Gwanghwamun sushi restaurant for kaisendon & shrimp: Elephant Sushi

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun location and atmosphere

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is at B1, Unit B109-5, 178 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It is open daily from 11:00 to 21:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00, and parking was available in the building too.

Here is the entrance to Elephant Sushi! Its neat, charming red noren (Japanese shop curtain) and brightly lit sign welcomed me, making it easy to spot even from a distance. The clear layout and tidy Japanese-restaurant mood were just shining through, haha.

Once inside, there were seats with plenty of space between tables, making this such a comfortable place to eat without worrying about the people around me! I sat to the right of the entrance, while the left side had lots of solo counter seats too.

The table I was shown to had chopsticks, tissues, soy sauce, and water neatly set out! I also liked that every table had an easy tablet ordering system, so I could browse menu photos as I ordered.

A tablet menu from sushi to rice bowls and tempura

These are the sushi set menus shown on the tablet’s main screen. There were lots of options, from Sets A, B, and C to toro and salmon. As you would expect from a Gwanghwamun sushi specialist, the sets were very well put together and reasonably priced.

There was such a wide range of sushi too. From a half-and-half set with raw and grilled salmon to aburi sushi lightly seared for a smoky flavor, there were plenty of choices for every preference.

Beyond the sets, there was also a category for individual pieces of sushi! Tuna, flounder, engawa (flounder fin), egg, cuttlefish, and more could be added exactly as you liked, which looked great for making a meal your own.

There were rice bowls and sashimi as well as sushi! The meal choices also included refreshing soba and warm udon, while the side menu had Japanese fried dishes that would be great with drinks or alongside a meal.

Here is what I finally ordered on the tablet! I chose one kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) loaded with fresh seafood for ₩23,000, plus crispy Jungle shrimp tempura 6P for ₩12,000.

Kaisendon packed with tuna, salmon, and sweet shrimp

At last, today’s star arrived: the kaisendon! Can you see all that gorgeous sashimi piled high in the bowl? 🥹💗 It was packed to overflowing with fresh tuna, salmon, flounder, sweet shrimp, salmon roe, and rolled omelet.

Up close, the sashimi looked glossy and fresh too. The thick-cut tuna and salmon had such beautiful color, and the lightly seared fish, sweet rolled omelet, and popping salmon roe were an even better combination than I had imagined.

This is the warm miso soup and salad served with the kaisendon! The mild yet savory soup refreshed my palate in between bites, so I could enjoy the kaisendon deliciously without getting tired of it until the end.

I put a little rice on my spoon, topped it with white fish, and took a bite. The more I chewed, the more I could taste the fish’s nutty flavor and pleasantly chewy texture—so good 💛 It was a moment that really let me feel the quality of Gwanghwamun sushi... wasn’t it?

Next, I topped the rice with a thick slice of salmon, which I absolutely love. Its soft, rich flavor blended beautifully with the rice 🥹 I could taste how much care had gone into every ingredient, and that made me happy the whole time I was eating.

I placed a jewel-red piece of tuna over the rice and took a bite. It was tender to chew, with no tough membrane or sinew, and its savory flavor just melted away beautifully. Being able to enjoy such varied, premium sashimi so generously in one dish may be the biggest appeal of Elephant Sushi’s kaisendon.

Jungle shrimp tempura 6P, fried to order

Just as I was enjoying the kaisendon, the freshly fried shrimp tempura arrived! It was fried to order and served piping hot. I could tell at a glance from that crackly coating how crispy it would be, and the special dipping sauce served alongside was a treat too.

I gave the still-crispy shrimp tempura a generous dip in the special sauce. The outside was unbelievably crunchy, while the plump shrimp inside had such a springy bite; with the sweet, nutty sauce, I couldn’t help saying it was insanely delicious! 🧡👏🏻 It gets first place among the shrimp tempura I’ve had in the past few years...

Here is the cross-section, packed with plump shrimp. Maybe it was fried so well that the excess oil had been removed, but it never went soggy or felt greasy all the way to the last bite—just full of nutty flavor. Kaisendon paired with freshly fried shrimp tempura was truly an excellent choice.