Jongno sashimi restaurant with summer croaker and BYO wine: Suksseong

Suksseong, a corkage-free sashimi restaurant in Jongno.

I went to Suksseong (숙썽수산), my favorite aged sashimi spot in Jongno, where you can enjoy delicious mixed aged sashimi with wine, whiskey, sake and more, all corkage-free.

Where is Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch, and do you need to book?

Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch sits at the start of the Jongno food alley, and it was busy enough to have a wait even on a Monday evening, so booking through Naver is a good idea. If you're going for a company dinner or a group gathering, I'd recommend reserving ahead.

This Jongno aged sashimi favorite is located right at the entrance of the Jongno food alley.

As you'd expect from a famous aged sashimi place in Jongno, there were lots of people waiting inside, and it was almost full even though it was a Monday evening. I had booked through Naver, so I was shown to a seat right away without waiting. If you're planning a company dinner or a group get-together, I recommend reserving in advance.

Once you step inside, the first things you see are fresh, varied seafood and a dedicated fridge where the fish is aging.

Is the seating at Suksseong Susan private?

Every table at Suksseong is divided by partitions and curtains, so it feels private. You can relax and enjoy your meal without worrying about the other tables, which makes it a good Jongno date spot and just right for a gathering or company dinner too.

Suksseong Susan menu and what we ordered

Here's the menu. There's a range of seafood and dishes, starting with the signature mixed aged sashimi platter, and I ordered the small mixed aged sashimi platter and the crab roe stew (kkotgesalttang).

What's in the small mixed aged sashimi platter at Suksseong Susan?

The signature small mixed aged sashimi platter came with summer croaker (minuhoe), plus greater amberjack, large flounder, sea bream, bluefin tuna, sweet shrimp, salmon and monkfish liver (ankimo). Such a variety, and it looks gorgeous too.

From the summer croaker to the amberjack, large flounder, sea bream, bluefin tuna, sweet shrimp and salmon, plus the rich, nutty monkfish liver, it's such a generous lineup.

Aged flounder with white kimchi and monkfish liver

Wrap well-aged flounder in white kimchi (baek-kimchi) and you get a great texture and a fresh bite, and when you add monkfish liver on top it's rich, creamy and nutty. Personally, I like freshly caught live fish, but I think well-aged sashimi, chewy and full of umami, tastes even better.

Is Suksseong Susan corkage-free? Can you bring your own wine?

Suksseong is a corkage-free sashimi restaurant, so you can bring whiskey, wine, sake or whatever suits the meal. I brought a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, which goes well with seafood, and they provide not only wine glasses but also a chiller, so you can drink it nice and cold.

One note: if you order alcohol sold at Suksseong, a corkage fee may apply, so it's best to check beforehand.

How big is the Suksseong Susan crab roe stew?

The crab roe stew has a whopping 5 crabs in it, so the portion was very generous. The shells and bodies have roe attached, too.

Beyond the crabs, the spicy broth is packed with roe and fish milt too, so it's a big portion and great as a drinking snack. With soju, I think the drinks would just keep flowing.

Adding ramen noodles to the crab roe stew

Sashimi alone felt a bit light, and the broth was so cool and spicy that I ordered a ramen add-on (ramyeon-sari) to drop in.

The cool, spicy broth from the crab, seafood and bean sprouts goes so well with the ramen noodles. This was my first stop and I hadn't eaten dinner, so with the ramen added it worked well as a meal too.

Who is Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch best for?

Suksseong is a proper aged sashimi restaurant, and with wine, whiskey, sake and more all corkage-free, it's a great place for wine or whiskey gatherings and company dinners. The private atmosphere also makes it a good Jongno date spot, and a Jongno restaurant I'd happily go back to.