Jongno sashimi restaurant for a fatty tuna kaisendon lunch: Suksseong

I was looking for a good kaisendon place near Jonggak Station and ended up at Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch (숙썽수산 종로본점)! It's an aged sashimi specialist, but they also serve kaisendon at lunch, so I stopped by.

Conclusion first: the sashimi was great and I was really happy with the side dishes too. The place feels upscale, the seating is partitioned like private rooms, and corkage is free, so I'd recommend it for get-togethers in Jongno as well.

Where is Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch, and what is the atmosphere like?

Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch is on the 3rd floor at 16 Samil-daero 19-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, close to Jonggak Station. The inside was bigger and classier than I expected.

What I liked most is that almost every seat is separated like a private room! It feels calmer than a typical sashimi restaurant, which suited me.

I think it would also work for a date near Jonggak Station, a work lunch in Jongno, or a small company dinner. The staff were friendly too, so I felt good the whole meal.

Suksseong Susan lunch menu and prices: regular vs special kaisendon

The lunch menu at Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch is kaisendon for ₩25,000, special kaisendon for ₩34,000, hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef rice bowl) for ₩18,000 and a chicken nanban set (Japanese-style fried chicken) for ₩17,000. There's a nice variety, from kaisendon to bibimbap to the chicken set.

• Kaisendon ₩25,000
• Special kaisendon ₩34,000
• Hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap ₩18,000
• Chicken nanban set ₩17,000

Lunch hours are 11:00–14:00, so keep that in mind if you're planning a visit. We ordered the special kaisendon.

It costs ₩9,000 more than the regular one, and I was told the special adds seasonal fish and premium cuts like fatty tuna. Since I was there anyway, I wanted more variety, so I went with the special.

What sashimi comes on the 34,000 won special kaisendon?

The special kaisendon at Suksseong Susan adds amberjack, fatty tuna and sweet shrimp, and it even comes topped with caviar. It finally arrived, and I loved the look of it right away!

The sashimi is layered over the rice, with more variety than I expected and a generous amount.

Since the special adds amberjack, fatty tuna, sweet shrimp and more, you get to taste many kinds of sashimi, which I liked.

The fatty tuna was rich and soft, and the sweet shrimp had a lovely sweetness. The amberjack was good too, and overall the sashimi was in great condition.

How to eat kaisendon with egg yolk soy sauce and seaweed

The kaisendon also comes with a separate egg yolk. Mix it with soy sauce and have it with the sashimi or rice for another rich flavor.

I also recommend wrapping sashimi and rice in the seaweed! Wasabi and seaweed can be refilled anytime, so I never ran short.

Suksseong Susan side dishes: fish cake soup and mochi-like tofu

With the kaisendon at Suksseong Susan you get warm fish cake soup, white kimchi and a tofu dish topped with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). Personally, the side dishes were what I liked most here.

Kaisendon places often serve just a simple broth or a few small sides, but Suksseong Susan's basic spread is quite substantial.

The fish cake soup has radish and green onion, so the broth was clean and refreshing. After cold sashimi, a spoonful of warm broth felt great.

The soft, mochi-like tofu comes with sauce and katsuobushi, and it's good enough to eat on its own! You can tell care went into every side dish, and I was happy with them.

Is Suksseong Susan worth a return visit for kaisendon near Jonggak Station?

At ₩34,000, the special kaisendon at Suksseong Susan isn't a light lunch price, but considering the extra sashimi and the side dishes, it was a very satisfying meal.

Above all, the upscale mood and separated spaces at each table make it great for group meals. The staff were kind, and refilling seaweed and wasabi was easy.

I'd recommend Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch to anyone looking for a kaisendon spot near Jonggak Station or a private-room restaurant in Jongno! With free corkage and the classy atmosphere, it would be good for a company dinner too. Next time I'd like to visit in the evening and try the aged sashimi menu.