Gangnam date-night tuna sashimi dinner in Seoul: Honma Tuna

Hi, it's Honi!

If you love tuna, you know that eating it as a single plate is great, but a course where you compare different cuts one by one is a whole different kind of appeal.

This time I wanted a proper tuna course, so I went to Honma Tuna in Gaepo-dong. It's close to Yangjaecheon stream too, so it's a good spot for a walk before or after eating, and the restaurant has private rooms as well as regular tables, making it good for dates, family dinners, or quiet gatherings alike. Honma Tuna centers its menu on tuna sashimi courses and set meals, and you can enjoy a variety of tuna cuts all in one sitting.

We went in the evening and took our time with the course — let me walk you through the menu first!

Where is Honma Tuna, and how do you get there from Yangjae Citizens' Forest Station?

Honma Tuna sits in Gaepo-dong, close enough to Yangjaecheon stream that you can pair the meal with a walk before or after.

If you're taking public transit, Yangjae Citizen's Forest Station on the Sinbundang Line is the option. It's not a very short walk from the station to the restaurant though, so give yourself extra time.

For those driving, the restaurant does offer parking, and according to recent visitor info there's a parking area behind the building. Spots can be limited, though, so if you're planning to drive, it's best to check with the restaurant beforehand.

Honma Tuna sits right on the main road in Gaepo-dong, so it wasn't hard to find even on a first visit. Walking along the street, the red 'Honma Tuna' sign really catches your eye.

The entrance is done up in wood tones, giving it a clean yet calm Japanese-restaurant feel. You can see a bit of the interior from outside, which made it easy to walk in for the first time.

Being right on the main road makes it a convenient spot for a meal after a date near Yangjaecheon, or when looking for a gathering place in Gaepo-dong.

Private rooms at Honma Tuna: right for a date or a group dinner?

Once inside, the atmosphere was far calmer and cozier than what I expected from the outside.

We were shown to a private space like this. It's separated from other tables, so we could eat comfortably without worrying about anyone around us.

It looks like floor seating, but there's a well underneath the table so you can let your legs down, which made sitting for a long time much less tiring, and the table itself was spacious enough that dishes could keep arriving one by one without feeling cramped.

It's a quiet setting good for conversation over a meal, so it seemed like a great option not just for a Yangjaecheon date but also for a Gaepo-dong company dinner or family gathering when you need something private.

Honma Tuna menu and prices, starting at 45,000 won for the Special Course

True to its name, Honma Tuna is a Japanese restaurant specializing in tuna sashimi and sashimi courses. In the evening, the signature offering is a course menu featuring various tuna cuts alongside side dishes, with options depending on price range and tuna composition.

The signature courses are Special ₩45,000, Honma Special ₩60,000, Honma Guro ₩80,000, and Honma Guro-jin ₩120,000. There are also set-meal courses like Honma Guro Jeongsik ₩70,000 and Honma Jeongsik ₩50,000, so it's easy to pick according to taste or budget.

What stood out about the course is that it's not just tuna sashimi — it also includes side dishes like braised tuna, grilled items, and fried dishes, all the way through to a finishing dish, making for a leisurely, slow meal. At lunch, there are lighter options too, like sashimi rice bowl, jirashi sushi, nigiri, and maguro-don.

• Special Course for two × ₩45,000
• Saero (soju) × ₩5,000

The Special Course start: sesame oil dip, side dishes and seasoned tuna salad

Once we sat down, they set up the sesame oil dip and soy sauce for the tuna first. The staff mixed the sesame oil dip right at our table, which already had me looking forward to the course before it even really started.

With the seasoned tuna salad and a clean glass of Saero, the tuna course was officially underway!

The Honma Tuna sashimi platter arrives

And then the tuna sashimi we'd been waiting for showed up, filling the whole plate.

From the first glance, the color and marbling were clearly different cut by cut, which really caught my eye. It ranged from red lean meat to vivid pink belly cuts to almost white, fat-rich sections.

I especially liked how thick the slices were. Unlike thinly sliced sashimi, even one piece filled your mouth, letting you really feel the soft texture and the tuna's signature savory richness.

The fatty cuts melted in the mouth, while the leaner red meat was relatively light, so alternating between them kept it from getting monotonous. Whether topped with just a touch of wasabi or dipped in the sesame oil or soy sauce, comparing the flavors across cuts was part of the fun.

It looked the part from the very first plate, and it was satisfying too.

Tuna sashimi with a glass of soju 🥂

With a snack this good, you've got to raise a toast.

Picking through the different cuts while drinking, the soju just kept going down smoothly.

Tuna sushi in the course

Tuna sushi topped with thick slices came out too.

The tuna was piled bigger than the rice underneath, so each bite was a mouthful of soft, savory flavor.

Grilled shrimp and abalone

Along with the tuna, a grilled seafood dish of shrimp and abalone came out in between courses.

Grilled to a golden brown with a nice bouncy texture, having a warm dish appear in the middle of the tuna sashimi made the course feel even more varied.

Fried shrimp and a cold beer

Crispy fried shrimp followed after that.

Freshly fried, hot, and crunchy — the kind of taste that automatically makes you crave beer! In the end we added a cold beer to go with it. 🍺

Spicy udon in a clay pot to finish

To finish, spicy udon bubbling away in a hot stone pot!

The spicy, piping-hot broth cut right through the richness of the tuna, making it the perfect way to close out the meal.

Is Honma Tuna worth it, and who should go?

✔️ Taste

We got to try thick-cut tuna across a variety of cuts, and the overall course lineup — from tuna sushi to grilled dishes, fried shrimp, and udon — was well put together.

✔️ Price

Given the course composition and the quality of the tuna, it felt like a reasonable price point for a special occasion or a gathering.

✔️ Atmosphere

Eating in a private, separated space meant we could dine quietly and comfortably.

✔️ Service

The dishes came out in order so we could enjoy the course at a relaxed pace, and the service was friendly.

✔️ Would I go back?

Yes! Next time I'd like to try one of the other tuna courses.

✔️ Who it's for

I'd recommend it for a Yangjaecheon date, a Gaepo-dong company dinner, or anyone looking for a family meal or a quiet gathering spot.