Ilsan sushi for picky eaters: VIP set and crispy tonkatsu, Hwangje

An Ilsan sushi spot I trusted even with a fishy-sushi-sensitive palate

Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch (황제초밥 일산본점) is an Ilsan sushi place I felt safe visiting based on reviews alone. I really love sushi, and it's one of those foods that pops into my head every so often when the craving timer runs out! My taste is fairly picky and I can't eat fishy sushi, so even when I go to a sushi place with my partner, I read the reviews very carefully first.

How is parking at Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch?

You can use the basement 1 parking lot of the building, and I heard parking is free for up to 5 hours. The restaurant takes up a big space on the first floor of the building, so I spotted it right away from the car! I came by car with my partner.

The underground lot made parking easy! So you can park comfortably and then head in. Let's go inside!

Interior and seating: is solo dining possible?

Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch has tables for four and also bar-style tables that suit solo diners. The inside felt like a really tidy Japanese restaurant, and I imagine many people who live nearby come for a solo meal!

The interior is really clean, which made it even better. It looks like it just opened, right!?

What's at the self-service bar?

The self-service bar at Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch is well stocked with small plates, scissors, forks, cups, broth, pickled radish and more! Everything is neatly arranged so you can grab just what you need, which was so convenient~

Tablet ordering and the sushi menu

Each table has a tablet, so it was easy to browse the menu at leisure. There are so many kinds of sushi, from assorted live fish sushi to salmon sushi and assorted grilled sushi, so you can pick your favorites!

My partner and I ordered the VIP sushi, the tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) and a Pepsi Zero! There were so many options that I agonized for ages, then we decided to order two dishes and share haha.

Starter spread: grilled fish, abalone porridge and croquette

Even the starter spread at Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch felt really upscale: grilled fish came out along with abalone porridge. The abalone porridge was seriously delicious!

They served a croquette too~

What's in the VIP sushi, plus the mini udon

The VIP sushi at Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch came prettily arranged with a wide variety of pieces: salmon, shrimp, beef, flatfish, eel and more!

Mini udon comes with the VIP sushi. Normally you only get one, but the owner gave both of us udon. I was touched.. an angel.

And that's just the sushi, yet it already looks so generous, doesn't it?

Tonkatsu in the low ₩10,000s: portion and taste

The tonkatsu at Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch is in the low ₩10,000s, so why is the portion this big?! Crazy, right. I was so surprised the moment it arrived haha. It comes with a cute little mound of rice, plus salad and tonkatsu sauce.

The tonkatsu was crispy outside and juicy inside, the real deal! The coating was really crunchy and the pork inside was thick, so it was so good. My partner loves tonkatsu and raved that the tonkatsu here is so delicious haha.

Cola is a must with sushi and tonkatsu, right? They gave us a Pepsi Zero with cups too, so we finished the meal really happily with cola ♥

Who is Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch good for?

Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch has tasty sushi, tasty tonkatsu, and also sells a variety of rice bowls (donburi). If you love sushi, I recommend having a good meal here ♥