# Seolleung sushi restaurant serving à la carte uni and otoro: Sakai - By Doyun (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-second-chair/) - Written Sep 14, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul - Sponsored: This is a sponsored visit written in partnership with the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-second-chair/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-second-chair/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/index.md) ## In short Sakai is a sushi restaurant near Exit 2 of Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul, where diners order individual pieces by writing them on a Post-it note. A 12-piece order of amberjack, salmon, halibut, uni, snow crab, otoro and tamago came to about 70,000 won at Sakai, and the rice temperature and light vinegar seasoning kept each fish tasting like itself. The quiet wood-toned room suits a date or a solo dinner after work. ## Good to know - **Location**: Near Exit 2 of Seolleung Station (15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, 1st floor, Unit 101, Gangnam-gu, Seoul) - **How to order**: Write the pieces you want on a Post-it note - **Order that day**: Amberjack x2, salmon x3, halibut x2, uni x2, tamago x1, snow crab x1, otoro x1 (12 pieces total) - **Total paid**: About 70,000 won - **Seating**: Tables and a dachi (bar counter) facing an open kitchen - **Price reference**: ₩70,000 ≈ $52 (2026-09-15) *as written by the visitor on Sep 14, 2026* The weather's been cooling down lately and I was craving proper sushi, so I made my way to Sakai, a Japanese restaurant near Seolleung Station! It's an easy spot to swing by after work or on the weekend, so I went in with a light heart — and the quality of the ingredients ended up exceeding my expectations. So let me introduce this Seolleung go-to, a Seolleung izakaya and Seolleung sushi spot. ![Exterior of Sakai, a Japanese restaurant near Seolleung Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-01-1w4bu-1200.webp) ![View around Sakai's entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-02-h6dvy-900.webp) ![Sign for Sakai, a sushi restaurant in Seolleung](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-03-12anl-900.webp) ![Full view of Sakai's storefront entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-04-xhssi-900.webp) ## Where is Sakai? Near Exit 2 of Seolleung Station Sakai is close to Exit 2 of Seolleung Station. The exterior looked clean and put together from the start, which already put me in a good mood. Shall we go in together? ## Ordering 12 à la carte sushi pieces on a Post-it for about 70,000 won Sakai's menu had a range of options laid out, and you could order simply by writing on a Post-it note. I ended up ordering 12 pieces as below. ![Individual sushi order written on a Post-it note](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-05-fl18t-675.webp) There's real fun in picking out exactly the pieces you want, so I carefully wrote it all out on the memo. This is the combination I put together to suit my own taste. The total came to about ₩70,000. - Amberjack x2 - Salmon x3 - Halibut x2 - Uni (sea urchin) x2 - Tamago (egg) x1 - Snow crab x1 - Otoro (fatty tuna belly) x1 ## How did each piece taste — halibut, amberjack, uni, salmon and otoro? I started with the most basic piece, halibut, and it was aged just right, with a nice chewiness still alive in it. The amberjack was in season, so the fat content was just right — crisp yet rich and nutty, truly excellent. ![A plate of in-season amberjack sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-06-1oq7b-900.webp) The uni had no bitterness at all — just a sweet ocean fragrance drifting through, and I ate it in awe. ![Uni sushi with a fragrant sea aroma](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-07-1ufb3-900.webp) ![Close-up shot of uni sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-08-f64lu-900.webp) Salmon is my favorite cut, which is why I ordered 3 pieces of it, and it melted away smoothly with zero fishiness. The otoro I'd been looking forward to hit my mouth with an instant, deep tuna flavor and rich, fatty umami spreading through. ![Otoro fatty tuna belly sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-09-fatz6-900.webp) Overall the freshness of the sashimi was excellent and the rice wasn't overseasoned, so it was easy to taste the ingredients as they truly are. ![Plating of Sakai's individual sushi pieces](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-10-1t7kd-900.webp) ![Nigiri sushi shaped by the chef](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-11-16uy8-900.webp) A moment I was won over by the visuals and by the taste alike. Chef, you're the best... ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The snow crab was generously packed with meat, and its clean, subtle sweetness was the charm. ![Snow crab sushi generously packed with meat](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-12-1k1dd-900.webp) I'd recommend this to anyone near Seolleung Station who wants to enjoy quiet, clean, delicious sushi — or to anyone who wants to hand-pick high-quality individual pieces to their own taste. 100% would come back! ## Why Sakai's shari worked: rice temperature, tamago and vinegar seasoning Sakai's sushi wasn't served too cold or too firm — it came at a temperature close to body heat once it hit my mouth, which made a great first impression. There was just the right amount of air held between the grains, so when I picked it up with chopsticks it held together, but the moment it hit my mouth, it fell apart gently. They say you can judge a Japanese restaurant's skill by its egg, right? The tamago had a sweet yet fluffy, moist texture, perfect as a palate cleanser to end the meal. I get why it's earned its reputation as a Seolleung go-to, a Seolleung izakaya and Seolleung sushi spot. ![Tamago sushi eaten to finish the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-13-1c1q7-900.webp) ![Close-up of the tamago sushi plate](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-14-e6p8j-900.webp) The vinegar seasoning wasn't overly sour or sweet — it leaned clean with a lingering umami, so it naturally supported everything from the gentle sweetness of white fish to the richness of fattier cuts without getting in the way. The sashimi was never so thin that you only tasted rice, nor so thick that it left a chewy texture behind — the rice and fish were cut to the exact thickness where they chew and go down together at the same pace. ![Cross-section of nigiri showing matched rice and fish thickness](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-15-keaas-966.webp) There was no fishy taste or off smell at all, and you could immediately sense this is a place that pays close attention to freshness management. ![Close-up of a plate of Sakai sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-16-1pbu8-900.webp) ![Sushi topped with fresh sashimi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-17-fvgjw-900.webp) ## Inside Sakai: wood-toned room and the dachi bar seats Sakai overall uses warm wood tones and understated, gentle lighting. It's cozy and comfortable enough that you forget you're in the middle of busy downtown Gangnam. Instead of the loud, cluttered feel of a typical restaurant, it's a great place to chat quietly and focus fully on the meal. Hygiene matters more than anything at a Japanese restaurant, and both the tables and the dachi (bar counter) surface were perfectly tidy, which built real trust. With the open kitchen layout, you can watch the chef carefully shaping each piece of sushi right in front of you, and the cooking space itself was kept impressively clean. The tables had generous spacing rather than being crammed together, so I could relax without worrying about the next table over. ![Interior of Sakai with wood-toned decor](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-18-1204m-900.webp) ![Tidy dachi bar counter seating](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-19-1deq2-900.webp) ![Interior view showing the open kitchen](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-20-1uizq-900.webp) ![Table seating with generous spacing](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-21-aj7v3-900.webp) It'd make a fine date spot, and it's just as good for a quiet, healing sushi session for yourself after work. ![Sakai's dining hall under soft lighting](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-22-1bkwb-900.webp) ![A cozy corner of the restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-23-1q7zq-900.webp) ![Overview of Sakai's interior finish and seating](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai-24-1469q-900.webp) ## 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/@seoul-second-chair/seolleung-sushi-a-la-carte-twelve-pieces-sakai/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt