Hapjeong sushi izakaya: weekend tuna belly & ankimo set, Sushi Sakaba

I had such a craving for good sushi lately. I searched and searched and searched, and finally found a truly great sushi place, hehe. A sushi spot I'd like to keep all to myself,, this is Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong (스시사카바 합정점), run by an owner-chef who trained in fine dining overseas.

How do you get to Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong, and where do you park?

Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is a 5-minute walk from Exits 3 and 4 of Hapjeong Station, on the 2nd floor of a building on Dongmak-ro 3-gil. If you drive, park at Hapjeong Nosang Public Parking Lot and walk about 3 minutes. The alley in front of the restaurant makes parking hard, sadly T_T

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, so just follow this sign up the stairs! I visited on a weekend so I couldn't try it, but there's a weekday lunch special too, so if you go on a weekday, definitely order that!! The value is insane.

What are the atmosphere and menu at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong like?

The place feels so Japanese. Like a hidden gem only Japanese locals know! And the taste really is just like what I had in Japan.. truly the best..

The menu is huge, so I took photos. Besides sushi there's sashimi, nabe (hot pot) and more, and the sake list is enormous too! Drinkers, this is probably heaven.. In the evening they sell a wide range of dishes like an izakaya (Japanese pub). I came at lunch, so I went for sushi.

Recommended menu: Hap sushi and Jeong sushi

• [Value omakase sushi] Hap sushi, 12 pieces, ₩24,000
• [No-margin omakase sushi] Jeong sushi, 13 pieces, ₩28,000

Aren't the cups so cute too!! Exactly the shape you'd expect at a sushi place, haha

What comes with the Jeong sushi set?

The Jeong sushi set (13 pieces) at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong comes with cold udon, salad, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), clear soup and futomaki on top of the sushi, so it was a really generous spread. Both the Jeong and Hap sets have the same sides; only the sushi lineup differs.

Chawanmushi bursting with umami

This silky chawanmushi is an umami explosion..!! It melts in your mouth, and the balance of seasoning and savory depth comes through so well T_T All the chawanmushi I've had until now wasn't chawanmushi.. I guess I did like chawanmushi, huh..?

Cold udon for summer

Usually when a sushi set comes with udon, it's hot udon, but maybe because it's summer, Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong thoughtfully served cold udon. The noodles are so chewy and springy, crazy good..

Futomaki in a good size

And this is the futomaki (thick sushi roll)! Honestly I don't love huge futomaki because they're hard to fit in my mouth. The futomaki at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is a good size and packed with raw fish, so the balance was just right.

What's in the Hap sushi set, and how does the tuna belly taste?

This is the Hap sushi lineup at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong. The tuna belly that's in both the Hap and Jeong sets.. it was honestly better than what I had in Japan T_T It was so good that I asked, and they said all their fish gets Tsumoto-style aging, going by the principle of the umami and freshness you'd expect from an omakase.

They give you the sushi lineup on a printout like this. You enjoy it more when you know what you're eating~! My best picks were the tuna belly and the ankimo (monkfish liver)!!

The owner of Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong reportedly gets fish from the fish market every morning. That must be how a lineup like this is possible T_T They even use Juheung Migok Donguibogam rice.. rice matters so much for sushi, right? Sob, so delicious..

Is Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong worth going back to?

As you'd expect from an owner-chef with overseas fine-dining experience, his chef's whites hang in the restaurant. And the taste really lived up to it. This is the Hapjeong sushi spot recommended by a total sushi fanatic: if you love sushi, you absolutely have to visit Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong!!!