Yangsan sushi restaurant after break time: two Premium 12P, Shirokuma

📍11-5 Hwahap 4-gil, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, 1st floor

⏰11:30-21:00 Break time 14:30-17:30

🅿️ 1-2 spots for parking in front of the shop Hwangsan Village public parking free after 6pm

Why Shirokuma keeps coming up for sushi in Yangsan

If someone asks me where's good for sushi in Yangsan, I genuinely don't hesitate — Shirokuma :) I go there often when meeting friends, and it's also been a hit when I've taken my parents to eat, so by now it's basically my trusted go-to sushi spot in Yangsan 💛

This year on Parents' Day I actually took my parents to Shirokuma for dinner too, and they liked it way more than I expected, which made me so proud haha. So this time I went back with a friend after a while!! If you're someone who usually likes sushi, I think this place is worth it, so let me write down each menu item I tried along with my honest thoughts

When I want sushi in Yangsan, Shirokuma is naturally the first place that comes to mind. It's fine for a casual lunch with friends, and the menu is solid enough that it also works when I want a slightly more proper meal with parents or family. So if you're reading this post after searching for good Yangsan restaurants for sushi, take a look at the menu lineup and the atmosphere too 😀

What time to arrive at Shirokuma to avoid the wait

✔️ This time I timed my visit to land right as break time ended, so we were lucky and got seated straightaway with no wait! But by the time we finished eating and were slowly heading out, the mood had completely changed lol. Tables were almost all full and there was already a wait line outside. I thought, 'ah... I really need to book ahead next time' lol

If you're visiting for the first time, please keep this in mind ⭕️ Especially during lunch or dinner peak hours, you might end up waiting if you're not careful, so I'd recommend reserving ahead (via Catch Table or by calling right at opening). If you're looking for a good lunch spot in Yangsan, I'd suggest not timing your visit exactly at noon but moving with a bit more buffer — timing it like me, right when break time ends, is one way to do it!

It's an open kitchen, so you can see into the kitchen to some degree. Being able to check with your own eyes that the kitchen is kept clean somehow makes you feel more at ease. The floor staff were kind and the kitchen staff seemed to have good energy too, so there was nothing uncomfortable about the meal 💯

What we ordered: two Premium Sushi 12P sets

Order

Shirokuma Premium Sushi 12P ×2 ₩22,000

When I come to Shirokuma I usually go for the set that includes futomaki (thick seaweed rice roll). On days I'm especially hungry, adding yaki udon (stir-fried udon noodles) makes it quite filling. Yaki udon is ₩13,000 — I like ordering it spicy, and it's a little spicy but still goes well alongside sushi 👍🏻 Sushi alone feels like a clean, complete meal, and adding yaki udon works well for sharing between two friends!

Using pickled ginger as a soy sauce brush

Once you sit down, each table has soy sauce, rakkyo (pickled shallots), and pickled ginger. I use the pickled ginger like a brush, dipping it in soy sauce and brushing it over the sushi when I eat. Everyone should try eating it this way — no more rice grains falling apart when you dip in soy sauce!!

Salad and clear soup come as standard

Isn't the cup just too cute?? haha, such a covetable cup ✨ It has what sushi is called in Japanese, all written out in English!! I want to take it home 🫢

What comes in the Premium Sushi 12P set, and how the shari (sushi rice) tastes

The Premium Sushi set we ordered this time was made up of

• Halibut
• Salmon
• Milchi (Japanese scad)
• Tuna loin
• Halibut
• Grilled salmon
• Squid
• Beef
• Eggplant
• Shrimp
• Futomaki

That was the lineup

Overall there was a wide variety of ingredients, so it didn't feel like eating the same thing over and over — each piece tasted different, which I liked 💛 And something I quietly care a lot about when eating sushi is the shari! If there's too much rice it feels more like eating rice than fish, but if there's too little it feels somehow empty — at Shirokuma, personally, the rice amount is just right 😆 The size wasn't too much for one bite, and the seasoning on the rice wasn't overdone either, so you could really taste the fish. This is probably why Shirokuma is always the first thing I think of when I'm looking for good sushi in Yangsan!

When I eat sushi I tend to start with white fish, so this time too I started with halibut to cleanse the palate first

With the shari at just the right amount, I moved on to salmon, tuna, and so on, one by one••

The eggplant sushi that stood out most

Unexpectedly, the one that stuck with me the most was the eggplant sushi 💙 If you genuinely like eggplant, you really should try this lol. The outside is lightly seared so it has some texture, while the inside is soft — literally crisp outside, tender inside. At first I wondered, 'can eggplant sushi really be anything special?' but after trying it I got why Shirokuma pushes it as a signature item. Eggplant sushi isn't something you commonly find at other sushi places, which is probably why it stands out even more 😆 You absolutely have to try the eggplant sushi

Shirokuma's futomaki, best eaten in one bite

And lastly, futomaki! Everyone knows futomaki is meant to be eaten in one bite, right? lol. The size is pretty big, so at first glance you think, 'how am I supposed to fit this in one bite?' — but if you can, I'd recommend eating it in one go. When all the ingredients come together at once there's a real flavor payoff, so it tastes better eaten whole than cut into small pieces ✨

Is Shirokuma a good lunch spot in Yangsan?

I'd say yes, definitely! Shirokuma isn't too heavy for a day you want sushi for lunch, and it's also nice for eating with a friend. Above all, the menu is varied enough that it's easy to pick something even with someone who loves sushi ✔️ And since it also went over well when I visited with my parents for our Parents' Day meal, it's worth considering if you're looking for a spot for a family meal out too 🙂

That said, as I mentioned earlier, it's quite popular, so if you get the timing wrong there can be a wait! We had plenty of room when we first went in, but by the time we left it was full with a wait — I really felt that difference. So next time I go, I'm planning to book ahead too

The receipt event, where even a losing ticket wins chocolate

There's currently a receipt event running too, where you keep your receipt and write a review‼️ I tend to join every time I come, and the fun part is that depending on the result you can win something like 2 pieces of salmon sushi, and even if you land on the lowest prize you still get chocolate lol. I got a handmade pavé chocolate, and it was better than expected

So personally I think, 'if I get the 2 salmon pieces that's a total win, and even the chocolate is good, so just join no matter what' lol lol. If you like these little events, definitely join after your meal

It's a place that comes to mind for so many occasions — wanting good sushi, a lunch date with a friend, or taking my parents out to eat — so I'll definitely be back 🥰