Jonggak sashimi spot with partitioned seats: yolk kaisendon, Suksseong

I was looking for somewhere to have lunch around Jongno and ended up at Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch (숙썽수산 종로본점). It's known as an aged sashimi specialist, but it also serves a special kaisendon (sashimi rice bowl) as a lunch menu, apparently! I booked ahead, and the seats are separated by partitions, so it was easy to relax and eat.

Where is Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch, and what are its hours?

Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch is on the 3rd floor of a building at 16 Samil-daero 19-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, about a 5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Jonggak Station. It's open Mon–Thu 11:00–24:00, Fri 11:00–01:00, Sat 15:00–01:00 and Sun 15:00–24:00, so the kaisendon lunch is best on weekdays.

• Address: 16 Samil-daero 19-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 3rd floor
• Hours: Mon–Thu 11:00–24:00 / Fri 11:00–01:00 / Sat 15:00–01:00 / Sun 15:00–24:00
• Parking: none in the building; use outside parking lots

Are the partitioned seats at Suksseong Susan Jongno private?

Every seat has a partition and blinds, so you feel less of the neighboring tables' gaze. It's on the 3rd floor of a building in the busy area near Jonggak Station; the sign is easy to see at the building entrance, so it wasn't hard to find, and inside you can see a fish tank.

The interior was bigger than I expected and felt private. It's not fully enclosed rooms, but with less eye contact from other tables it looked fine for a family meal or a group gathering.

I think it suits people looking for a Jongno aged sashimi spot, or a quiet Jongno sashimi restaurant where you can eat in peace~

How much is the special kaisendon at Suksseong Susan, and what comes with it?

The special kaisendon at Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch is ₩34,000, and this day we ordered two portions.

The special kaisendon is a lunch menu topped with seasonal fish and fatty tuna belly, a rice bowl that lets you enjoy a variety of seafood in one dish.

Bonito-flake soft tofu to start

The first thing to arrive, before the kaisendon, was soft tofu piled generously with bonito flakes.

The silky soft tofu went well with the nutty sauce, great as a starter, and it was tastier than I expected so it stuck in my memory, haha. Then the special kaisendon came out.

What sashimi tops the special kaisendon?

The special kaisendon had tuna, salmon, shrimp, white fish, egg, flying fish roe and more, nicely arranged over the rice. I couldn't tell every fish apart, but overall the sashimi looked in good condition and the colors were vivid.

Mixing the kaisendon with egg yolk and sauce first

First I added the yolk and sauce and lightly mixed the rice and sashimi!

The sashimi wasn't chewy or fishy, just clean, and maybe because it's an aged sashimi specialist, the savory depth came through well.

The tuna was soft and rich, and the salmon had a nice nutty flavor.

The shrimp had a springy bite too, and the flatfish sashimi (gwangeo) was mild, good wrapped in seaweed with rice.

Wrapping sashimi and rice in seaweed

Seaweed comes with the special kaisendon, so every now and then I put sashimi and rice on top

and wrapped it up, and this combo was the best~

A little wasabi or some pickles cut the richness, so I never got tired of it to the end.

Warm fish cake soup on the side

The fish cake soup served with the special kaisendon was nice and warm too.

Kaisendon on its own is a slightly cold dish, so having broth alongside balanced it out, haha

Overall the amount of sashimi wasn't small, and the lineup was quite satisfying for a lunch menu.

Is a kaisendon lunch at Suksseong Susan Jongno worth it?

Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch is a Jongno aged sashimi restaurant with a private-feeling atmosphere and a good, fresh sashimi lineup. This time I had the lunch special kaisendon, and being able to eat tuna, salmon, shrimp, flatfish and other seafood all at once was satisfying.

The sashimi was clean with no fishy taste, and the seaweed-wrap combo was delicious. With the separated seats it looked good for a family meal or a Jongno gathering, and next time I'd like to try the aged sashimi menu. If you're looking for a Jongno sashimi restaurant or a good aged sashimi place near Jonggak, it's worth a visit.