Seoul hotel omakase with endless miso soup and eel udon: Danya, Mapo

My other half is heading out on a business trip, so before he left I wanted to feed him something good — we went to a sushi omakase place near Mapo Station! Here's my review of the sushi omakase at Danya, a Japanese restaurant on the basement floor of Seoul Garden Hotel!

Where is Danya at Seoul Garden Hotel, and is there parking?

If you're coming by public transit, it's straight ahead from Exit 3 of Mapo Station on Line 5, or straight ahead from Exit 8 of Gongdeok Station on Line 5! Really convenient location even without a car! If you're driving, you can park at Seoul Garden Hotel — 3 hours free. Valet is also available, but note it costs ₩20,000.

Here's Danya, on the basement floor.

Inside Danya: counter seating and omakase course prices

We visited on a weekday at 6pm haha. It's a small Japanese restaurant with about 8 counter seats and 2 tables in the back. Very much a local-spot vibe!

Even though it's a restaurant inside a hotel, the prices felt more reasonable than expected — great value! You can enjoy omakase for around ₩58,000 for lunch sushi, ₩85,000 for dinner sushi, and ₩120,000 for the premium kaiseki.

I booked the premium kaiseki for two ahead of time, as a send-off to work hard and earn well ^_^

What comes in Danya's 120,000 won premium kaiseki dinner

Draft beer and the jamón with cheese starter

First up, two glasses of draft beer! Kirin draft, my favorite... haha

First, the jamón cheese appetizer! You dip it in balsamic sauce, and it really woke up my appetite.

Three appetizers at Danya

Japanese-style egg, pickled tomato, fig cream cheese, fried flounder, and steamed conch. That Japanese-style egg cake in particular... rice cake?... was soft and even tasted a bit like baekseolgi (steamed rice cake).

Steamed abalone

And steamed abalone..! I think it was a sesame dressing, and it paired really well with the abalone. No fishy taste at all — soft and chewy.

Seven kinds of sashimi

Halibut, greater amberjack, croaker, sea bass, striped jack, greater amberjack belly, and bluefin tuna otoro, one plate of each.

First time trying striped jack, and it was delicious..?! (Because it's expensive...) Expensive really is best~!

It's not fully aged sashimi, more like about half-aged. It was aged just right, with zero fishy smell, so I savored each piece one by one haha.

And the miso soup that comes out midway..! This thing is a wonder lol. Every table was refilling endlessly. And then the real deal begins — eight pieces of sushi.

Eight pieces of sushi

Herring, croaker, striped jack, greater amberjack belly, and four kinds of bluefin tuna.

And we added more draft beer haha. Visuals and flavor that basically demand alcohol... Sushi's done now.

Chef's special 1

Crispy tempura, soft, and the meat sauce was great... cleaned my plate.

Chef's special 2

I loved both chef's specials!! The sauce that came with the grilled salmon was especially unique and tasty. It seemed like seaweed sprinkled over cream soup, and I was amazed how well it worked together. And the mini cabbage was a fun touch... Only the meal and dessert are left now!

Eel tempura bukkake udon and unlimited miso soup

Udon topped with eel tempura, in a broth made from clams!

And finally, dessert! You know that Lotus biscuit you dip in coffee? This is that, ground up, with cream cheese on top... wow... this is genuinely delicious. Plus seasonal figs..!

We finished off with tea, completely stuffed and happy!

Is Danya worth booking again?

I think Danya's biggest strength is being able to enjoy high-quality omakase at a reasonable price!! Satisfaction ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, would return 100%. Danya at Seoul Garden Hotel, where you can enjoy a unique atmosphere and special Japanese dishes — I recommend it as a top sushi spot in Mapo!!