Hongdae sushi restaurant with smoky beef sushi: Yu Iksang Sushi

Yu Iksang Sushi, the Hongdae sushi restaurant famous for its extra-long tail sushi

I finally made it to Yu Iksang Sushi, which has been getting a lot of buzz lately as a Hongdae sushi spot. I'd been curious ever since I heard it was famous for extra-long tail sushi. I finally went, so let me leave a detailed review today~ This place is also perfect for a Hongdae date course, honestly. The vibe is great and the portions are generous, so I'd highly recommend it as a date spot!

Location and hours of Yu Iksang Sushi

Yu Iksang Sushi is at 18-7 Wausan-ro 23-gil, 101ho, Mapo-gu, Seoul, and it's open from 11am to 9pm. It's closed every Monday.

I took the subway and got off at Hongik University Station. There's an AK Plaza right in front of the station, so I browsed around there a bit before heading to the restaurant.

Just make sure to check that it's closed every Monday before you go! If I hadn't checked ahead, I would have made a wasted trip. The hours run from 11am to 9pm with no separate break time, so it was nice not having to worry about timing. It's tucked up an alley above the main strip, giving it a quieter, cozier feel.

Full even at 2pm on a weekend, only a 5-minute wait

Since it was the weekend, I figured it'd be crowded, so I deliberately went past 2pm to avoid lunch hour — but it was already fully seated. Luckily, some customers were just leaving, so I only had to wait about five minutes before getting a table.

The vibe: counter and table seats with anime posters

Inside Yu Iksang Sushi, there were both counter seats and table seats.

Anime posters were plastered all over the place, so it was fun to look around while waiting. It felt like every little detail had been thoughtfully put together~

I also liked that every table had a tablet, so I could order at my own pace looking at menu photos without needing to call a staff member. The menu was so varied that I wanted to try everything, but after some deliberation I decided on the Couple A Plus.

It comes with a whopping 26 pieces, which turned out to be just the right amount for two people to share. If you want to eat well and thoroughly, I'd highly recommend this menu!

The base spread: salad, cold soba, soybean paste soup, fried shrimp

After ordering, the base setup came out one after another. Salad, cold soba, and soybean paste soup arrived first, followed by fried shrimp on the side. It was a great combo for whetting the appetite before the meal.

Once we'd cleared most of the base spread, the main event — the extra-long tail sushi — finally arrived, a whole plate heaped full.

The 26-piece Couple A Plus set

The Couple A Plus comes with a total of 26 pieces piled generously on one plate: flounder, salmon, tuna, grilled roll, garlic mackerel aburi, garlic shrimp aburi, tamago aburi, beef, baby octopus, and scallop. The visual alone was truly overwhelming.

Regular raw sushi and grilled sushi were mixed in evenly, so it was fun alternating between the two. The portion was much bigger than I expected — plenty for two people to share.

Fried shrimp and raw salmon sushi

I tried the fried shrimp first, and that's when I realized what crispy-outside-tender-inside really means! The flesh was so plump and springy, the texture was pure art~

The salmon sushi was made with raw salmon rather than smoked salmon, which hit my taste exactly right. Topped with the accompanying onion sauce, the pairing got even better.

Extra-long tail sushi eaten off a spoon in one bite

Since it's extra-long tail sushi, the fish is much bigger than the rice, so I scooped each piece onto a spoon and ate it in one bite — that feeling of my mouth being completely filled was truly delightful.

The flounder came paired with aged kimchi, and needless to say, this was genuinely delicious.

This one right here is my pick!! Who knew tangy aged kimchi and flounder would pair this well. The tuna melted the moment it hit my mouth, and I felt like I'd truly found a great Hongdae sushi spot. The beef sushi had a vivid smoky flavor that gave it a distinct charm, and

the grilled sushi came together with crispy tempura crumbs for a crunchy texture that clearly set it apart from other places. And I scored a bonus eggplant sushi as a service item!

Final thoughts

I heard the chef has experience studying in Japan, which gave me even more confidence in the taste. I could definitely tell the hand had a distinct touch.

Even after eating until I was completely stuffed, it's the kind of flavor I keep thinking about. If you're looking for a Hongdae sushi restaurant, I truly recommend Yu Iksang Sushi. It's especially worth it if you love extra-long tail sushi.

It also holds up perfectly as a Hongdae date restaurant, so I want to go again with my partner next time~ Give it a try and I bet you'll fall for it just like I did!