Sharosu-gil bar in Seoul for sashimi and tokkuri sake: Tomo izakaya

Been craving good sashimi with a glass of sake lately, so I went to Tomo! Honestly I went planning to drink lightly, but the sashimi was so good I ended up ordering tokkuri sake twice, haha. Above all, the sashimi was super chewy with zero fishy taste — I don't even know how many times I said "the sashimi here is actually so good" while eating. It's all private rooms, so it's also good for quiet conversation, making it a solid pick for anyone looking for a date spot on Sharosu-gil.

Where is Tomo? A Sharosu-gil alley by Seoul National University Station

Tomo is located at 24 Gwanak-ro 15-gil, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, in the Sharosu-gil alley near Seoul National University Station. Follow the alley and the sign comes into view — not hard to find at all.

Tomo runs across the 2nd and 3rd floors. We were seated on the 3rd floor that day. I'd pictured typical izakaya-style seating at first, but going up, the vibe was more private than expected, and I liked it.

Every seat at Tomo is a private room

What I especially liked was that every seat at Tomo is a private room! Not a loud bar where you're jammed up against the next table — we could talk comfortably among ourselves the whole meal.

So it works well with friends, but it's just as good for a quiet drink for two. If you're looking for a private space among the bars around Sharosu-gil near Seoul National University Station, this part will really appeal to you.

Also, the restroom is right there on the 3rd floor — no need to go downstairs — and it was very clean. Restroom condition is something I quietly pay attention to at bars, so this was a plus too.

Tomo's drink list: more sake and beer than expected

Walking in, I noticed Tomo had a pretty wide range of drinks ready. Our pick that day was sake! We meant to have just one bottle lightly at first, but the sashimi that came out later changed our plans completely, haha.

Checking Tomo's menu right at the table

We took our time looking over the menu at the table before ordering. There was quite a variety, but since our whole goal that day was sashimi from the start, we ordered the signature 12-kind premium sashimi for two.

The menu description read something like: "We're serious about our ingredients. We serve over 12 kinds of sashimi. Our trusted signature dish, sashimi!!" How can you not get excited reading that, haha.

Tomo's reservation and review perks worth claiming

If you're planning a visit, it's worth checking for reservation or review events. We booked through Naver Reservation and got clam butter sujjim as a service item, and after writing a Naver receipt review we got a free highball too. It felt like a lot to gain more than expected. That said, these kinds of events can change depending on when you visit, so I'd recommend checking what's currently running before you go.

Complimentary snacks at Tomo: cabbage and beans

Once you sit down at Tomo, cabbage and beans come out as basic side dishes. Good for picking at while waiting for the sashimi — and these kinds of basic sides are the ones your hand keeps reaching for while drinking, haha.

Clam butter sake steam, free with a Naver reservation

And the clam butter sujjim (steamed clams in butter and sake) came out more generous than expected! This is the dish we got as the Naver reservation service item. It came in a big bowl packed with clams, way better than I expected from a "free service" item.

We picked out the clams one by one and drank the warm broth too — it was delicious. The butter gave the broth a subtly savory taste, and being hot, it paired well with sake. The main dish hadn't even come out yet and the drinking had already started, haha.

Tomo's 12-kind premium sashimi for two arrives

And finally, the star of the day showed up! Tomo's 12-kind premium sashimi for two. The moment it landed, I went "wow, that's a lot of kinds!" It's not the style where they pile up one or two types — it's a spread where you get to enjoy a little bit of many different kinds of sashimi.

Looks even more delicious up close, right? With so many varieties, there's the fun of picking what to try next. Never once got boring since we weren't stuck eating just one kind the whole time.

The real surprise: the texture of Tomo's sashimi

But what surprised me most here wasn't the variety — it was the quality of the sashimi itself. Genuinely so chewy. This is not izakaya-level quality...! You could really feel that springy, bouncy texture when it hit your mouth, and it got better the more you chewed, so I naturally ended up eating slowly.

And above all, what I liked most was zero fishy taste! I'm a bit sensitive to fishy smell when eating raw fish, but the sashimi that day was clean, no such feeling at all. So every time we tried another kind, we kept going "this one's good too," "oh, this one's good too?"

If you're looking for a bar around Sharosu-gil near Seoul National University Station and especially love raw fish or sashimi, I really hope you try this dish at Tomo. Personally, out of everything I ate that day, this was hands down the most memorable.

Sashimi wrapped in gim (dried seaweed) tastes great too

Wrapping bites in seaweed here and there gave a whole different flavor! We tried it a few ways — a bit of wasabi on the sashimi, wrapped in seaweed, all sorts of combinations.

With more than 12 kinds coming out, there was the fun of the two of us going "this one's my favorite," "I like this one more?" and tasting our way through. A dish like this seems especially good to order on a Sharosu-gil date.

Two tokkuri of sake to go with the sashimi

Since the sashimi was so good, we naturally kept adding more drinks. Tomo's tokkuri sake was delicious too. A bite of sashimi, a sip of sake — the combo just works so well.

We definitely planned to drink lightly at first... but ended up ordering tokkuri twice, haha. I'm not usually someone who drinks a ton, but that day the food was so good the drinks just naturally kept coming. The sashimi-and-sake combo especially hit.

A receipt review at Tomo earns a free highball

We also joined the Naver receipt review event and got a free highball on top. Clam butter sujjim from the Naver reservation, then a highball from the receipt review! Feels like we cleaned up every perk available that day, haha. Between the two rounds of tokkuri and the highball, it turned into a proper drinking day.

Would I go back to Tomo for the sashimi?

Going back through the photos, the sashimi is still what sticks with me most. So many kinds meant the fun of trying a bit of everything, and above all the sashimi felt chewy and fresh — genuinely delicious. No fishy taste at all, so even I, someone who usually likes raw fish, left satisfied.

Being all private rooms made it easy to talk quietly with your group, and having the restroom right there on the 3rd floor, clean, made things convenient. So if you're looking for a bar around Sharosu-gil near Seoul National University Station and want somewhere to drink comfortably in a private room rather than somewhere loud — and you love sashimi — this place should suit you well. Next time I visit, I'll probably order the 12-kind premium sashimi again. The sashimi quality that day really carried the whole meal. 🤍