Seolleung sushi bar: all tuna nigiri and mackerel miso stew, Sakai

What kind of sushi bar is Sakai near Seolleung Station?

Went to Sakai near Seolleung Station. This isn't the type of place where you follow a set course like a typical omakase — it's okonomi sushi style, where you order as much or as little as you like of whatever you're craving. The neta prepared that day is listed on the menu, so there's a fun element of picking whatever you feel like eating that particular day. Since you can order piece by piece, it's great for tasting a little of many different types, and if something turns out to be your favorite you can just order more of it — personally I really liked this format. I actually got to pick and choose flounder, engawa, sea bream, scallop, horse mackerel, sweet shrimp, and conger eel to my taste, and the shari (sushi rice) was solid too. It's not just sushi either — you can order sides like fried horse mackerel or potato salad, so it's a good atmosphere for having a drink alongside your meal. It feels a bit different from the standardized omakase places you commonly see around Seolleung, so if you like picking exactly the sushi you want, it's worth a visit.

Some of the best sushi I've eaten in my life. The taste of the shari, the level of aging, all of it. A really good memory.

How Post-it ordering works at Sakai

The sushi types available that day are listed, and you order by writing on a Post-it.

You have to eat this. Something you can only get at high-end places.

Sakai's house-made tamago nigiri

Not the usual outsourced egg-supplier tamago sushi we all know. Made in-house, and even the tamago sushi has real umami. Different from anywhere else. This alone tells you this place is no ordinary shop.

Squid nigiri at Sakai

Squid sushi with what seemed like a yuzu-cured sauce — chewy and very good.

Why every tuna nigiri at Sakai is worth ordering

Every tuna sushi here is recommended, no exceptions — the satisfaction level when eating it was seriously good. With one bite, the tuna sushi just melted smoothly in my mouth. No fishiness, clean, and the savory tuna flavor came through properly. It paired well with the shari too, so I kept eating it without any sense of being weighed down. Personally, among all the sushi I ate that day, this ranked among the most satisfying.

Miso soup and the dish of the day: mackerel simmered in miso

Miso soup with insane value for money...

Today's simmered dish. Mackerel miso stew — in Korea it's usually made red/spicy, so out of curiosity I ordered the miso version instead. Very tender, and great value for the price.

Sharing sake with a friend at the Sakai counter

My friend and I each ordered a glass of sake, and the pour was quite generous. I think sake and sushi is the pairing that goes best together.

Is Sakai worth the price, and would the writer return?

I think Sakai's biggest strength is definitely the value for money. Considering how expensive sushi places have gotten these days, being able to pick as much quality sushi as you want was pretty great. Instead of forcing yourself through a fixed course, you can order mainly the neta you like, so there's no need to fill up unnecessarily — and if something's delicious you can just order more, which was much more comfortable. In particular, being able to eat a variety piece by piece made it fun to compare different types of sushi as I went.

Overall the ingredient quality was good and each piece of sushi was well balanced, so the basic sushi quality itself was satisfying. And despite that, the atmosphere wasn't too intimidating or formal, making it easy to visit comfortably, and it was a good setting for having a drink alongside the meal. It's also close to Seolleung Station so accessibility isn't bad, and considering you can pick exactly the sushi you want at this price point in Gangnam, it feels like quite a deal.

Above all, this isn't a place you visit once and forget — it's the kind of place that comes to mind again the next time you want sushi, which is the biggest strength. Price, taste, and composition were all satisfying overall, and personally it might be the best sushi place I've found in a long time. If you're looking for good value sushi around Seolleung, or you prefer picking exactly what you want over following a set omakase course, you should absolutely visit. I'll be going back. Drinks are a must — a beer works too.