Gwanghwamun sushi restaurant with uni gunkan: Elephant Sushi

Elephant Sushi on B1 of Gwanghwamun KT Tower

I’d been wanting to come back to Seoul for ages, and I finally made the trip up to take care of some things and meet someone I know! So today I came to the well-known Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun (코끼리초밥 광화문점) in Jongno, Seoul~ It’s on B1 of KT Tower along Gwanghwamun Boulevard.

It had been a while since I’d come to Gwanghwamun, and I’m always overwhelmed by the scale of it all~ This building was huge too, so I was a little shocked as soon as I walked in, haha (proof that I’m from the countryside).

The entrance had Elephant Sushi written boldly on a red curtain, so it was easy to find~ Maybe because it was lunchtime, but there were seriously so many customers!

Counter seats and tables for groups

The restaurant was fairly spacious~ On one side, there were counter seats facing the chefs. On the other, there were tables where several people could dine together, so you can pick whichever seating feels most comfortable!

All the posted menu items looked delicious~ The sushi toppings looked plump and super fresh. A Suntory highball with Elephant Tuna Maki would be such a perfect pairing, haha. I don’t know why I’ve been craving drinks so much lately. I should cut back... but I have this strange idea that I should enjoy them while my age can still handle it (though I’m not a heavy drinker, haha).

From sushi sets to soba and fried dishes

This is what the menu looks like. There are the Elephant Set A, B, and C sushi sets, platter menus, and individual sushi options~ For meals, there’s kaisendon (seafood rice bowl), hoe-deopbap (raw fish rice bowl), and cold soba, while the à la carte choices include sea bream, salt-grilled salmon, futomaki (thick sushi roll), and different fried dishes! There’s a menu for children too.

A generous two-person Elephant Sushi B Set

Ta-da! Our two-person Elephant Sushi B Set arrived~ Wow, there were so many different kinds and it was incredibly generous!

My beloved salmon and tuna, plus the uni gunkan sushi, were unbelievably savory! It wasn’t just plain uni—it had a smoky, cooked aroma? That made it taste extra refined, and the plump, generously filled futomaki was so delicious too, haha.

Buckwheat soba and potato croquettes to refresh the palate

And buckwheat soba came out too. The noodles were wonderfully springy, so the texture was great~ The broth was cool and clean, and it really refreshed my palate.

We also ordered potato croquettes with a coupon~ They were really crispy, and the potato inside was soft, so they were absolutely delicious. I’m so greedy about food that I wanted to eat both croquettes, but I gave them to my husband instead... hehe. Somehow, seeing him enjoy them feels better than eating them myself~ (Is this how a mom feels?)

If you’re in the Gwanghwamun area, how about visiting Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun for fresh fish and a wide range of good-value sushi? I highly recommend it!! Haha.