Gimhae sushi restaurant for a Chuseok holiday family dinner: Sushi Hwa

📍Hours📍 Daily 10:00-21:00 / 📍Parking📍 Free public parking available in Bonghwang-dong

A spot known for smoky, flame-seared sushi and fresh salmon sushi

Why Sushi Hwa on Bongridan-gil for a Chuseok holiday dinner?

Is everyone having a good Chuseok holiday? haha I went to Gimhae Shinsegae during the holiday to buy gifts and get some groceries done. We hadn't had dinner yet, so I looked around for somewhere to eat and heard about Sushi Hwa, a well-known sushi spot in Bongridan-gil, so we went.

Actually, my son isn't really into raw sushi, but I heard this place has flame-seared sushi cooked over direct fire, so I thought it'd be perfect to go with him. They also have raw sushi, so my husband and I, who love raw sushi, were satisfied too! Since it seemed like the whole family would be happy, we headed straight there haha.

Walking 15 minutes from Gimhae Shinsegae to Sushi Hwa, and where to park

We parked at Shinsegae and walked over, taking in Bongridan-gil along the way. It took about 15 minutes on foot to reach Sushi Hwa, and since we were sightseeing as we walked, it felt shorter than expected.

If you're worried about parking, there's a free public parking lot right near Bongridan-gil, so you could park there and visit instead. The exterior of the restaurant had a clean, tidy overall look.

Once inside, the interior was bright and neatly organized too.

Seating at Sushi Hwa, from solo dining to family groups

Plenty of tables, right? From bar seats that are comfortable for solo dining, to 4-tops and 6-tops, there was a good variety of seating, which seemed workable whether you're dining alone, out with family, or with a bigger group.

There were connected tables here too, so group gatherings should be no problem. There were Japanese-style posters on the wall as well. High chairs were available, so it looked comfortable for visiting with young kids too.

Ordering was easy through the kiosk at the table. It seemed like the place is run by a couple, and they greeted us warmly from the moment we walked in, which put me in a good mood.

The Sushi Hwa menu, including a kids' flame-seared sushi set

The menu had more variety than I expected. From flame-seared sushi and raw sushi to donburi (rice bowl dishes), sashimi, salt-grilled raw shrimp, karaage (Japanese fried chicken), and all kinds of tempura, it seemed like a good place for a proper meal or for light drinks with snacks.

The set menus come with either udon or soba included. You have to choose one when ordering! Most of all, what was great for us as a family visiting with a kid was that there's a separate kids' menu! Having a kids' flame-seared sushi set that our son, who can't eat raw sushi, could enjoy made choosing much easier.

What we ordered was a flame-seared sushi set, a salmon sushi set, and a kids' flame-seared sushi set. The sets let you pick udon or soba, and since our whole family is a soba family, we picked soba without hesitation haha. The adult sets come with 10 pieces of sushi each, and the kids' set comes with 5, which is a pretty solid amount, right?

The flame-seared sushi set: how smoky is it?

First, the flame-seared sushi set I had!

As soon as the sushi arrived, a smoky aroma rose right up — oh, it really looked like it had been seared over direct flame.

This is the kids' flame-seared sushi set!

There were so many varieties that it was fun trying them one by one. The taste changed a bit depending on the topping, so even though it was all flame-seared sushi, each piece felt different. Adding the smoky flavor gave it a charm different from regular raw sushi. Even I, who loves raw sushi, enjoyed it a lot.

The salmon sushi set with cold soba

And then, salmon sushi!

Doesn't the color of the salmon alone look fresh? haha It was soft and clean-tasting, so I enjoyed it a lot.

The cold soba that came with the set was great too! The soba was piled with fine ice, so it looked refreshing just to look at, and when I actually ate it, the noodles were springy and the portion was pretty generous.

I liked that even though the soba was part of the set, it didn't feel skimpy at all. I thought next time it might be nice to order the cold soba on its own as a single item.

Yuzu dressing salad, blueberries and wasabi at Sushi Hwa

The salad had a yuzu sauce dressing, so it was refreshing! My husband, who loves refreshing flavors, ate it up saying it was so good haha.

And as a last palate cleanser, blueberries — also great!

Oh, and the wasabi was served separately in its own packet, so we could take as much as we wanted comfortably. And there was some kind of shichimi (Japanese seven-spice) on the table? haha I'm not exactly sure what it was, but I noticed the expiration date was clearly printed on the bottle. Seeing that made me think this place manages its ingredients carefully, so I ended up taking a photo of it too. A clean place is always satisfying!

They were also running a receipt review event at the time. If you write a review, you can get a drink or 2 pieces of sushi, so visitors might want to keep that in mind :)

Sushi Hwa in Gimhae: the verdict

• You can enjoy both flame-seared and raw sushi — the whole family, from me who loves raw sushi to my son who loves flame-seared, could eat happily.
• The sets are generous — 10 pieces of sushi with soba or udon, plus a salad and dessert, made for a really filling meal.
• Great for visiting with kids — having a separate kids' flame-seared sushi set made choosing a kids' menu easy. High chairs were also available, making it good for a family outing.
• The cold soba is delicious too — piled with fine ice so it's refreshing, with springy noodles. Even as part of a set, the portion was generous and satisfying.
• The restaurant is clean with a variety of seating — from bar seats to 4-tops and 6-tops, it looked comfortable for solo dining, family meals, or group gatherings.
• Next time I want to try other menu items — this time we mainly had flame-seared and salmon sushi, but next time I'd like to try the sushi types we haven't had yet, plus the sashimi and donburi haha.

Our family ate well and then took a slow walk around Bongridan-gil to let the food settle before heading back :) If you're looking for a sushi restaurant to visit with kids in Gimhae's Bongridan-gil, Sushi Hwa, where you can enjoy not just raw sushi but a variety of flame-seared sushi too, comes recommended! Ate well again today!