Weekend sushi dinner & Kirin draft beer in Gwanghwamun: Elephant Sushi

Today I'm reviewing a real-deal sushi spot I found in Gwanghwamun, the heart of Seoul! The area around Gwanghwamun Station is a lunch haven for office workers and a popular weekend outing, and if you want proper sushi with a cold draft beer, I highly recommend Elephant Sushi. Authentic sushi quality at a reasonable price. Let me walk you through it in detail :)

Where is Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun, and is there parking?

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is at 178 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul, B1 Floor, Unit B109-5, in the basement of the KT Gwanghwamun building. By subway, it's easy to find: the B1 floor of the KT Gwanghwamun building connects directly to Exit 2 of Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5.

It's right across from the Sejong Center and very close to Kyobo Bookstore Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung, so it's a perfect stop before or after a date or a cultural outing.

For parking, you can use the KT Gwanghwamun branch lot, with 2 hours covered when you eat here. If the lot is full, parking may not be possible, so I'd recommend public transport for peace of mind.

Atmosphere and seating at Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun

The restaurant is neat and tidy, with Japanese-style posters and Japanese music playing. The building itself is already very clean, but once you step inside Elephant Sushi you feel its own charm.

It gives a very clean, orderly impression, but thanks to the Japanese-style posters here and there and the gentle Japanese songs, I suddenly felt like I was in a local sushi-ya in Japan!

There are bar seats where you can watch the chef shape the sushi right in front of you, and table seats where you can chat comfortably with your group.

It's no pressure for eating solo, and it's also a wonderful mood for a quiet drink with coworkers or a partner after work.

Wait times and takeout at Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun

I visited on a weekend evening, and by around 6 the table seats were almost full. On weekday lunches there may be a wait because of all the office workers.

Sushi takeout is available too, haha.

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun menu: sets, sashimi and kids' sushi

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun has reasonably put-together A, B and C set menus,

plus à la carte sushi, kaisendon (raw fish rice bowl), assorted sashimi, and even kids' sushi for families.

If you get the Naver coupon, the Kirin draft beer is free, so don't miss it!

What comes in the Elephant Sushi B set?

The B set is 12 pieces of sushi plus cold soba, with salad and soup coming out first. We ordered two B sets. First came a neat salad and soup.

Even the glass bottle holding the soy sauce was so clean and cute.

This photo is the A set. The next table's sushi was served to us by mistake and I took the photo without realizing ^ ^; I'm posting it anyway so you can see the A set too!

This is the B set we ordered. It comes with 12 pieces of assorted sushi and refreshing cold soba.

The moment the sushi arrived, I could tell from the color that it was something special. From the live-caught fish to the salmon, tuna and shrimp, the freshness was excellent, and the amount and seasoning of the shari (sushi rice) were just right, so it melted in my mouth.

How does the sushi go with Kirin draft beer?

The Kirin draft beer here was very cold, with foam as soft as cream. And of course, I can't skip the Kirin draft beer!

The draft beer was so, so cold, and the foam was creamy and soft. Really delicious.

Chewing fresh, clean-tasting sushi and then washing it down with cold Kirin draft beer was the best combination, haha.

The set also includes cold soba, so you get something cool and clean on the side.

The live-caught fish, especially the tuna, salmon and flounder sushi, were fresh and delicious.

À la carte add-ons: salmon sushi and swordfish sushi with cheese sauce

After finishing the B set, we ordered more salmon sushi and swordfish sushi topped with cheese à la carte. We were already full after the huge futomaki (thick sushi roll) too, but I ordered more of the pieces I liked most, haha.

These are my favorites: salmon sushi and cheese-topped swordfish sushi!

The swordfish sushi with cheese sauce shows off the kitchen's know-how, with a rich, nutty flavor that fills your mouth.

The salmon sushi was outstanding, with its characteristic richness and softness. There's also a set made only of salmon sushi, so if you love salmon I recommend that too.

Elephant Sushi, a lovely sushi spot that felt like a little Japan inside Gwanghwamun, won me over with sushi true to the basics and the pairing with cold draft beer. I definitely want to go back ♥