Izakaya-style sashimi restaurant near Gangnam Station: Damiseon

A review of Damiseon, a sashimi restaurant right by Gangnam Station, for anyone looking for a group dinner spot within stumbling distance of the station~🥢

It's a Japanese-style seafood specialist (sashimi, grilled fish, cooked dishes, soups). They apparently sell out their morning-sourced fish the same day, chasing the best flavor from the freshest ingredients.

They also serve various sake, whiskey highballs, and premium Ebisu draft beer that pair well with the food, aiming for an exciting dining experience. The old-school izakaya interior is meant to give families, couples and friends a special, happy space to enjoy together.

How to find Damiseon: 1 minute from Gangnam Station Exit 5

• ✔️ 365 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Daewoo Dosiaebit 1cha B1 (1 min from Gangnam Station Exit 5)
• ✔️ Mon–Sat 11:20 ~ 23:30 / Closed Sunday (break time 15:00-17:00)
• 🅿️ No parking

It's an incredibly short walk from Gangnam Station Exit 5, located in the basement of Daewoo Dosiaebit 1cha. Don't head into the Dosiaebit building itself — there's a separate entrance if you go around the outside of the building.

Inside Damiseon: a quiet izakaya mood for group dinners

The inside of Damiseon was bigger than I expected, and felt more like an izakaya than a typical sashimi restaurant.

The lighting was dim in just the right way, and the seats are separated, making it great 👍 for group dinners. Even on the Saturday I visited, lots of groups were having gatherings there.

Damiseon menu and prices: sashimi set for two at 80,000 won

• Special Set ₩200,000 for 4 / ₩150,000 for 3 / ₩100,000 for 2
• Sashimi Set ₩160,000 for 4 / ₩120,000 for 3 / ₩80,000 for 2
• Flounder seafood mulhoe (raw fish cold soup) ₩42,000
• Octopus tangtangi (chopped raw octopus) ₩36,000
• Sashimi sushi ₩22,000
• Sea squirt ₩28,000
• Grilled fish from ₩15,000
• Cod roe soup ₩15,000

The Special Set works out to ₩50,000 per person, while the Sashimi Set is ₩40,000 per person. The Sashimi Set looked like better value, so we ordered that one for two.

First up: salad, corn butter and washed kimchi

Order the sashimi set (₩40,000 per person) and salad and kimchi come out first.

Should I call it washed kimchi? Aged kimchi? Anyway, kimchi that's delicious eaten alongside the sashimi.

Steamed egg and clam soup

Then out comes fluffy, soft steamed egg.

This clam soup broth was genuinely refreshing~ I was glad we ordered the sashimi set, because the side dishes (sukidashi) kept coming.

You're about to be even happier. Oh yes, oh yes, you deserve to be happier 👍

The live fish sashimi and seafood platter

Finally, today's star: sashimi and seafood. It comes with abalone, sea cucumber, and boiled octopus. I usually prefer aged sashimi, but live-fish sashimi has its own chewy, springy charm.

A generous platter of sashimi and seafood with nothing missing! We really tried to eat a lot, and it was still plenty enough that some was left over.

Sashimi that calls for soju... you can't eat sashimi without soju, can you

To really taste the fish itself, just a touch of wasabi with one chili pepper on top~

Grilled saury and tempura

On the days I only eat sashimi, I get hungry and end up rummaging through the fridge when I get home, but that night I just went straight to sleep. 😖 The grilled saury and tempura really filled me up.

Gimmaki and the spicy fish stew finish

The finale was gimmaki (seaweed-wrapped rolls) and spicy fish stew all the way to the end >.< No wonder my stomach was still full the next morning.

The fish stew broth was the real deal.

The restroom was clean too, and since I was taking public transit that day, I brought along a hat and mask to hide my beet-red face 🫥

Who is Damiseon a good fit for?

For anyone looking for a sashimi place with a quieter izakaya mood rather than a loud, bustling sashimi joint — and for anyone having a group dinner right by Gangnam Station — I highly recommend this Gangnam Station favorite, Damiseon, with its generous portions and super friendly owner.