Incheon Nonhyeon Japanese restaurant, salmon chirashi revisit: Hongdae

Why we went back to Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon after a few years

Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon Branch is a Japanese home-style restaurant right near Incheon Nonhyeon Station. I've been looking for Incheon Nonhyeon date spots to try with my husband lately, and we ended up back at Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon Branch. It's a place we drop into whenever we're around Namdong-gu's Nonhyeon-dong, and this time we went back after a few years, so here's my review.

It's right near Incheon Nonhyeon Station, so it's easy to get to. They also support parking, so we drove over.

Hours 11:30–21:30 / Parking support available

What are the menu and atmosphere like at Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon?

Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon Branch has a wide range of menu items — ramen, sushi, tonkatsu, rice bowls — and reasonable prices. It's not easy to find a place with real Japanese home-cooking vibes, but the moment you walk in, there's so much variety it's almost hard to decide what to order.

There are photos of Fukuoka on the walls, which gives it a bit of an actual Japan feel. Every table has self-order and self-payment, so we could order quickly without waiting.

A 'lucky message' draw while you wait for your food

While waiting for the food, there was a little 'lucky message' draw on the table, so we gave it a try. They put together little touches like this so waiting doesn't feel boring at all, haha.

What comes in the salmon chirashi sushi set?

This time at Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon Branch, we ordered the salmon set from the scoopable sushi (chirashi sushi) menu. It's a concept you eat comfortably with a spoon, so it works well even for people who aren't used to using chopsticks for sushi.

Ordering the set gets you 1 shrimp tempura, 1 karaage, 2 side dishes, 2 salads and miso soup alongside it, so it felt like a full, hearty spread.

• 1 shrimp tempura
• 1 karaage
• 2 side dishes
• 2 salads
• Miso soup

How did the salmon chirashi sushi taste?

The salmon set looked striking right away — thick-cut salmon topped with mayo sauce, flying fish roe and sprouts. The thick slices of fresh salmon were piled generously with mayo sauce and flying fish roe, and the sprouts on top made the colors pop too. On the side were rolled egg, cucumber and pickled radish, which were nice for cleansing the palate in between so it never felt too rich. The miso soup that came with it also did a good job of balancing out the saltiness.

Taking a spoonful, I could really taste how fresh the salmon was, and the savory mayo sauce combined with the popping texture of the flying fish roe made it a flavor I kept going back for. The ratio of rice, salmon and sauce was well balanced, so I finished the whole bowl easily. The composition felt generous for the price too, so it was satisfying value for money.

Shrimp tempura and karaage served with the set

I also tried the fried items that came with the salmon set — shrimp tempura and karaage (fried chicken) — one bite each. Both were crispy, and the shrimp tempura had big shrimp with a lot of meat. The karaage that came with it was savory and delicious too, haha.

Is Hongdae Gureume a good date spot in Incheon Nonhyeon?

Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon Branch has a casual, clean atmosphere, so it was easy to sit and chat comfortably over the meal. The lighting and interior details are cute too, making it a solid date-night spot. I'd recommend it if you and your partner want a light Japanese home-cooking style meal together.

You can also choose your ramen broth style — Kumamoto-style, Korean-style or Fukuoka-style — and there's a wide range of tonkatsu sets and rice bowls too, so I want to try something different next time. If you're craving sushi or a Japanese-style set meal around the Nonhyeon area of Namdong-gu, Incheon, Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon Branch is worth a visit.

Parking and weekday evening waits at Hongdae Gureume

Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon Branch is near Incheon Nonhyeon Station, so it's easy to reach by public transport, and if you're driving, they support in-building parking, so you don't need to worry much. We visited on a weekday evening, and turnover was good, so we got seated right away with no wait, which was great.

Even coming back after a few years, the menu composition and taste were just as consistent, which I loved, and my husband was happy too, saying it was nice to eat it again after so long. If you're looking for a low-pressure Japanese home-cooking spot for a date around Nonhyeon-dong in Namdong-gu, Incheon, I highly recommend Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon Branch. Next time I'll try the ramen or tonkatsu set and come back with another review!