Ilsan sushi with a toddler, sides included: Hwangje Sushi Ilsan

Going to a sushi restaurant with a three-year-old always comes with the same worry — "what's the kid going to eat?" Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch took a lot of that worry off my mind. Order sushi here and it doesn't just arrive alone; you get seasonal porridge, grilled fish, mini udon and more alongside it, which made this a surprisingly good spot to bring a toddler.

Location and standard setup at Hwangje Sushi Ilsan

Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch sits across from Ilsan Lake Park, between Jeongbalsan and Madu stations — a good spot for a meal after a walk around the lake or Western Dom. What I especially liked was that ordering sushi brings seasonal porridge, salad, mini udon, grilled fish, and tempura along with it!

On our visit, the porridge came with grilled salmon, which turned out to be a really welcome combination for us with a three-year-old in tow.

The baby ate the abalone porridge really well, and once we flaked apart the grilled salmon, she ate that easily too. Coming to a sushi place without ordering a separate kids' menu and still having plenty for her to eat made this an easy family meal.

The mini udon our baby loved most

And the surprise star of the meal was the mini udon! It comes as part of the sushi order, and our three-year-old ate the noodles so well. After the abalone porridge, grilled salmon, egg sushi, sweet shrimp, grilled beef, and then the udon — there was no need to prepare a separate baby meal at all.

Today's Sushi 10-piece set, ₩16,000

The Today's Sushi 10-piece set was great value. It's made up of relatively approachable pieces — flounder, seasonal live-caught fish, salmon, tuna, sweet shrimp, squid, scallop, egg, and fried tofu.

The adults ate the raw fish pieces, while we shared small bits of the egg sushi and sweet shrimp with the baby — she ate them very well. The egg sushi in particular disappeared in no time, exactly as expected. 😂

Assorted Sushi 10-piece set, ₩19,000

If you want a bit more variety, the Assorted Sushi 10-piece set is a good option too. It includes flounder, seasonal live-caught fish, salmon (2 pieces), tuna (2 pieces), sweet shrimp, soy-marinated shrimp, grilled salmon, and grilled beef.

I personally liked that this set includes grilled salmon and grilled beef, not just raw fish. With a young kid, you can't really give them raw fish, but cooked items like these can be shared.

Our baby ate the grilled beef really well too, so what started as a meal for mom and dad ended up feeding the whole family properly.

So for anyone looking for kid-friendly restaurants in Ilsan or a family dining spot in Ilsan you can visit with a child, this one seems especially worth trying.

Hwangje Sushi's thick-cut fish left an impression

The adults were satisfied too. Hwangje Sushi is said to specialize in aged sushi, using fish aged at low temperatures, and the slices on top of the rice were fairly thick — each piece was satisfying to eat on its own.

Today's Sushi is ₩16,000 and Assorted Sushi is ₩19,000, and when you factor in that each 10-piece set comes with porridge, salad, udon, grilled fish, and tempura, it's a pretty filling meal for the price.

What the baby was able to eat, in order

Above all, when you go to a sushi restaurant with a young child like ours, the biggest worry is always "will there be anything for the baby to eat?" — so having more options than expected was the most satisfying part.

• Abalone porridge
• Grilled fish (grilled salmon)
• Mini udon
• Egg sushi
• Sweet shrimp
• Grilled beef

If you're looking for a sushi restaurant near Ilsan Lake Park or somewhere you can comfortably eat with a three-year-old, Hwangje Sushi Ilsan Main Branch is worth a visit. The adults enjoyed the sushi and the baby ate way more than expected, so the whole family left full. :)