Saturday night sushi reservation in Seolleung: encore chutoro at Sakai

Lately I've been having so much fun hunting down good restaurants everywhere, and this time I visited a Japanese restaurant called Sakai near Seolleung Station. My friend and I matched schedules for a Saturday evening visit, and to cut to the chase — I was genuinely so satisfied that I wanted to share it. So let me walk you through this honest review of a Seolleung Station favorite, step by step.

How to walk to Sakai from Seolleung Station (and why there is no parking)

Sakai is located within an easy walk from Seolleung Station, but there's no parking. Parking in Gangnam isn't easy anyway, so we took public transit to get there — finding it wasn't hard at all. I booked a reservation right when break time ended, and it turned out a lot of people had timed their reservations the same way for dinner haha. As each party arrived one after another, the counter seats filled up really fast.

Inside Sakai: counter seats and a first Suntory draft beer

The interior of Sakai is cozy and cute, and the lighting is warm enough to make quiet conversation easy. As soon as we sat down, we wanted something cold to wet our whistles, so we ordered draft beer right away. Honestly, we rode the subway all this way for this moment haha. Downing that cool, softly foamed Suntory draft beer washed away the whole day's fatigue.

Ordering 8 kinds of sushi on a Post-it note at Sakai

At Sakai, once you sit down, the staff hand you a menu, a Post-it, and a pen — the system is to check what sushi is available that day and write down the type and quantity you want. To start, we ordered flounder, red seabream, mackerel, sweet shrimp with kimi sauce, mottled squid, chutoro, otoro, and horse mackerel sushi, two pieces each. Sitting at the counter (dachi seats) and having the chef hand-form and serve each piece one at a time, the sushi just melted apart in my mouth — genuinely delicious.

Flounder nigiri

The flounder sushi that came up first had a really chewy texture and remarkable body. It was aged so well that I let out a gasp the moment it hit my mouth. The soy sauce was brushed on just right too, so there was no need to dip it separately — I could just pop it right in, which was convenient.

Red seabream nigiri

Next came the red seabream sushi, where the fish's characteristic nuttiness and clean flavor were nicely balanced. The amount of rice was just right too, striking a perfect balance with the fish in the mouth.

Chutoro and otoro

Once we'd had our fill of the clean white-fleshed fish and started wanting something a bit richer, my personal favorite — chutoro — arrived. It melted away the moment it hit my mouth, genuinely touching. After finishing off the richly fatty otoro too, I felt like they were generously giving us the good cuts without holding back.

Mackerel nigiri

The mackerel too had zero fishy taste — surprisingly, it was packed with nothing but deep flavor. I could immediately tell how meticulously and carefully the chef had handled and aged it.

Sweet shrimp with kimi sauce and mottled squid

The sweet shrimp and mottled squid we tried next were the absolute peak of chewiness, I'd say. The sweet shrimp's natural sweetness combined with the rich, silky egg-yolk flavor of the kimi sauce was outstanding, and the mottled squid released more sweetness the more I chewed it, which brought out a smile every time.

The encore round: chutoro and horse mackerel

For the encore round, we ordered one more piece each of the two we'd enjoyed most — chutoro and horse mackerel — and it made for a truly satisfying finish to dinner ☺️

Is Sakai worth it? Verdict and tips for visiting

Overall, from the pacing of the dishes to the friendly chef's service to the cozy atmosphere, we had a great time the whole visit. If you're looking for a solid Japanese restaurant near Seolleung Station, I'd definitely recommend giving this place a try!

• Location: 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, 1st floor, Unit 101, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 17:00–01:00 (last order 00:00)
• Parking: Not available