Songdo sushi restaurant: soy-brush 10pc set & thick eel, Sushi Doku

Picking a spot for an anniversary or a date is always a headache, isn't it? Sometimes the mood is great but the food disappoints, and sometimes the food is fine but the price is a stretch.

Sushi Doku The Songdo, the Incheon Songdo sushi restaurant my husband and I visited after shopping, solved that problem in one go. Fresh ingredients, a neat lineup and a price I was happy with, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for good food in Songdo.

Where is Sushi Doku The Songdo, and where do you park?

Sushi Doku The Songdo is on the 2nd floor of Onesta Mall at 157 Songdogukje-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. The mall's underground garage gives you 2 hours of free parking, so it was easy to come by car.

For a family meal or a weekend date where you want to take your time, not worrying about parking was a big plus.

Inside Sushi Doku The Songdo: screens and private tables

The moment you step in, the place feels warm and calm. Soft lighting blends together to make it feel upscale yet comfortable.

White screens and lattice-pattern decor give each table a fair amount of privacy, which made it nice for chatting over the meal.

What's in the premium sushi special set (10pc)?

What we ordered at Sushi Doku The Songdo was the premium sushi special set, 10pc.

The set had a nice variety: flounder, sea bream, salmon, squid, sweet shrimp, akami (lean tuna), red shrimp, red snow crab meat, eel and ankimo (monkfish liver). It also came with half udon, tempura, salad and truffle chawanmushi (savory steamed egg custard).

Seeing the whole table filled up, I thought this would be great value for the price.

Brushing on your own soy sauce: how does it work?

The most memorable thing at Sushi Doku The Songdo was the soy sauce brush service. You get a small brush and a bowl of soy sauce, and you paint on as much as you like yourself.

When you dunk sushi in soy sauce, the rice can fall apart or the seasoning can get too strong. Brushing it on let me enjoy the flavor of the fish itself more delicately. It's a small detail, but it makes the whole meal feel special.

The premium sushi set, piece by piece, including the thick eel

The flounder had a chewy texture and a clean taste. The more I chewed, the more its mild flavor came through, and the sea bream was softer with a rich, nutty taste.

The salmon was exactly what I'd hoped for: soft, with the flavor of rich fat filling my mouth. The sweet shrimp was impressively sweet.

The akami let me taste the true flavor of tuna. It wasn't too oily, so it was clean and easy to enjoy.

The eel was unusually thick, which surprised me! It was grilled soft and came apart naturally in my mouth, and it went well with the sweet sauce.

Ankimo isn't something you come across easily. I loved its soft texture and deep savory richness, and it left a luxurious aftertaste right to the end.

Truffle chawanmushi, half udon and tempura on the side

The special set isn't only about the sushi. With half udon, tempura, salad and truffle chawanmushi, the whole meal was well balanced.

Especially the truffle chawanmushi! How can something be this good? The subtle aroma made it feel like a course meal.

The hot half udon kept its chewy noodles until the end of the meal.

Chicken karaage and plump shrimp tempura too. Sushi alone can feel a bit light, but all these sides made the meal feel complete.

Why Sushi Doku The Songdo works for a Songdo date lunch

Everything at Sushi Doku The Songdo satisfied me: the fresh ingredients, the aging technique and the detailed service. If you're looking for good food in Incheon's Songdo, I can recommend it widely, from lunch to dates to anniversary dinners.

Next time I'd love to try the seasonal menu and the other special sets. If you're searching for a great sushi place in Songdo, Sushi Doku The Songdo is worth a visit.