Sushi near Bonghwang Station in Gimhae, with soba or udon: Sushi Hwa

I went on a little outing to Gimhae recently. I found way more good-vibe spots there than I expected, and Bongridan-gil was especially impressive. Like Hwangridan-gil, it's dotted with pretty hanok buildings and cozy little shops. It's great for a slow walk-around, and just as good for finding somewhere to eat. This time I went specifically for sushi, so today I'll give a detailed rundown for anyone hunting for good sushi on Bongridan-gil in Gimhae!

Sushi Hwa hours and how to get there from Bonghwang Station

Sushi Hwa is a sushi restaurant on Bongridan-gil in Gimhae, open from 10:00 to 21:00 with last order at 20:40. On foot, it's 560m from Exit 3 of Bonghwang Station on the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail. If you're driving, use one of the nearby parking lots.

What is the interior and seating like at Sushi Hwa?

Sushi Hwa on Bongridan-gil is a sushi specialty restaurant, but if you walk in expecting a typical sushi place, you might be a little surprised. The whole space is decorated in a pretty hip, stylish way. If you're into the kind of aesthetic cafés and restaurants that are trendy right now, this interior will suit your taste well — it feels designed with 20s-30s crowds in mind. So if you want to enjoy the atmosphere along with tasty sushi, it's a solid choice.

There was more seating variety than I expected — two-tops, plus tables for larger groups. There's group seating too, so it didn't look stressful to visit with several people. In fact, I saw a family eating together during my visit. It seems like a good space not just for dates or meals with friends but also for family gatherings. If seating arrangement matters to you when picking a place to eat on Bongridan-gil, this is worth keeping in mind.

Looking around the store, it feels like real care went into every little decor piece. Rather than pulling straight from Japanese aesthetics, they blended it appropriately with a modern feel. So overall it comes across young and stylish rather than heavy or traditional. As a sushi spot, Japanese-style touches are naturally woven in, layered with modern design for a more comfortable atmosphere. There are good photo spots too, so it's nice for capturing the food along with the space.

What we ordered: the 27-piece flame-seared sushi set, 38,000 won

What we ordered at Sushi Hwa was the 27-piece flame-seared sushi set, ₩38,000 total.

The basic table setting at Sushi Hwa

Once seated, a basic table setting is ready — utensils, sauces, paper cups, and a tablet for checking the menu. Being able to browse and order right from the table was convenient. If there are lots of menu options, it's nice to take your time going through them one by one. If it's your first visit, I'd recommend checking the set menu compositions and picking a combo that suits your taste.

The full spread for two

What we ordered this time was the flame-seared sushi set. If you love sushi, the name alone probably makes you curious. It's centered on sushi seared with fire, which gives it a different appeal from typical raw sushi. The visual was quite impressive, and the portion was reasonable for two people to share. If you want to try many kinds of sushi at once, going for the set menu is a good move.

How do you choose the sauce and the side dish?

This set also lets you choose your sauce option. You can pick one of two flavors, or go half-and-half if you want to try both. There's a side dish choice too — cold soba (naengmomil) or warm udon (onudon). You could go with one for both, but since we wanted to try a variety, we ordered one cold soba and one warm udon.

The cold soba (naengmomil) side

First up, the cold soba that came as a side. Visually it wasn't much different from the cold soba we're all familiar with. But since it was still a bit warm out for early fall, the chilled noodles hit the spot. When you're working through several kinds of sushi, you need something to cleanse your palate in between, and the cold soba made the whole meal feel more comfortable. Sushi and cold soba is a combination that works well together.

The shared side dishes were also put together neatly — the kind of basics that naturally complement a sushi meal. What stood out was the blueberries offered as dessert. Being able to have a little fruit at the end of the meal felt like a thoughtful touch. It seemed like real attention went into finishing the meal well, not just the main dishes.

Among the shared items was also a salad. The dressing color was noticeably different from a typical salad sauce — it had a yellow tint, and tasted sweet and tangy. It was nice either as a light starter before the sushi or to refresh your palate midway through. Overall the flavor was mild enough for anyone to enjoy comfortably.

Wasabi was another notable part. Usually sushi places give you just a small dab, or you have to ask for more, but here they gave out generous wasabi packets. Being able to adjust the amount freely will be great news for wasabi lovers. It was also nice being able to season each piece of sushi a little differently.

The warm udon (onudon) side

Next, the warm udon — a completely different direction from the cold soba, with a broth that was cool and light-tasting despite being warm. It leaned more toward comforting than punchy in flavor. If you want a warm broth alongside your sushi, the udon is a good pick. I expected a side dish to come in a small portion, but it was actually pretty generous.

