Incheon tuna belly, lips and tail cuts: Donggyeong Sukseong Chamchi

I heard about a place in Yongyeon-dong, Incheon where you can try aged tuna in all its different cuts, with an all-you-can-eat menu on top of that so you can enjoy tuna generously without breaking the bank, so I went straight there.

Donggyeong Sukseong Chamchi

Using fresh ingredients and careful handling every day, this place uses its own special aging method to deliver the deep flavor and umami of aged tuna.

Where is Donggyeong Sukseong Chamchi, and where do you park?

Donggyeong Sukseong Chamchi is easy to find, on the ground floor right along the street at 26 Nakseomseo-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon. There's no dedicated parking lot, so you'll need to park along the street away from the bus route.

Inside Donggyeong Sukseong Chamchi: seating and reservations

The interior has a clean, cozy wood-toned atmosphere. There are 4-person tables and counter (dachi) seats. The spacing between seats felt generous too, so it seemed like a comfortable, relaxed place to eat with family or friends.

Since I had booked ahead, the table was already neatly set when I arrived.

Known as a Yongyeon-dong go-to spot, I went a bit early before the crowds arrived, but I could already see several other tables reserved besides ours — proof of just how popular this place really is.

All-you-can-eat courses and platter menus with prices

The menu at Donggyeong Sukseong Chamchi is broadly split into all-you-can-eat and set menus. The all-you-can-eat options are VIP, Bluefin, Tuna Head, Royal, and Basic, while the set menus come as Honmaguro Set, Honmaguro Half Set, and Large, Medium, or Small. There are also rice dishes and various side menus, so the choices were plenty.

They also have a range of recommended sake pairings for tuna.

What comes with the 38,000-won Royal course, from side dishes to yam juice

We ordered the Royal course at ₩38,000 for two.

The basic side dishes were ready right away.

First came miso soup, rice porridge, and yam juice.

The most memorable of these was the yam juice. I expected it to be sticky and thick, but it turned out completely different — sweet and smooth going down with no stickiness at all.

Right after, a variety of side dishes that pair well with tuna were laid out neatly.

Everything was clean and neatly arranged overall, whetting my appetite before the tuna itself arrived.

There was also a full lineup of the essentials for eating tuna — pickled scallions (rakkyo), pickled radish, pickled ginger, wasabi, flying fish roe, and aged kimchi. Seaweed was fully stocked in the table drawer so you could eat as much as you liked without worrying.

First plate: the color and taste of the aged tuna

While we were still happily working through the basic side dishes, the first round of tuna arrived.

The tuna, aged through this Yongyeon-dong restaurant's own special process, had an unusual color unlike anything I'd seen before.

The staff brought the tuna out themselves and kindly explained which pieces to dip in soy sauce and which to dip in the sesame oil sauce.

Tuna aged with this special method had outstanding umami. It was at just the right temperature, so my teeth didn't ache, and there was no fishy taste at all — it melted away in my mouth. I couldn't believe a course of this quality, with all-you-can-eat Royal service, was only ₩38,000.

Second plate: tuna belly, head meat and the skidashi rounds

While we were still moved by that first round of tuna, the second round of skidashi arrived. Corn cheese, udon, and gingko nuts came out, and it was such a great combination that tasted as good as it looked.

Next came the belly meat (baekkopsal) and head meat. Every time they brought a new plate, the staff kindly explained the cut and which sauce to dip it in, which really helped and made everything more enjoyable to eat.

Since these were special cuts I'd never tried before, I was a little worried about what they'd taste like, but that worry melted away the moment I took my first bite. I hadn't known tuna could taste like this — there was absolutely no fishy taste, and it had a slightly chewy texture that still melted in my mouth the more I chewed.

Third plate plus tuna stew, braised tuna and grilled tuna

In the meantime, the third round arrived.

Seeing so many different cuts of tuna made me wonder what kind of tuna I'd even been eating all this time.

Tuna is usually too fatty for me to eat much of, but trying the different cuts in different combinations, I found myself genuinely enjoying it.

At just the right moment, the third round of skidashi was set down — tuna stew, braised tuna, and grilled tuna. I got to try tuna dishes that aren't usually easy to come by, each prepared a different way. Beyond raw tuna, enjoying it in these various cooked dishes felt like discovering a whole new world of tuna.

Tuna lips, tail meat and the roe rice finish

While we were enjoying the many kinds of tuna, the staff set down a single piece of raw fish on our plate. It was tuna lips, they said. It had a springy, chewy texture that gave it a different appeal from regular tuna sashimi.

Then the fourth round appeared.

This time it was tail meat. The tail meat had a slightly firm, chewy texture, and the more I chewed, the more a subtle, savory, clean flavor came through. It had a different charm from the tuna that melts softly in your mouth, offering a whole other way to enjoy it.

After going through so many cuts and special parts, I felt like I'd eaten an entire tuna.

Then shrimp sushi appeared on top of it all. I was starting to feel full. Tuna usually makes me feel too greasy to eat much, so this might be the first time I got full from actually finishing it all.

As if they'd noticed, the staff brought out egg roe rice and maki to finish.

It was loaded with flying fish roe that popped with each bite. As they say, a meal in Korea always feels a little incomplete without carbs at the end. After thoroughly enjoying the tuna, finishing off with the popping roe rice and maki left me feeling properly, satisfyingly full.

Is Donggyeong Sukseong Chamchi worth it? Our verdict

I got to enjoy rare tuna cuts and various aged parts I don't normally get to try, all without worrying about the bill. The taste, the composition of the course, and the value for money were all thoroughly satisfying. If you want to really experience tuna properly, or you're looking for a generous all-you-can-eat tuna restaurant, I'd strongly recommend this place.

How to get to Donggyeong Sukseong Chamchi and opening hours

• Address: 26 Nakseomseo-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 15:30–23:30 (last order 23:00)
• Regular closed days: 1st and 4th Sundays of each month