# Gangnam sushi bar for anago and sweet shrimp nigiri: Sakai - By Jimin R. (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-second-serving/) - Written Sep 12, 2026 - Updated Sep 13, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-second-serving/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-second-serving/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/index.md) ## In short Sakai is a sushi sakaba in Gangnam, Seoul, where diners choose individual sushi pieces. I tried benizari, abalone, anago, sweet shrimp with kimi sauce, botan shrimp, and snow crab kanizu at the counter. Verdict: a great pick for tasting a variety of sushi exactly to your taste. ## Good to know - **Address**: 101, 1F, 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 강남구 역삼로67길 15 1층 101호) - **Hours**: 17:00–01:00; last order 00:00; closed the first Tuesday of every month - **Parking**: No parking; use a nearby public parking lot - **Order requirement**: One alcoholic drink or beverage per person required - **Seating**: Counter, tables for two and four, group seating, and semi-private seating - **Menu prices**: Benizari ₩4,500; abalone ₩8,000; sweet shrimp with kimi sauce ₩4,500; anago ₩4,500; tamago ₩2,900; botan shrimp ₩12,000; snow crab kanizu ₩32,000; non-alcoholic beer ₩8,000 - **Potato salad**: ₩8,000 à la carte; complimentary with a Naver receipt review *as written by the visitor on Sep 12, 2026* I love sushi enough to travel to Japan just for it. But sushi is not all the same—every restaurant is wildly different. I have gone to plenty of low-quality sushi places and left regretting it after fishiness and poor-quality shari (seasoned sushi rice) or neta (sushi toppings).. :( Fresh neta quality and the balance of the sushi matter that much to me, so this time I found a place that made me think, “This one is good!” It is Sakai, a newly opened Seolleung sushi spot where you can enjoy great taste and quality at reasonable prices. ![Photo following the introduction to Seolleung sushi restaurant Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-01-1t05t-1200.webp) ## Sushi Sakai from Seolleung Station Sakai is a six-minute walk from Exit 1 of Seolleung Station. With several bus routes and stops nearby, it is easy to reach for people who work around Seolleung Station or are meeting up in Gangnam. > Sakai > Location: 101, 1F, 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea > Hours: 17:00–01:00 > Last order: 00:00 > Closed the first Tuesday of every month There is no parking support, so if you drive, you will need to use a nearby public parking lot. I recommend walking or public transportation instead! ![Photo following Sakai location and hours information](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-02-1mxzp-900.webp) Unlike a standard omakase, Sakai lets you choose the sushi you want, and it also has side dishes such as grilled hairtail, fried horse mackerel, and caprese. It is a sushi sakaba (a Japanese-style drinking venue centered on sushi), making it a lovely place for a meal or drinks with high-quality sushi. Chef Jeong Ji-young runs it, and I heard you can enjoy high-end-level sushi at reasonable prices. I often seek out sushi omakase, but there are surprisingly many kinds of sushi I do not prefer. Sakai stands out because it is not a fixed omakase course: you can pick as much of the sushi you want as you like. You can order many different kinds one at a time to suit your tastes, so I absolutely recommend it if you want to sample a little of everything. ## A cozy sushi sakaba in a residential alley It is in a quiet residential alley rather than a noisy, crowded dining street, which I actually loved. There is no prominent sign outside, so follow the map or look for the warmly lit exterior visible through the large windows. When you open the door, you may think, “Huh? Did I come to the wrong place?” But you are in the right spot. Go past the white noren (Japanese fabric doorway curtain), and a cozy dining room opens up~ The interior is warm and cozy, centered on wood tones. Soft yellow lighting, Japanese-style latticework, and traditional decorative pieces come together for an overall calm, restful mood! ![Sakai interior with wood-tone decor](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-03-1e208-900.webp) With counter seats, tables for two and four, and group seating, it works well for solo drinks, gatherings, dates, and work dinners alike. ![Sakai counter and table seating](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-04-1k5j1-900.webp) - Counter seats: Watch sushi being made right in front of you—a treat for both the eyes and the mouth. - Tables for two: Great for solo meals, dates, and parties of one or two. - Tables for four: Great for groups of three or four. - Semi-private seating: Not a fully enclosed private room, but more shielded from outside views than standard tables. ![Semi-private seating at Sakai](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-05-w4orr-900.webp) The tables are spaced generously apart, so even in the main dining area, you can focus on your meal and drinks without feeling awkwardly close to the next table :> ![Dining room with widely spaced