The udon noodles in particular were quite thick, which made them fun to eat. Even as a side, the portion was more than enough. So if two people order the set and split one cold soba and one warm udon, you get a nice variety. Having a side option at all felt like a plus for anyone who might find just sushi a bit lacking.

Which sushi comes in Sushi Hwa's 27-piece set?

Now for the main event — the flame-seared sushi. The sauce on top can be chosen from two options, either going with one flavor throughout or splitting it half-and-half. With so many sushi varieties, going half-and-half on sauce seems like a great way to experience more range.

Since we wanted to try as much variety as possible, we went with the half-and-half option. One side had one sauce, the other side had a different sauce, so each piece gave a slightly different experience.

Even with the same flame-seared sushi, the flavor direction shifts depending on the sauce, which should suit people who like variety. The whole set came to a generous 27 pieces for two people. Being able to enjoy multiple kinds of sushi along with the sides made the composition feel solid. Sushi is more fun when you get to taste a little of many ingredients rather than just one or two types.

In that sense, I liked being able to experience such variety from a single set. So if you're hunting for good sushi on Bongridan-gil in Gimhae and thinking about a set menu to share among a group, this composition is worth considering. True to its name, the flame-seared sushi had a nicely browned finish on top.

Flame-seared shrimp sushi

The shrimp sushi was also seared with fire, so the color alone looked appetizing. One bite gave a subtle smoky aroma, offering a different charm from regular shrimp sushi. The natural sweetness of the shrimp combined with the grilled flavor made for a richer bite.

Flame-seared salmon sushi

The salmon was also seared with fire. The surface was browned nicely, and it looked quite appealing. The softness of the salmon combined with the grilled flavor gave it a different kind of fun compared to raw salmon sushi. If you love salmon but want to try it a slightly different way, this flame-seared version is worth experiencing.

Beef sushi

There were several kinds of beef sushi as well. With the smoky char on the meat and sauce brushed on appetizingly, the visual alone stirred up appetite. Sushi usually brings to mind fish first, but having a beef option is nice for anyone who might find an all-fish set a bit disappointing.

How spicy is the spicy-sauce sushi?

I also tried the sushi topped with the spicier sauce. Speaking as someone who isn't great with spicy food, it wasn't intensely hot — more of a pleasant, mild kick. So both spice lovers and spice-shy folks should be able to try it comfortably.

Squid sushi

There was squid sushi too, and this one really stood out. The chewy texture of the squid combined with the spicy sauce and smoky flavor worked really well together as three elements. If chewy texture matters to you, this one should be a hit. The sauce didn't overpower everything either.

Inari and tamago sushi

Besides the flame-seared sushi, there were also inari sushi (sweet fried tofu pocket sushi) and tamago sushi (egg sushi). Both are relatively familiar menus, easy for anyone to enjoy. With so many varieties on one plate, it's nice to mix in something more familiar between bites. Rotating through different styles instead of sticking to one made the meal more fun.

We also tried dipping the sushi lightly in a soy sauce and wasabi mix. It was already delicious on its own with the subtle smoky flavor, but adding soy sauce and wasabi gave it a bolder kick. You can adjust the wasabi amount to your liking, so it's worth experimenting depending on how you usually eat your sushi.

We tried the beef sushi with soy sauce and wasabi as well. The combination of the meat's richness, the sushi rice, and the soy-wasabi mix gave it yet another feel. Being able to enjoy fish, seafood, and beef all on one plate is part of the fun of this set. If you're looking for a spread that lets you try lots of variety in one go like Sushi Hwa, this set menu is worth checking out.

Verdict: who should try the flame-seared sushi set at Sushi Hwa

Overall it was a satisfying meal. Between the taste, the generous 27-piece portion, the variety of items, and the visual appeal of the flame-seared finish, I didn't feel like anything was lacking. The stylish store also matched the Bongridan-gil vibe well, which made the meal more enjoyable. It seems like a good spot for a family visit, or a casual meal with friends or a partner. Most of all, if you want to taste a wide variety of sushi in one sitting, this set is worth checking out first.

If you're planning to explore Bongridan-gil in Gimhae, this is a good place to look into for a meal. I hope this review of a great sushi spot on Bongridan-gil in Gimhae helps with your menu choices. If you want to enjoy flame-seared sushi along with cold soba or warm udon, this is worth keeping in mind. Lastly, Sushi Hwa is a place worth adding to your Bongridan-gil itinerary since you get to enjoy both the food and the atmosphere together. It's also worth a look if you're after photogenic food and space. If you're searching for a good-vibe place to eat on Bongridan-gil in Gimhae, use this as reference for your visit plans. You'll get to enjoy the fun of picking through a variety of menu items too :)