Omakase lunch in Yeongdeungpo with futomaki and sunomono: Sushi Hibi

I'm going to Japan ♥️ But the thought of eating the real deal sushi there just made me crave sushi even more haha. I wanted something with good quality, and then I heard about a great-value omakase near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station~ So I went, and honestly the value was amazing, I felt so happy for fifty thousand won haha.

A ₩50,000 lunch value omakase, a Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station favorite

Where is Sushi Hibi, and how do you book a seat?

Sushi Hibi is near Exit 4 of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station, so it's easy to reach by public transport. If you want tasty, neatly presented sushi as a value omakase course, I think you'll be satisfied here. Booking ahead is a must! You can reserve through Catch Table, and I booked my lunch slot in advance.

• Hours: 12:00 – 22:00
• (Weekdays) Lunch 12:00 / 13:20, Dinner 18:00 / 20:00
• (Weekends) 11:30 / 13:00, 17:30 / 19:30
• Location: 1F, 14-1 Dangsan-ro 32-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

If you've made a reservation, I recommend arriving at least 5 minutes early to wait. You can go in from 5 minutes before your time, but once the time comes everyone starts the course together, so please be on time so as not to inconvenience others.

They said they're currently taking six guests per seating. When I went, there were four of us including me enjoying the course — and isn't omakase tastiest when you eat slowly while chatting? The chef was a great talker, so the meal was really enjoyable haha.

What does the Sushi Hibi lunch omakase cost, and how is it served?

The menu at Sushi Hibi, a value omakase favorite near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station: lunch is ₩50,000 per person for two.

When you sit down, everything is neatly prepared like this. Dishes like sushi are served on the black plate in front, along with a side plate, spoon, chopsticks and even pickled ginger! I love ginger, so I nibbled a bit here and there while eating to cleanse my palate — it's great.

Appetizers at Sushi Hibi: tamago dofu and sunomono

About 14 dishes come out one after another.

First course: tamago dofu (egg tofu)

It's called egg tofu but it's not actual tofu haha — it's egg cut into square blocks like tofu, topped with seasonal sweet pumpkin and shrimp for extra texture.

Moist, pudding-like egg tofu! With a subtle savory depth plus the springy shrimp and sweet pumpkin, it's really delicious together. The sauce has a bit of viscosity and packs so much umami that I scraped my spoon to get every last drop.

Second course: sunomono (vinegared seafood)

A lot of people are probably hearing sunomono for the first time — actually, so was I haha. It's a vinegar-based dish topped with octopus, seaweed and a vinegar jelly sauce. You eat all three together, and the chewy, springy octopus, slightly crunchy seaweed and the tangy sauce's aroma go really well together.

Third course: flounder sashimi

That's it for the appetizers — the third dish is flounder (halibut) sashimi. Two pieces come out, and they recommend dipping one in salt and wasabi, and the other in soy sauce and wasabi. Omakase places always give at least one piece meant to be dipped in salt, and I honestly find that really delicious haha.

Of course the soy sauce version is delicious too. The flounder here looks glossy just by sight. It has a nice chewiness, soft yet springy — it would be tasty even plain, but it's even better paired with the sharp wasabi haha.

Fourth course: Spanish mackerel yuan-yaki

Spanish mackerel grilled with a soy sauce glaze — yuan-yaki. The grated garnish in front looks like a yuzu ponzu sauce haha. It carries a strong, fragrant yuzu aroma that's delicious paired with the fish.

Eating it with the sauce on top lets you enjoy both the soft, moist grilled mackerel and its fragrance at the same time — really good. Right about when I finished this, they brought over a clear soup. This soup also had a deep, rich flavor that I really liked.

The Sushi Hibi nigiri lineup, from squid to unagi

From here on, the real sushi begins. Since I'm planning my Japan trip, I decided I absolutely have to eat sushi there haha. But it's great to get in this kind of trial run with a proper omakase at Sushi Hibi, a favorite near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station.

And because it's omakase, the chef's attentiveness in tailoring things to the guest's taste really stood out at this value omakase favorite near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office. After making each piece, he'd ask if the amount of rice or wasabi was okay, and adjust accordingly.

