Egg tofu and torched daurade nigiri: Sushi Hibi Yeongdeungpo lunch

I had an afternoon plan near Dangsan, and while I was on my way there, a craving for sushi hit me out of nowhere. Walking in the cool breeze, I suddenly felt like I really needed a solid lunch.

Turns out there was a decent omakase place nearby, so I made time right away and stopped by!

I expected something light since it was billed as a value-for-money course, but the entrance already gave off a neat, polished impression. Watching the chef busily prepping ingredients across the counter had me excited before I even ate a bite.

The varied fish lineup and clean service gave me more satisfaction than just a regular meal.

What's in Sushi Hibi's 14-course lunch omakase?

• Egg tofu (newly renewed starter)
• Sweet shrimp with seaweed salad
• Flounder sashimi, 2 pieces (1 salt / 1 soy sauce)
• Spanish mackerel yuan-yaki with grated radish & yuzu ponzu sauce
• Squid nigiri with roasted sesame
• Horse mackerel nigiri with shiso
• Amberjack nigiri with yuzu-kosho
• Daurade nigiri with torched skin & umeboshi sauce
• Tuna loin nigiri, soy-marinated zuke style
• Mackerel nigiri with shiso, ginger, green onion
• Eel nigiri, fried in a crisp style
• Futomaki
• Goto udon
• Tamago (grilled egg with ground shrimp, cooked for 2 hours)
• Dessert

Location and hours

• Name: Sushi Hibi
• Address: 14-1 1F Dangsan-ro 32-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (168m walk from Exit 4 of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station, in the alley between Cheongjeong Hanwoo Gopchang and Asia Aviation Vocational School)
• Hours: Tue-Fri 12:00-22:00 (break 14:30-17:00, last order 20:00) / Sat-Sun 11:30-21:30 (break 14:00-17:30, last order 19:30) / Closed every Monday
• Parking: Nearby public parking lot recommended
• Order: [Lunch] Counter omakase ₩50,000

Space and atmosphere

Calm lighting and a neat bar counter

The long wood-toned counter seats have soft indirect lighting built in underneath, adding to the cozy feel. The seats are spaced generously apart, so it was really comfortable chatting quietly with my companion over lunch. Since the chef hands each piece straight out from the kitchen right in front of you, watching the prep up close was a nice bonus.

From egg tofu to smoky daurade and tamago

The egg tofu that opened the course had a soft, pudding-like texture that gently settled my empty stomach.

Sweet shrimp with tangy seaweed on the side, and

following the flounder sashimi, the Spanish mackerel yuan-yaki topped with yuzu ponzu really woke up my appetite!

Squid holding nutty roasted sesame, and horse mackerel with fragrant shiso,

then amberjack topped with yuzu-kosho kept winning me over one after another.

The daurade, its skin torched for a smoky flavor, paired with a tangy umeboshi sauce, was a strikingly harmonious bite.

Tuna loin, pleasantly marinated in soy, and

mackerel with shiso and ginger,

then eel grilled crisp like it had been fried kept the flow going without a single gap.

A generously filled futomaki, and

chewy goto udon, followed by

a tamago made with ground shrimp, carefully grilled for two hours, wrapped things up cleanly.

By the time I finished the sweet dessert, I felt pleasantly full!

A 2-3 month renewal cycle and careful cooking

It was fascinating that this place completely reworks the whole course every 2-3 months to match the season. Like the egg tofu debuting that very day, the care they put into highlighting seasonal ingredients with a fresh twist each time really stood out.

They didn't hold back on labor-intensive techniques either, like the tamago grilled for two hours or the eel cooked in a way that's almost like frying.

Across the counter, the chef handed each piece over with an explanation at just the right pace, making the whole meal feel really comfortable.

Since the menu gets renewed each cycle, it would be fun to come back with each change of season and try the new lineup.

A counter lunch worth returning to every season

Thanks to the neatly crafted 14-course lineup, I felt like I'd been treated to a genuinely good lunch for the first time in a while. I'm already curious what seasonal fish the course will feature next quarter! If you're looking for a sushi restaurant near Yeongdeungpo with great value and a solid lineup, I'd recommend this place without hesitation. I left feeling pleasantly full and ready to head into the rest of my day.