Sushi bar near Magok Station: 3 sushi servings for two at Bad Magok

How do you get to Bad Magok from Magok Station?

Bad Magok (바드) is a Japanese sushi place in the building right in front of Exit 3 of Magok Station. I can't tell you how long I waited for my second visit after the first one. I went the first time when it was still chilly, and came back in early summer. It's my go-to, absolutely delicious spot!

Walk in between the buildings right in front of Magok Station Exit 3 and you'll see a corridor on the right. Turn right and there's an elevator, and a bit further along there are stairs you can take up too. I'm lazy, so I always take the elevator.

The Bad sign is so pretty again today. You see it as soon as you step out of the elevator, and you can spot it from the ground floor too. Isn't the color gorgeous? The vibes hit already. The entrance you see right as you leave the elevator is the entrance to Bad. Joining right in.

What are the seats and atmosphere like at Bad Magok?

Inside, Bad has bar counter seats and regular tables. On my first visit there were three of us, so we used a regular table; this time I tried the bar counter (called dacchi seats). My companion loves watching the sushi being made and the food being cooked, so thanks to that I enjoyed watching it too.

I took some interior photos too, casually but with some feeling. They use lots of small, cute, pretty, hip props, and none of it is over the top; it all suits the atmosphere really well. Many of the lights are lovely too, and I thought I should look back at them when I do my own interior someday. The owners seem young, and they have good taste. Honestly I have no sense for this so I wouldn't know, hahaha, but anyway, if it's pretty and nice to look at, that's enough, right? In particular, the orange from the Bad sign is used as an accent color all around the interior, and I found myself looking around thinking, what a distinctive touch...

Bad Magok menu and how to order by QR code

Bad has a paper menu too, but we ordered by QR code. The menu also seemed different from last time. They seem to add and swap in new items little by little on a regular basis. The QR had new items that aren't on the paper menu! Be sure to check it before you order. It also has photos, which made choosing much easier.

Complimentary snack: celery with lemon mayo sauce

Snapped with Bad's signature orange chopsticks. The lemon water is nice, and so is the celery they give you as a free snack. I'm not friendly with vegetables like celery, but that mayo sauce was so good that I dunked it deep and crunched my way through all of it. It's kind of a lemon mayo? feel, but the lemon isn't strong, just right.

Draft beer and yuzu highball at Bad Magok

The free snack, draft beer, and yuzu highball: a set of three. Last time I only had a highball, but today I ordered the draft beer. Highballs are good, but I'm clearly a beer person. Why is the beer so smooth and tasty?! (T_T) My highball-loving companion said Bad's yuzu highball is so delicious and ordered it again today, just like last visit. My only complaint is that there's no large size of draft beer. So then, I agonized over what to order today.

Why did two of us order 3 servings of sushi?

Despite all that agonizing, we boldly ordered 3 servings of sushi. Amazingly, there were only 2 of us. I remembered that last time 3 of us shared 3 servings and it left us wanting more, so in the spirit of stuffing ourselves with the best sushi, I added one extra serving. The pasta was good too, but Bad's sushi is seriously insane (T_T). I considered 2 servings of sushi plus 1 serving of sashimi, but following my sushi-loving companion's wishes, we went all in on 3 servings of sushi...

A sushi lineup that changes with the season's fish

Such shimmering sushi. The lineup was a bit different from my last visit, and it turns out Bad picks the sashimi that is best in season, and the sushi lineup changes accordingly. They explained it before we ate, but I don't really remember. All I remember is which one tasted best ^^

This is one of the few edited photos in my posts, since I usually go unedited. It was shot a little dark and the sushi was hard to see, so I fiddled with the brightness and contrast and whatnot. This one was my companion's top pick. I can't remember what that green leaf on top is, but I remember it as the kind of bite that makes the fish taste even better. It wasn't actually my top pick, so I don't remember it well. Sorry, what is happening with my taste descriptions

Oh, there's a bright photo too, haha. A sip of yuzu highball to wash down each bite of sushi.

The best sushi at Bad Magok: the tuna

Amazingly, I must have wolfed everything down after that, because I have no detailed photos ^^,,, My apologies. Anyway, the tuna was my favorite (T_T). It was so soft and melted in my mouth that I nearly fell backwards. The flatfish (gwangeo) was delicious too, but my companion said the salmon was the best? Which basically means everything was delicious. Thanks to ordering 3 servings, each of us got one more of our number one pick and one more of our number two pick, and I, who needed carbs, bowed out and ordered a side.

Side dish to order: mentaiko cream potato mochi

Ta-da, this dish is actually the Bad potato mochi (gamja mochi, chewy potato rice-cake style cakes) I had last visit too. It has cod roe (myeongran) cream inside, and the salty flavor makes the beer go down easily. The sushi was delicious and I was full, but still a tiny bit unsatisfied, and this was like a ray of light and hope. The price is friendly too, so I highly recommend sharing one each with friends.

Why Bad Magok is worth a return visit

Go see the moving sushi and Bad too. Another day of eating so, so, so well at Bad. We're sushi lovers so we only eat sushi, but I'm sure the sashimi and other dishes are great even without seeing them (T_T). I dream of the romance of someday coming here to have a grown-up drink with sashimi.

All the Magok locals should know about Bad, and I feel bad that it doesn't seem widely known yet. But there were definitely more people than last time?! Of course, everyone recognizes a good restaurant. So I'm glad, and also a little wishing it doesn't get to the point of waiting lines... I'll be back next time I'm craving sushi.

Honestly, I'm just counting the days until mackerel season so I can go for the mackerel pressed sushi (bongchobap). I originally asked because I wanted mackerel, and the owner said the item is of course available, but mackerel isn't in season yet so it wouldn't taste its best. Being honest like that wins me over... I hope the owner's business does well and that they stay healthy, happy and earn lots of money so they can serve even tastier sushi.