Fifth course: squid nigiri

Did I mention I've been obsessed with squid and firefly squid for the past few months? So whenever I go for sushi or sashimi, I eat a ton of squid sashimi and squid nigiri — but the squid here is so rich and chewy, clinging right to your mouth, it's insane ㅠㅠ Plus the wasabi had plenty of sharp kick, which paired so well. And they loaded roasted sesame on the squid for extra nuttiness — that's the kicker!

Sixth course: red seabream nigiri

From here on, the fish had a texture so soft it surprised me. I remember red seabream usually being chewy, but this one was so soft it melted in my mouth — really delicious ㅠㅠㅠ How could it taste like this ㅠㅠ

Seventh course: horse mackerel nigiri

On top of the horse mackerel was a bundle of finely chopped scallion — since horse mackerel can be a bit fishy when made at home, apparently that scallion cuts the fishiness right away. Horse mackerel usually has a slightly grainy texture, but the one I had at Sushi Hibi, a favorite near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station, was very soft with a bit of chew inside — a refreshing difference haha.

Eighth course: ankimo gimbap (monkfish liver roll)

Anyone who loves ankimo (monkfish liver)? Do you know they really pile it on generously here? First they lay down the seaweed and rice, then add the ankimo — and for a second I thought, is this going to be cut in half, it was that big haha. You're supposed to take it in your hand, and eating it right away lets you fully feel that rich, creamy texture.

Ninth course: greater amberjack nigiri

Next up is jaetbangeo, summer yellowtail, haha. The chewy yellowtail comes topped with yuzu kosho — chopped yuzu and chili mixed together — adding a fragrant, slightly sharp kick!

Tenth course: tuna loin (akami) nigiri

The tuna loin, pre-marinated in soy sauce, is taken out piece by piece and prepared. It's then shaped into nigiri — the seasoning is spot on, the umami is great, and above all, the soft texture is wonderful haha.

Eleventh course: mackerel nigiri

I was once obsessed with mackerel nigiri, so meeting it again at Sushi Hibi, a value omakase favorite near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station, felt extra nice haha. In Jeju, I usually eat mackerel sashimi or nigiri sliced simply and rustically, but here they top it with shiso, pickled ginger and chopped sesame. That cuts the fishiness of the mackerel while boosting the flavor even more :)

Twelfth course: saltwater eel (unagi) nigiri

Nicely grilled unagi comes out. A rich, savory sauce is brushed on top — and while they said all the nigiri so far is best eaten right away, this one they said to let cool slightly before eating haha. Looking at it, it really was steaming hot — I truly respect how the chef could shape it into nigiri by hand right after grilling ㅜㅜ But eating it warm was so delicious ㅠㅠ

Filling futomaki and the goto udon finish at Sushi Hibi

Thirteenth course: futomaki (thick sushi roll)

Just look at it hahaha, you can tell it's hearty haha. While chatting away with the chef the whole time, the topic of reviews came up — some reviews apparently mention the portions being large. And going by my and my friend's standards, yes, they're definitely generous and hearty hahaha.

Futomaki (thick sushi roll) is something I love so much, and this one is packed full — so happy ㅠㅠ Sashimi, tempura and vegetables all balanced perfectly, with a nice crunch too, and topping it with wasabi makes it the best 👍

Fourteenth course: gyoku (sweet egg omelette)

Gyoku (egg omelet), which I missed out on in Sokcho last time ♥️ Apparently this is made carefully by cooking shrimp and egg for over two hours. One bite gives you a fluffy texture and lets you properly enjoy that soft, distinct egg flavor.

Fifteenth course: goto udon

Goto udon has a different flavor from the udon we usually eat. The noodles aren't thick, so I wondered what kind of udon this was — but the broth was rich, which was great. They told me to drink the broth first, then eat the noodles with the broth together hahaha. The noodles are really delicious — thin but properly chewy, giving a great bite!

Dessert: strawberry sorbet

After such a generous meal, they even finish with a strawberry sorbet dessert. They said the apple mint leaf on top tastes even better if you eat it together with the sorbet partway through — so definitely try that combination midway haha. The subtle mint freshness went really well with it hahaha.

Sushi Hibi, a favorite near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station. A great-value omakase with substantial portions and, above all, genuinely delicious food haha. If you want to try a diverse spread of dishes, come check this place out :)