Hongdae sushi date spot: ₩14,000 lunch before break time, Sushi Sakaba
In short
Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is an izakaya-style sushi restaurant on Dongmak-ro 3-gil in Mapo, Seoul, near Hapjeong Station Exit 3. A married couple came for a lunch date just before break time and ordered the VIP sushi set (35,000 won) and the lunch special (14,000 won); the Tsumoto-style aged fish and thick-cut slices felt like an omakase. For a good-value lunch date in Hapjeong or Hongdae, Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is a great fit.
Good to know
- Getting there
- Hapjeong Station Exit 3 · 5-min walk (store listing, Oct 6, 2026)
- Location
- 2F, 38 Dongmak-ro 3-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul; 326 m from Hapjeong Station Exit 3
- Hours (Mon–Thu)
- 11:30–22:30, break time 14:30–17:00
- Hours (Fri–Sat)
- 11:30–23:50, break time 14:30–17:00
- Hours (Sun)
- 11:30–22:00, break time 14:30–17:00
- Corkage
- Allowed (fee charged)
- Parking
- None on site; use a nearby public lot or the paid lot at the youth housing building
- Seating
- Solo counter seats and group tables
- Aged sashimi platter + make-your-own sushi
- ₩50,000
- No-margin omakase nigiri set
- ₩28,000
- Special VIP sushi set
- ₩35,000 (15 pieces)
- Lunch special
- ₩14,000
- Price reference
- ₩14,000 ≈ $10.5 · ₩50,000 ≈ $37.5 · ₩28,000 ≈ $21 (2026-10-18)
as written by the visitor on Jun 25, 2026
I wanted a date AND good sushi, so I was torn about where to go, and then an acquaintance recommended Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong, a sushi spot in Hapjeong/Hongdae. The chef serves live fish aged in the Tsumoto style, so it felt like we'd gone to an omakase! Let me tell you all about it.
Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong location, hours and parking
Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is 326 m from Hapjeong Station Exit 3. It's so close to the station that even on a hot day the walk wasn't tiring.
- Mon–Thu 11:30–22:30 (break time 14:30–17:00)
- Fri–Sat 11:30–23:50 (break time 14:30–17:00)
- Sun 11:30–22:00 (break time 14:30–17:00)
- Corkage available (fee applies)
- No parking (nearby public lot or the paid lot at the youth housing building)
Exterior and how to get there
The exterior gives off a neat, clean izakaya (Japanese pub) vibe. It's a short walk from Hapjeong Station, so it's easy to reach by public transport.
We live close to the Hapjeong/Hongdae area, so we took the subway, and it was a quick walk from the station, not tiring at all. Parking around Hapjeong and Hongdae is kind of hard anyway, right? Public transport will be more comfortable.
Interior, seating and solo dining
Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is bigger than you'd expect, with solo counter seats (dacchi) and plenty of group seating. The layout works for a solo lunch, a date or a group gathering.
When we walked in, it was bigger than I expected. The owner-chef trained in fine dining overseas, and maybe that's why there were lots of celebrity autographs on the walls, which was fun to look at.
Sushi Sakaba is famous as a Hapjeong lunch spot, and sometimes you have to eat lunch alone, right? It'd be good for those times, because there are solo counter seats. There was plenty of group seating too. We came just before break time, and lots of guests were finishing lunch and leaving, so you could really feel how popular it is at lunch.
Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong menu and prices
The most popular items here are said to be the aged sashimi platter with self-made sushi (₩50,000) and the no-margin omakase nigiri set (₩28,000). Lunch has good-value options like the lunch special, and dinner has izakaya dishes that go well with a drink.
On top of that, they sell good-value lunch dishes like the lunch special, plus plenty of izakaya dishes for an evening drink, so choosing from the menu is half the fun.
The VIP sushi set and lunch special, tried
We ordered the special VIP sushi set (₩35,000) and the lunch special (₩14,000). Both came as generous, pretty spreads, which made the date feel even better.
My husband's 15-piece VIP sushi set
This is the VIP sushi set my husband had. The kind owner even left a sushi list showing what we were getting. There was flounder, tuna back, monkfish liver (ankimo), prawn, sea bream, salmon, tuna belly, blue-backed fish, wagyu and more. It's 15 pieces, so generous, right?
My ₩14,000 lunch special
This is the lunch special I had. It passes on value, and it tasted good too. Just because it's a lunch special doesn't mean it's all cheap sushi, and I really liked the lineup.
How fresh and tasty was the sushi?
The sushi at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong was fresh with no fishy taste, and the fish was thick-cut, so the texture was great. They said their rule is to source fish from the dawn fish market every morning, which is why all the sushi was so fresh.
The price for this quality seems to be one reason for its popularity. But even if the price is fine, you wouldn't go back if it didn't taste good, right? Sushi Sakaba tasted amazing too.
The omakase-like quality and service made our date time even happier. It's rare to find a sushi place that serves only pricey pieces with no cheap filler, and I just love Sushi Sakaba.
The amount of rice was just right, and every piece was fresh with no fishy taste at all. The fish was thick, so the texture was great.
As expected of a Hapjeong/Hongdae sushi favorite, guests kept coming in even though we went right before break time. You can tell the quality is no joke just from the photos, right? Eating great sushi in a nice Japanese restaurant, I wondered where else you'd find a better date spot.
Is Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong good for a date?
Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong has an upscale atmosphere and feels like a sushi omakase, so it's perfect for a Hapjeong/Hongdae date. The sushi tastes good and is plated beautifully, so it's great for photos too, and good for anyone who posts on social media.
If you're looking for a lunch date spot in Hapjeong-dong, I think you should try Sushi Sakaba, which is good value and delicious!
Where it is
38 Dongmak-ro 3-gil, 2F, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 마포구 독막로3길 38 2층
Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong: hours, menu and prices →
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