Gangnam conveyor-belt sushi with made-to-order plates: Sushi Maiu

I visited Sushi Maiu, a great sushi spot near Seolleung Station.

Seating and how Sushi Maiu Seolleung Station Branch works

Sushi Maiu Seolleung Station Branch was a little different from the usual conveyor-belt sushi place. Inside, the area for conveyor-belt sushi and the regular four-person table seating were separated.

The conveyor-belt sushi area had tables as well as counter seats, so you could choose where you wanted to sit. Since we had come for conveyor-belt sushi that day, we took a table beside the moving rail. Once seated, sushi keeps traveling along the rail, and you simply pick up whatever you want.

If the sushi you want is not there, you can mark it on the order sheet and they will make it right away.

There were sushi options on the menu, plus sushi already on the rail, so it was fun to watch the plates go by and choose them one at a time.

Wasabi and rakkyo (pickled scallions) were set out as standard, while pickled ginger was placed separately on the rail. You take down as much as you need, serve yourself, and put it back, so it is handy for cleansing your palate between pieces of sushi.

Sushi and rolls picked from the rail

This beautiful otoro was impossible to pass up. Its red flesh was densely marbled with white fat, and it looked rich before I had even tasted it. Just one piece delivered a definite fatty flavor.

I did not see any tamago sushi, so I picked up an egg roll instead—and it was much more delicious than I expected.

It was a crab stick roll topped with rolled egg, and it had a far deeper flavor than expected. I really enjoyed it.

The garlic shrimp sushi had plump shrimp topped with crunchy garlic flakes. The shrimp had a springy bite and the flakes were crisp, giving one bite lots of texture. The shrimp’s mild, clean flavor worked nicely with the nutty garlic flavor and crunch.

The salmon sushi was soft and moist, with salmon’s characteristic rich flavor coming through nicely. It was clean without any fishiness, so it was easy to eat.

Even though it was also salmon, the salmon belly sushi clearly had a more intense flavor. As it is a fattier cut, it melted softly in the mouth and left a richer savory taste behind.

If you like salmon, it would be nice to try it alongside the regular salmon sushi and compare them. The sea bream sushi had pretty white flesh with a subtle reddish pattern. In one bite, the fish was firm yet pleasantly chewy, with a clean flavor and a gentle sweetness.

The salmon steak roll was tastier than expected, with soft salmon and an extra nutty flavor. It felt different from regular salmon sushi, making it a good one to have midway through the meal. The bacon roll’s salty, savory bacon flavor went well with the rice. After eating only fish sushi, it changed the direction of the meal completely, and I enjoyed this one too. Honestly, I picked it up without realizing it was bacon because of the lid, but fortunately it was delicious.

Order sushi that is not on the rail

I wanted tuna sushi and tako wasabi sushi—octopus with wasabi—but neither happened to be on the rail, so I ordered them separately. It was nice that when the sushi you want is not going by, you can ask the staff and receive it right away.

Lastly, I wanted one more piece of cuttlefish sushi, while my dining companion chose tamago sushi to order. We finished neatly after making sure to have the sushi we wanted until the very end. What I like about conveyor-belt sushi is that you can choose plates one by one and eat exactly as much as you feel like that day. Rather than deciding from the menu alone, you can choose sushi as you see it right in front of you, so I naturally found myself picking the next plate throughout the meal.

If you are craving sushi around Seolleung Station and looking for somewhere easy to drop into, give Sushi Maiu a try. Next time, I would like to pick out the sushi I did not get to try this time and taste some different menu items too.