tables](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-06-8q54u-900.webp) ![Dining room with widely spaced tables](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-07-kwnkj-900.webp) ## Order the day’s available sushi on Post-it notes The menu includes sushi, sashimi, snacks, desserts, fried dishes, grilled dishes, soups, and alcohol and beverages. Sushi options include tamago, filefish, flounder, sardine, sea bream, pen shell, Spanish mackerel, gizzard shad, akami tuna, mackerel, anago, striped squid, sweet shrimp with kimi sauce, yellowtail, pressed sushi, abalone, and ikura salmon roe. There are also white-fish sashimi and moriawase assortments; snacks such as cucumber and shiso salad, potato salad, caprese, vegetable sticks, and today’s braise; plus tiramisu. Karaage, chicken nanban, fried eggplant, grilled mackerel, grilled hairtail, clam miso soup, seafood ramen, and black oden are available too. The drinks selection is broad, with Suntory draft beer, bottled Asahi, Sapporo, and Kirin, soju, Kaku highballs, sours, and sake. ![Sushi and alcohol menu information](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-08-c48ld-900.webp) ![Sushi and alcohol menu information](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-09-4ocna-900.webp) Because it is a sakaba, one alcoholic drink or beverage per person is required. Non-alcoholic drinks are available too, so people new to drinking or unable to drink can enjoy it together, and daily-changing limited dishes keep things fresh. A Naver receipt review gets you complimentary potato salad. The fish they bring in changes according to availability and quality, so the sushi selection changes daily too. I loved that you can discover new sushi on every visit! Rather than deciding your sushi in advance, it is best to visit and choose from what is available that day, right? They hang up a booklet-style menu with that day’s available sushi; use it as a guide, write the sushi you want on a Post-it note, and hand it to the chef. Order complete! Easy, right~? - Check the Post-it menu for sushi available that day. - Write your order on a fresh Post-it note. - Hand it to a floor staff member. > Benizari ₩4,500 > Abalone ₩8,000 > Sweet shrimp with kimi sauce ₩4,500 > Anago ₩4,500 > Tamago ₩2,900 > Botan shrimp ₩12,000 > Snow crab kanizu ₩32,000 > Non-alcoholic beer ₩8,000 ![Post-it order menu and prices](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-10-9h5mt-900.webp) I sat at the counter. Counter seats are especially popular at a sushi sakaba and reservations fill quickly, so I recommend booking ahead. ![Counter seats recommended for reservations](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-11-d45l6-900.webp) At the counter, you can watch the chef make each piece you ordered, which is fun to see and boosts your confidence in the hygiene too. ![Neta display case in front of the counter](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-12-1fv7c-900.webp) Fish are neatly displayed in the neta case in front of the counter. Being able to check the ingredients right before your eyes shows how carefully the fresh fish is managed, and it is fun simply looking at all the neta. The cozy, familiar feeling of Japan and the chance to see the chef’s handiwork up close made this sushi sakaba even more memorable..! The table is set with napkins, soy sauce, a soy-sauce dish, water, plates, cups, and chopsticks. ## Potato salad and non-alcoholic beer > Potato salad · ₩8,000 when ordered à la carte ![À la carte potato salad information](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-13-1uhm7-900.webp) This potato salad combines nutty, mild, creamy potato with varied textures from bacon chips, cucumber, onion, and more. ![Potato salad with bacon chips and vegetables](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-14-xfuf0-900.webp) I received it through the review event rather than ordering it separately, but it was the same portion as the à la carte version. A bit much for one person..? Even better. The fluffy, soft, classic nutty and mild potato salad had salty bacon, crisp onion and cucumber, and sweet corn that popped in the mouth—such fun texture, and the umami was insane. ![Fluffy potato salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-15-zpidf-900.webp) It was fluffy and soft, so it went down so easily..? I thought I would not be able to finish it, but I guess I did not trust my stomach. I ate it all..? Sorry, stomach. > Non-alcoholic beer ₩8,000 ![Cass Zero non-alcoholic beer](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-16-1jots-900.webp) The non-alcoholic beer is Cass Zero. Want beer but taking a break from drinking... Though it is not on the menu, they have non-alcoholic drinks, so it is good to enjoy with people who cannot drink much, or people abstaining like me! ## Sushi chosen piece by piece, from benizari to botan shrimp Isn’t the fun of watching the process—and having each piece placed neatly in front of you—why you sit at the counter~? ### Benizari ₩4,500 Benizari has a soft yet firm texture, with clean flavor and a gentle nuttiness. Honestly, I do not usually like benizari, but this was reaaally.. delicious! It was chewy yet moist with wonderful texture, and the lightly