# Seolleung sushi bar: all tuna nigiri and mackerel miso stew, Sakai - By Yerin Doksu (https://superchart.com/en/@seorae-narrow-kitchen/) - Written Sep 18, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a complimentary visit provided by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seorae-narrow-kitchen/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seorae-narrow-kitchen/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/index.md) ## In short Sakai is an okonomi-style sushi bar near Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul, where there is no set course: diners read the day's neta list, write their picks on a Post-it and order one piece at a time. Over sake with a friend, the visit covered flounder, engawa, sea bream, scallop, horse mackerel, sweet shrimp and conger eel, house-made tamago nigiri, every kind of tuna nigiri on the list, plus the day's simmered dish of mackerel in miso and a bowl of miso soup. Sakai turned out to be the best sushi of the writer's life, and a certain repeat visit. ## Good to know - **How ordering works**: Okonomi sushi: read the day's neta list and write your picks on a Post-it - **Sushi eaten**: Flounder, engawa, sea bream, scallop, horse mackerel, sweet shrimp, conger eel, tamago, squid and tuna nigiri - **Sides**: Fried horse mackerel, potato salad, miso soup, dish of the day (mackerel simmered in miso) - **Drinks**: Sake and beer available *as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026* ![Photo from a visit to Sakai, a sushi bar near Seolleung Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-01-1nw32-900.webp) ## 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. ![Sakai's interior and sushi being prepared](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-02-1j5a2-900.webp) ![Sakai's menu listing the day's neta](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-03-oqp03-900.webp) ![Sushi menu using the Post-it ordering system](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-04-1ew04-900.webp) ## How Post-it ordering works at Sakai The sushi types available that day are listed, and you order by writing on a Post-it. ![A single piece of nigiri ordered at Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-05-1crkt-1200.webp) You have to eat this. Something you can only get at high-end places. ![House-made tamago egg sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-06-1mdln-900.webp) ### 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 sushi topped with yuzu sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-07-1335v-900.webp) ### Squid nigiri at Sakai Squid sushi with what seemed like a yuzu-cured sauce — chewy and very good. ![Wide shot of Sakai's tuna sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-08-ymrzw-900.webp) ![Tuna sushi that melts smoothly in the mouth](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-09-1x8q4-900.webp) ## 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. ![A bowl of miso soup at Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-10-wtwy7-900.webp) ## 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](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-11-n5m6s-900.webp) 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. ![A plate of sushi ordered at Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-12-1vqzb-900.webp) ![Nigiri sushi picked to order](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-13-zd5hz-900.webp) ![A piece of okonomi sushi at Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-14-1h3ko-900.webp) ![An additional plate of sushi ordered](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-15-1e4ua-900.webp) ![Sushi and side dishes at Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-16-2qo6y-900.webp) ## 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. ![A glass of sake ordered with the sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel-17-1xqus-900.webp) ## 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. ## Where it is - Sakai (사카이) - 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, 1st Floor, Unit 101, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 강남구 역삼로67길 15 1층 101호 - 37.5023593, 127.0528285 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%82%AC%EC%B9%B4%EC%9D%B4/@37.5023593,127.0528285,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@seorae-narrow-kitchen/seolleung-sakai-tuna-sushi-miso-mackerel/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt