Kelp-aged sushi set meal in a private room lunch, Goyang: Min Cook

Whenever I'm craving neat, refined Japanese sushi, there's one place that always comes to mind first. I visited Min Cook Dasima, a first-generation neighborhood institution and Hwajeong Station favorite that has held its ground in Hwajeong-dong, Goyang for over 20 years!

Min Cook Dasima location, hours, and parking

• 📍 Address: 37 Hwasin-ro 260beon-gil, 2F, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (Hwajeong-dong, Jinsol Plaza)
• ⏰ Hours: 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–17:00, last order 20:30)
• 🚫 Closed regularly every Sunday
• 🚗 Parking: 1 hour free with nearby Hwajeong E-Mart parking lot
• ⚠️ Visit note: 3-minute walk from Hwajeong Station Exits 1/2, great transit access

Wood interior with private room seating

The restaurant has a warm, upscale wood interior with well-divided partitions, making for a quiet, cozy dining atmosphere. Private room seating is also well set up, so it's great for business meetings, family meals out, or bringing your parents.

Ordering the lunch-special Sushi Set Meal

We timed our visit for lunch and ordered the restaurant's popular lunch special, the Sushi Set Meal Special. With neta sourced fresh that day plus 20 years of kelp-aging expertise, my expectations for this premium sushi set were sky-high.

Salad and chawanmushi

First we tried the refreshing salad along with the pudding-soft Japanese steamed egg custard (chawanmushi), and the subtle savory depth of the bonito broth warmed up our empty stomachs nicely.

Taking a spoonful of the chawanmushi loaded with plump shrimp and mushrooms, the silky texture naturally got our appetites going.

Premium neta lineup

It was a full, premium neta lineup — from in-season white-flesh flounder and sea bream to glossy salmon, tuna belly, soy sauce shrimp, and sea eel.

So how does kelp-aged sushi taste?

Min Cook Dasima's core secret is its patented kelp-aging technique!

Wrapping the fish in kelp to age draws out moisture while maximizing umami and chewy stickiness, so the moment a piece of sushi hits your mouth, it melts away with unbelievable softness.

Assorted tempura and savory soup

While we savored the sushi, freshly fried shrimp tempura and sweet pumpkin tempura, still crisp, arrived alongside a hot savory soup.

The moist shrimp meat under the crunchy batter was excellent, and the deep, refreshing broth paired perfectly with the sushi.

Chewy raw-fish sushi ➔ soft salmon sushi ➔ crispy-outside-tender-inside assorted tempura ➔ refreshing soup

Following a piece of neat sushi with a sip of the warm broth cleared the palate completely, giving full satisfaction right down to the last bite.

Sushi Set Meal Special price and composition

• Sushi Set Meal Special (lunch): ₩25,000
• Composition: Premium special sushi + chawanmushi (steamed egg) + salad + assorted tempura + savory soup
• Parking: 1 hour free at nearby Hwajeong E-Mart parking lot

In a single bite, I could taste exactly why this place has earned the steady love of the local community for 20 long years — it was a top-tier Japanese dining experience. I highly recommend Hwajeong Station favorite Min Cook Dasima for a proper lunch with someone special, a date, or a family gathering!