Seolleung izakaya for Friday chutoro sushi and Kaku Highball: Sakai
In short
Sakai is an open-kitchen izakaya (Japanese-style pub) a 6-minute walk from Exit 1 of Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul. On a Friday evening the order was chutoro, mackerel, salmon, snow crab, flounder and tamago (egg) sushi, plus eggplant tempura at 12,000 won, a Kaku Highball at 10,000 won and clam miso soup at 3,900 won. Because you watch the sushi being shaped right in front of you, Sakai works just as well for a date or a first meeting as it does for drinking alone at the counter.
Good to know
- Location
- 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, 1F Unit 101, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (6-minute walk from Seolleung Station Exit 1)
- Parking
- Not available
- Hours
- 17:00 – 01:00 the next day (last order 00:00)
- Closed
- First Tuesday of every month
- Eggplant tempura
- 12,000 won
- Kaku Highball
- 10,000 won
- Clam miso soup
- 3,900 won
- Review event
- Free potato salad
- Seating
- Counter (dachi) seats available; the room is small, so groups should book via Naver
- Good to know
- No signboard, open kitchen, orders written on Post-its
- Price reference
- ₩12,000 ≈ $8.9 · ₩10,000 ≈ $7.4 (2026-09-15)
as written by the visitor on Sep 15, 2026
Since I've been working in Gangnam lately, I went to Sakai — an izakaya near Seolleung Station with great atmosphere — to have some sushi and a highball for Friday night.
Sakai is a Japanese-style pub that's great for dates and just as good for solo drinking, and what caught my interest was that you can watch the sushi being made fresh as soon as you order it. Visiting on a Friday evening, there were a few couples on dates and quite a few people drinking alone.
Where is Sakai near Seolleung Station, and is there parking?
Sakai is located at 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, 1F Unit 101, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It's a 6-minute walk from Exit 1 of Seolleung Station.
No parking available.
Sakai opening hours and closing days
Open 17:00 to 01:00 the next day, last order at 00:00. Closed on the first Tuesday of every month.
Just a heads up — there's no signage :)
Inside Sakai: is this Seolleung izakaya good for a date?
Soft lighting, a warm wood-tone interior that isn't too bright, Japanese-style decor and sake bottles, all kept clean without being overdone. The spacing between seats is just right, so you can eat quietly. A great izakaya for a date or blind date.
The space is on the smaller side, so if you're in a group or it's an important occasion, I'd recommend booking ahead through Naver.
Counter (dachi) seats for solo drinking at Sakai
The perfect spot when you want to quietly drink alone.
Watching the open kitchen shape sushi to order
They set up the fresh neta (sushi toppings) where customers can see them and cook everything on the spot. Seeing the cooking process made the place feel clean, and it gave me even more confidence in the food.
Sakai menu and prices near Seolleung Station
Sashimi: white fish, seasonal fish, sashimi moriawase (assorted platter), bakudan maki set, komasaba (mackerel with sesame)
Today's recommendations: sweet shrimp sashimi, snow crab, steamed abalone with sake + liver sauce
Small dishes: cucumber and perilla salad, potato salad, caprese, vegetable sticks, sausage with mashed potato
Fried: tori no karaage, chicken nanban, horse mackerel fry, eggplant tempura, seseri (chicken neck) sweet and sour, french fries
Grilled: grilled mackerel, grilled hairtail
Soups: clam miso soup, seafood ramen, kuro oden (black oden)
Sushi: white fish or bonito, flounder, sardine, yellowtail, red sea bream, salmon, salmon zuke, saury, fan mussel, Spanish mackerel, gizzard shad, akami (lean tuna), horse mackerel, mackerel, blackhead seabream, conger eel, sweet shrimp, cuttlefish, scallop, ark shell, chutoro, otoro, abalone, ikura (salmon roe), snow crab, uni, golden threadfin bream, hosomaki (thin roll)
Dessert: tiramisu
Other: a wide variety of sake, highballs, and other liquor
The sake selection is pretty extensive. The food lineup is classic Japanese pub style. It's convenient that you write your order on a Post-it.
Soy sauce and tableware are neatly set at every table.
Chutoro, mackerel, salmon, snow crab, flounder and egg sushi with eggplant tempura and a Kaku Highball
What I ordered: chutoro, mackerel, salmon, snow crab, flounder, and egg sushi, plus eggplant tempura for ₩12,000 and a Kaku Highball for ₩10,000.
Sakai, this Seolleung izakaya, plates its food beautifully. They make great use of Japanese-style dishware, and the soft lighting made my food photos come out really atmospheric. In many ways, a great pub for a date or blind date.
- Chutoro had the strongest fatty richness of the tuna, and was the deepest and softest of them all.
- The mackerel was oily and savory with that signature slight brininess.
- The salmon was soft and rich.
- The snow crab was sweet and clean, balancing out the fattier sushi pieces nicely.
- The flounder was chewy and refreshing — especially good sandwiched between the richer pieces.
- The egg sushi was sweet and soft, a great one to finish with.
- Highly recommend the eggplant tempura. The eggplant's naturally moist, tender texture paired with the crispy batter. Goes really well with the highball, and it's just the right amount for a solo drinker to order.
- The Kaku Highball paired extremely well with this spread — carbonation with a subtle whiskey aroma. The overall combination was great.
Clam miso soup at 3,900 won and the review-event potato salad
I wondered what clam miso soup would be like — it turned out to be a savory, Japanese-style miso soup. The clams gave it a refreshing flavor. Write a review and be sure to get the potato salad :)
Is Sakai in Seolleung worth a Friday night? Final verdict
The sushi was especially delicious, and the other small dishes and the highball were also really good. The owner and staff here are all kind in a classy (?) way.
If you're looking for a nice-atmosphere izakaya near Seolleung for a date, a blind date, or solo drinking, I recommend Sakai ♡
Where it is
15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, 1F Unit 101, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 강남구 역삼로67길 15 1층 101호
