Date-night Japanese restaurant in Magok: saury and abalone at Damiseon

What is Damiseon Magok like?

Damiseon Magok is a Japanese restaurant in Magok serving raw fish and grilled fish, where the sashimi spread comes out generously, like a full course. I heard there was a place like that in Magok, so I went. The mood feels like being in Japan, the food is delicious, and it's close to One Grove Mall, Traders, Seoul Botanic Park and LG Arts Center, so it's famous as a must-visit date spot in Magok.

Damiseon Magok location, hours and parking

Damiseon Magok is just 2 minutes from Magok Station, so it's really easy to get to. The opening hours are fairly long, and on weekdays you can also order from the lunch menu. There's 2 hours of free parking too.

Atmosphere and seating at Damiseon Magok

Damiseon Magok feels like Japan from the outside, and there are seats outdoors too, so in cool weather like now you can eat there with a lovely atmosphere.

They've written out the dishes sold at Damiseon Magok outside the shop, so you can check the menu before going in, which I liked. There are cheerful messages greeting you, too.

Inside Damiseon Magok, the seats are divided into little compartments, which gives a private feel and made it even better. The wooden interior throughout is full of Japanese atmosphere. Below is the full Damiseon menu.

What the couple ordered: the small sashimi set for two

When I learned the sashimi set at Damiseon Magok comes out like a course, it seemed like a total bargain, so we ordered the small sashimi set (사시미 한상세트 소) for two.

While we were ordering, they brought a bowl of cabbage as a basic side and a dish of chogochujang (sweet-spicy chili sauce).

Hodi poured soy sauce into a small dish for me. Thank youuu~ The cabbage served as the basic side was crunchy, and with the sauce it was a great combo. It really got my appetite going.

Disposable aprons are kept at each seat, so they were easy to pull out and use right away.

First course: griddle fried egg, 2 pieces of sushi, spicy simmered radish

The first plate of the sashimi set came with a griddle fried egg, 2 pieces of sushi and spicy simmered radish. Oh... the radish, simmered hot and soft, could easily take down a whole bowl of rice. If you mixed it into rice and poured on plenty of the sauce, it would be so good! It melts in your mouth.

I dipped the sushi in soy sauce and ate it. The tender raw fish with the rice is a fantastic pairing.

The yolk of the griddle fried egg was runny, and an egg is a perfect food, isn't it? Good for your body, with rich, high-quality protein, and of course it was tasty.

Main: a platter of sea bream, flatfish, fin, octopus, abalone and turban shell sashimi

Ta-da, the long-awaited sashimi platter arrived. Yay~ It came with sea bream, flatfish, flatfish fin, octopus, abalone and turban shell, along with things to eat them with. First I put wasabi out and mixed it into the soy sauce and the chogochujang.

The turban shell came lightly steamed, and it wasn't tough or fishy at all... so tender. Really delicious.

I put washed aged kimchi on the flatfish and wrapped it in seaweed, and wow... that nutty flavor, the soft fish, the aged kimchi and the crispy seaweed all together...

The abalone came whole, butter-grilled, and it was my first time eating a whole abalone in one bite. Pure bliss... so good. Not tough at all.

This is the flatfish fin part, and since it's a fatty cut, it has an even richer, nuttier flavor that's outstanding.

The boiled octopus was tender too, popped in with radish sprouts and chogochujang..

How were the roe stew and grilled saury?

After the sashimi, the roe stew and grilled saury at Damiseon Magok came out. Wow, the roe stew was packed with both roe and milt!

Hodi served it into bowls so it was easy to eat. Wow, the roe is big, soft and nutty when you chew it, and the milt is creamy-smooth and delicious. The bean sprouts in it make the broth refreshing too.

Hodi even said the saury was better than the grilled fish he had in Japan at a robatayaki place (원시인 구이)! Crispy outside, moist inside, it was really well-grilled fish.

The thick-cut sashimi melted in my mouth with just soy sauce. Hodi feeding me made it even sweeter.

Finale: shrimp and sweet pumpkin tempura

Japanese tempura is always super crispy, isn't it? Damiseon Magok does tempura really well too: the batter is clearly thin, yet the crunch is crackly, and the shrimp and sweet pumpkin inside were so delicious.

Is the small sashimi set enough for two people?

The small sashimi set at Damiseon Magok was really, really big. We were so full we had to cram it in. I think it would be plenty even for two grown men!

Hehe, last up is our couple smartwatch shot~ I swapped the straps on the Redmi Watch Lite 6 and the Amazfit Bip Max and they look so pretty.

Who is Damiseon Magok recommended for?

Damiseon Magok has a clean, cozy Japanese izakaya (pub) feel, so I'd recommend it for dates, family meals and get-togethers with friends. It's close to Magok Station and easy to reach, and from the lunch specials to the evening sashimi spread you can enjoy it all, so if you want proper Japanese food in Magok, give it a visit!