Gwanghwamun Station sushi, A set with sweet shrimp: Elephant Sushi

Lately I've been stuck at home in our newlywed place doing housework every day, and I was feeling a little cooped up and wanted a change of mood. The autumn breeze was blowing, so I timed it with my husband getting off work and went on a sweet little dinner date in Gwanghwamun! And I found a great sushi spot near Gwanghwamun Station, so here's my review for office workers and couples looking for proper sushi near Gyeongbokgung, Jonggak and City Hall stations!

The short version: it's right by Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung, so it's a good stop before or after sightseeing, and the fish at Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is so fresh that of course there's a Catch Table waitlist from weekday lunch through the weekend!

Why did I pick Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun in autumn?

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun (코끼리초밥) is the sushi place my husband and I chose for a dinner date as soon as the weather turned cool. All summer long we kept singing, "I really want some good sushi." It was so hot and muggy that we avoided raw fish, but the moment autumn arrived we went looking for the famous Elephant Sushi in Gwanghwamun.

My husband happens to commute to the Gwanghwamun area once a week, so we timed it with his finish and enjoyed a nice dinner date near his office!

Where is Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun, and what about parking?

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is in the basement shopping arcade of the KT Gwanghwamun Building, which connects directly underground to Exit 2 of Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5.

You can walk straight into the restaurant without going up to street level, so access is great, and the building also has parking (first 120 minutes free).

Gwanghwamun Square is right in front of the restaurant, so it's also a lovely route for a date if you're coming across from City Hall, Jonggak or Gyeongbokgung.

Is there a wait in the evening too?

It was crowded even around 7 p.m. on a weekday. It's famous as a Gwanghwamun lunch spot, so there's often a wait at dinner too, but you can check the on-site waitlist or reserve ahead in the Catch Table app, which was convenient.

What do you order when the B and C sets are sold out?

When we got there after work on a weekday evening, the Elephant Sushi B and C sets, plus the popular kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) and futomaki (thick sushi roll), were already sold out. We came in full of anticipation, but it's apparently a known favorite among Gwanghwamun office workers, because everything we wanted had run out.

It was a shame, but the Elephant Sushi A set already has a generous lineup, so we decided to add individual pieces each of us wanted.

We added 1 piece of sweet shrimp, 2 pieces of monkfish liver and 2 pieces of swordfish with cheese sauce.

How were the A set and the extra pieces?

Even though the A set is the basic set, it was packed with high-quality sushi like sea urchin, small squid, tuna and salmon.

I was especially wowed by the white fish, which was chewy, sweet and nutty. Later I found out it was sea bream, and when the sea bream sold out right after, I was sure my taste buds were right.

The somen/udon broth that comes as a default didn't taste store-bought either. It had a subtle, deep seaweed aroma and wasn't salty, so it paired wonderfully with the sushi.

The extra sweet shrimp piece came topped with a whole 3 shrimp, which made me so happy,

and the rice (shari) in the set and in the individual pieces tasted slightly different in its savory depth, which made it a more interesting experience.

Overall verdict on Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun

The fish itself at Elephant Sushi was so good that we finished feeling full and satisfied without any sides. I'm on a diet, so I held back from sides like grilled black cod and ikagesо karaage (fried squid legs). By the time we were leaving, Japanese guests were enjoying their meals too, which made me think, yes, this is a proper good restaurant.

If you're looking for takeout or a neat sushi lunch or dinner near Gwanghwamun Station, I strongly recommend stopping by Elephant Sushi!