torched surface gave off a subtle smoky aroma. That smokiness made the nutty flavor even richer—so good. ![Photo after smoky torch-seared benizari sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-17-jj5qp-900.webp) I love wasabi, so I asked for extra! The wasabi inside the sushi is freshly grated from wasabi root, while the extra wasabi on request is commercial fresh wasabi—just so you know :> ### Abalone ₩8,000 ![Thinly sliced abalone sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-18-nf6z3-900.webp) The abalone is sliced thinly, giving it an especially chewy yet tender texture with gentle sweetness and umami. It looked different from every abalone sushi I had eaten before. At first I thought, ₩8,000 for one piece? Isn’t that expensive? Then one bite made me rethink it.. haha. The thin slices made it feel softer, and its sweetness and nuttiness grew with every chew—I would want it even at ₩10,000 :) ### Anago ₩4,500 ![Tender saltwater eel anago sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-19-57ras-900.webp) Anago is saltwater conger eel, while unagi is freshwater eel. Sakai uses anago, whose soft, fluffy flesh melts in the mouth with a clean flavor and gentle sweetness—good. Its moderately sweet sauce does not overwhelm the anago itself but brings out its umami, making me wonder what all the sweet-and-salty eel sushi I had eaten until now was. ### Sweet shrimp with kimi sauce ₩4,500 ![Sweet shrimp sushi topped with kimi sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-20-1g35v-900.webp) This sushi pairs plump, gently sweet sweet shrimp with rich, nutty kimi sauce. Is it really okay to get three sweet shrimp for something in the ₩4,000 range..? I love it!!!! Kimi sauce is a rich, nutty sauce made with egg yolk as its base. There was no fishiness at all, so even I, someone sensitive to fishiness who does not usually enjoy raw food, could eat it comfortably. The sweet, bouncy yet soft shrimp and the rich, nutty sauce brought out each other’s strengths! ### Tamago ₩2,900 ![Moist Japanese-style tamago sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-21-43boz-900.webp) The tamago is soft and moist, with gentle sweetness and a mild flavor. You know eggs are secretly difficult to make, right? Rather than the firm texture of Korean rolled omelet, this is fluffy, moist Japanese-style tamago that goes down softly after only a few chews. It feels like the dessert of the sushi world—gently sweet and nutty—so it is a sushi everyone can enjoy regardless of age or preference. ### Botan shrimp ₩12,000 ![Bouncy botan shrimp sushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-22-1a5vh-900.webp) Botan shrimp has a bouncy bite, gentle sweetness, shrimp nuttiness, and deep umami. Someone next to me ordered it and praised it so much that I got curious and checked the menu, but it was not there..? I just wrote it on the Post-it and ordered it—maybe hidden sushi, haha. I was honestly startled by the ₩12,000 price per piece, but after eating it, I understood. Unlike ordinary shrimp, it had a firmer bounce and a richer shrimp flavor; the more I chewed, the more intensely the nuttiness and umami came through. Proper shrimp flavor, that is what I am saying :> ## Snow crab kanizu worth a one-hour wait ### Snow crab kanizu ₩32,000 They pile tobiko flying-fish roe, uni sea urchin, and all sorts of ingredients up like a mountain.. Honestly, this was what I came for, but they had run out of the crab innards sauce and said orders would only be possible in an hour. I wondered whether to give up, then thought, “I came all this way, so let’s try it!” and waited while tasting other dishes. In conclusion, it was worth waiting an hour!!!! Snow crab kanizu is made with hand-prepped body and leg meat piled high with sauce, uni, tobiko, and more. It comes with the snow crab kanizu, lime, and fresh wasabi. They kindly told me to squeeze the lime over it :) The soft, sweet crab meat and popping tobiko make the texture fun, while creamy, rich uni joins in for a mouthful of variety—heavenly, perhaps..? Snow crab is delicious anyway, but crab someone else has picked for you is always more delicious..! ![Photo after eating snow crab kanizu](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-23-115vu-900.webp) Wow.. Uni, is that you? (????) I had kept my distance from uni after eating truly fishy uni, but the uni here is the real deal.. It was creamy and smooth like cream itself, with deep nuttiness, gentle sweetness, and a subtle sea aroma. The moment I ate it, I thought I should bring my parents here. ![Photo after tasting creamy uni](https://img.superchart.com/images/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi-24-1j0mf-900.webp) Scrape, scrape.. I scraped up every last bit even though I was full, haha. If you are looking for a Gangnam place to take care of both dinner and drinks, a Korean sushi sakaba, high-quality sushi, or a Seolleung dinner or drinking spot, I recommend Sakai. ## Where it is - Sakai (사카이) - 101, 1F, 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 강남구 역삼로67길 15 1층 101호) - 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-serving/seolleung-sakai-anago-amaebi/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt