Chuncheon tuna restaurant for a private-room date: Maguro Tuna

A reserved private room across from Hupyeong-dong POSCO The Sharp

I visited Maguro Tuna, a great tuna course restaurant in Hupyeong-dong, Chuncheon. I’m 200% willing to come back!!

Maguro Tuna is on the third floor of the Shinhan Bank building, right in front of the main entrance to POSCO The Sharp in Hupyeong-dong. You can park for free either in the M Tower Building underground lot or the open lot above MS Mart!

We booked ahead before visiting (highly recommended). We were shown to a room! It was private and lovely. I thought it would be a nice place to bring your parents, too.

The Jin Course and table service

We ordered the Jin Course (₩53,000 per person)!

Everything had been beautifully set out in advance!

With a Naver receipt review, you can choose one Suntory highball, a 300 mL tokkuri bottle of hon-sake, or two pieces of tuna belly sushi. The tuna belly sushi is seriously delicious, so definitely join the event and try it!

There were so many thoughtful conveniences for guests: phone chargers, phone stands, hair ties, aprons, iced or warm water, the Wi-Fi password, and more. Just ask the staff if you need anything!

The basic sides included radish sprouts, wasabi, aged kimchi, pickled ginger, rakkyo pickled shallots, and danmuji pickled radish.

The first course was warm tuna porridge. The bits of tuna throughout were so nutty and savory. It felt like it gently warmed up my stomach.

First tuna sashimi, with an explanation of every cut

Then the first platter of tuna sashimi arrived! Isn’t it just so pretty?! The owner came over personally to explain each cut and how to eat it, so we could enjoy it properly. Such a kind owner!!

The Jin Course includes swordfish belly; bigeye tuna belly, collar, and head meat; plus bluefin tuna No. 4 and No. 5 belly, head meat, collar, rib meat, and crown meat.

They say a kelp-aging method using Sokcho kelp and Goseong deep-sea salt removes the fishy notes and brings out tuna’s natural umami to the fullest. The owner insists on Mediterranean bluefin tuna in the 200–300 kg range. Mediterranean bluefin is said to have a wonderful natural tuna flavor, deep rich umami, and a soft texture.

How each cut tasted, from bluefin to swordfish

The bluefin belly was incredibly soft and moist, practically melting in my mouth!! It had that characteristic rich, nutty tuna flavor (heaven from the very first bite).

The swordfish belly was wonderfully chewy, with a buttery(?) savory flavor that came through the more I chewed! Even piled high with wasabi, it wasn’t spicy at all, and dipped lightly in soy sauce, it was truly... heaven...!

The bluefin head meat was like yuk sashimi (Korean-style raw beef)! It is a lean specialty cut with almost no fat, and it was absolutely the best dipped in salted sesame oil..! Just a little wasabi!

Bluefin crown meat wasn’t as fatty or rich as belly; it had just the right middle-ground flavor, savory and clean!

The bigeye tuna belly had a slightly crisp, firm texture! The more I chewed, the more clean nuttiness came through. Seaweed was ready on the table, so we ate it together! An endless blessing in the mouth... such a dreamy flavor ㅠ

Sushi arrived partway through! I think it was swordfish belly. It was so rich and just melted away in my mouth... This is a place that does sushi really well, too!!

We also got grilled yeolgi fish. It seemed to be semi-dried grilled fish. Chewy and springy!! I usually love grilled fish, and I enjoyed this so much!

Sashimi refills and tuna belly sushi

The second platter of tuna sashimi! It was a refill. Just as we were finishing the sashimi, they brought the second platter right over. Thanks to that, we could keep enjoying it without a break haha. The owner has such great timing!!

We got the two pieces of tuna belly sushi through the Naver review event, and wow, this was truly legendary sushi!! Seriously, definitely!!!! Take part in the event and try it ㅠㅠ It really melts in your mouth ㅠㅠ So rich... after all, tuna is all about the belly!!

It was so thick, right? You can fill your mouth with rich tuna (the best). This marbling... it felt almost too pretty to eat, so I savored it really slowly ㅠ Enjoy it with aged kimchi and radish sprouts!

Macaroni salad and braised tuna came out. I loved that a variety of dishes kept appearing throughout the meal.

Finishing with fried dishes, cold soba, and fish roe rice

No! I had just been thinking I wanted some soup, and warm miso soup came out right away!!!! My boyfriend and I were both so surprised, hahaha. We thought, the owner really knows exactly when to bring things out.

There were also fried shrimp, kabocha squash, and crab meat. Wow... this isn’t a place that only does sashimi and sushi well. The fritters were unbelievably crisp and delicious!!!!!

I really enjoyed the fried shrimp and kabocha squash ㅠㅠ Crispy ASMR... insane fritters.

For the final meal, cold soba and fish roe rice! You can choose between cold soba and fish roe rice! We tried both!!

The cold soba was so refreshing! Nice and chewy~ It was great for finishing the meal. Clean and delicious!

The fish roe rice had flying fish roe, danmuji pickled radish, and aged kimchi in it, so it was very tasty! The roe popped in my mouth and was so savory—so good! Eaten with the aged kimchi, it had a subtle salty note.

It was a truly perfect course meal!! We ate until we were absolutely stuffed haha.

I loved the carefully prepared tuna course at Maguro Tuna!! It was especially fun comparing the flavors of the different tuna cuts, and I had such a satisfying time throughout the course. You can dine leisurely in a private room, and the owner and staff are truly kind!