Sushi between classes at Hapjeong Station: solo VIP set, Sushi Sakaba

I had a pretty long gap between classes today, so I finally went to a famous sushi spot near Hapjeong Station I'd wanted to try for ages: Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong (스시사카바 합정점)! 🥰

They say Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong serves high-quality sushi sets by day and turns into a cozy izakaya (Japanese pub) at night, and after eating there I immediately understood why so many people write revisit reviews!

Every single thing at Sushi Sakaba was so delicious.

Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong at a glance: taste, hours and prices

At Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong, the VIP sushi set is 15 pieces plus a mini kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) for ₩35,000, the regular nigiri set is ₩28,000, and the grapefruit ade is ₩5,000. It's open Mon–Thu 11:30–22:00, Fri–Sat 11:30–23:00 and Sun 11:30–21:30, with a break from 14:30 to 17:00 and no regular closing day.

• The temperature of the rice (shari) and the fish is just right, so you really taste the fish itself
• Great-value sushi sets at lunchtime
• Each piece comes with a name card, so it's fun and satisfying to know what you're eating
• Japanese-style lighting and terrace seats make it cozy, perfect for a date or a solo meal
• Chef background: the kitchen is led by a chef who worked at NOBU, the Michelin-level fine dining restaurant in the US; they say the ingredients come from the fish market every dawn, and the live fish gets ikejime and shinkejime (humane killing and nerve-destroying methods) before Tsumoto-style aging
• A lunch special is available, and you can add single pieces of sushi

How to get to Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong and what the place feels like

Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is on the 2nd floor of a building a short walk from Hapjeong Station Exit 3 toward the food alley. The sign stands out, and on the way up the stairs you can see the lighting and the terrace seats, which would be lovely on a nice day. Gorgeous exterior and a moody interior ✨

The first thing that caught my eye at the entrance was the chef's uniform, with his career at the Michelin-level NOBU written on it! They get live fish from the fish market every dawn and use "Tsumoto-style aging," so I was already hyped before going in 🍣

Inside, soft warm lighting and wood-toned decor with a hint of Japan wrapped the whole space in coziness. It was quiet and snug, so even coming alone between classes like me, I didn't feel awkward at all and could eat comfortably ^^

It's on the 2nd floor, so this is how it looks coming up the outdoor stairs. Even the slightly drooping eggplant plant had a nice vibe. So much atmosphere!

Ordering at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong and choosing a solo menu

You order by kiosk at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong. There were cute cartoon-style cups with sushi drawn on them.

The neat tableware was impressive too.

I ordered the VIP set: flounder, sea bream, salmon, engawa (flounder fin), seasonal fish, tuna belly, tuna back, sweet shrimp, steamed abalone, beef, small squid, eel, monkfish liver and egg sushi, plus a mini kaisendon, mini udon, salad, soup and fried shrimp. Wanting to really enjoy eating solo, I got the VIP sushi (₩35,000, kaisendon included) and a grapefruit ade.

Zesty grapefruit ade (₩5,000)

While I was setting out my spoon and chopsticks, the grapefruit ade (₩5,000) I'd ordered came out first! There was grapefruit syrup pooled at the bottom, and after stirring it well, it was sweet and tangy with a fizzy, refreshing kick. It was an excellent palate cleanser between pieces of sushi!

What's in the VIP sushi set (₩35,000) at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong?

The VIP sushi set at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is a ₩35,000 spread with 15 pieces of nigiri plus a mini kaisendon. And here comes today's main event, the VIP sushi set ✨! My jaw dropped the moment I saw this table-bending spread.

On an elegant black slate, 15 pieces of sushi in gorgeous colors were packed tightly, with a mini kaisendon and Japanese-style steamed egg (chawanmushi) on the side,

plus Neoguri-flavored udon, a lettuce salad and crispy fried shrimp, a perfect full table 👏

They also gave me these 3 pieces of sushi as a freebie. (I was too full to touch them, though!)

Aged sushi at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong, tasted piece by piece

The flounder sushi at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong was soft and at a lovely temperature. Thank you for the meal~! I tried them one by one, and thanks to the Tsumoto-style aging there was no fishy taste, and the fish was chewy yet tender.

And the grapefruit ade, which I loved every time I cleansed my palate.

The tuna is not frozen! It had a supreme richness that melted into my mouth the moment I put it in.

The sea bream (skin torched / masukawa) has its skin lightly cooked, so the texture was chewy, and the more I chewed, the more I tasted the fish's own rich, deep flavor!

The soup was nice to sip between bites, and the salmon melted softly together with the rice. I loved its signature rich fattiness.

The udon was good too. Not bland, not salty, just right.

The seasonal fish had the freshness of coming from the fish market that very dawn, with plump flesh and full-bodied savory depth.

The salad was good for cleansing the palate too.

The sweet shrimp had a chewy texture followed by deep sweetness and umami.

A fish where the reddish skin side and the milky white flesh worked together, with rich fattiness and a great bite.

The beef and the soy-marinated shrimp were satisfying too.

The chawanmushi was soft like pudding. It was a fluffy steamed egg, and the texture was so appealing from the very first bite.

Ankimo (monkfish liver) gunkan roll (battleship-style sushi)! Called the "rich cheese of the sea," the thick, savory monkfish liver met the seaweed and had great flavor. It tasted like the pure ingredient itself (?).

And I happily gobbled up the eel too!

The mini kaisendon, with cubed fresh raw fish, flying fish roe and egg popping in your mouth, was great wrapped in seaweed ^^

Is the VIP set at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong worth it for a solo meal?

The VIP sushi set (₩35,000) at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong was a healing meal where I didn't feel the money was wasted at all, even eating alone. From the modern exterior near Hapjeong Station to the NOBU chef's background at the entrance, I had high expectations before eating and was satisfied.

In the VIP set I actually tried, each of the 15 pieces, including tuna belly, ankimo, steamed abalone and seasonal fish, had perfect aging and temperature and melted in my mouth. With generous sides like the mini kaisendon, pudding-like steamed egg and udon, plus a cool, zesty grapefruit ade (₩5,000), it was a more than satisfying best meal.

The soft lighting and cozy mood made it really easy to eat alone between classes, and I was impressed by the thoughtful touch of the name cards that tell you exactly which fish you're enjoying. If you want to comfortably enjoy omakase-level sushi near Hapjeong or Hongdae, I recommend Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong with 100% of my heart!