieces of premium sushi, half udon, tempura, salad and truffle chawanmushi (savory steamed egg custard). The lineup was so generous and I got so full that I ended up leaving a little of the udon and tempura.. T_T

What order should you eat the sushi in?

When the set is served, the staff briefly explain how to eat it. They told us to start lightly with the white fish sushi and then move on to the colored fish.

Salad, half udon, truffle chawanmushi and tempura

The crunchy salad, eaten here and there as a palate cleanser, went together so well.

It's only half an udon, but with cute fish-shaped fish cake and fried tofu pouches packed in, it was quite hearty, and the broth had real depth.

What impressed me about the truffle chawanmushi was the subtle truffle aroma coming through with the soft egg. The bottom was well stocked too, with ginkgo nuts, shrimp and more.

The tempura came with karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and fried shrimp. Just from the color of the batter you can tell how crispy and tasty it'll be. It made me think of my son, who is obsessed with fried shrimp.

The 10-piece sushi lineup, from ankimo on flounder up

The Premium Sushi Set at Sushi Doku The Songdo includes 10 pieces: flounder, red sea bream, salmon, squid, sweet shrimp, lean tuna (akami), red shrimp, red snow crab meat, eel and anglerfish liver (ankimo). The flounder comes topped with ankimo, which I love, and that made the flavor even richer. With the rich ankimo, sweet shrimp, red shrimp and the rest all having a chewy, plump texture, it was hard to pick a best one.

It was so good I wanted to eat every piece, but I got so full that I ended up taking off some of the rice, such a big eater, I know. The lineup was so good there was nothing to complain about. And then the warm plum tea to finish was perfect too!!

Counter amenities and takeout menu

At the counter of Sushi Doku The Songdo, there's mouthwash, dental floss and toothpicks. The counter is full of cute sushi keyrings, so it was fun to browse, and you can feel the thoughtfulness toward customers.

There are also takeout sushi sets priced lower than eating in, so keep that in mind. There's even a kids' set that's great to order when you come with children, so it looks good for a family meal out too.

Is Sushi Doku The Songdo worth a visit?

Sushi Doku The Songdo in Songdo, Incheon has a great location and, for taste, even less to fault. This weekend, after a family outing around Songhyeona (the Honesta Mall area), treat yourselves to a sushi meal at this Yeonsu sushi spot!