Sushi bar in Hapjeong: aged sashimi & aged-kimchi wraps, Sushi Sakaba

What is Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong like?

Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is a sushi restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building between Hapjeong and Hongdae. At lunch it serves sushi sets, and at dinner sashimi sets, so you can eat well and happily either way.

We got off at Hapjeong Station and it was only about a 5-minute walk, so very easy to reach. These days it feels like more of these great restaurants are popping up in Hapjeong than in Hongdae~!

What are the lunch special menu and prices at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong?

The lunch special runs on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with sushi sets, hoedeopbap (raw fish rice bowl), mulhoe noodles (cold raw fish soup) and more at ₩13,000–15,000. The lunch special menu was the first thing I noticed when I walked in, and I thought it would be perfect when you can't decide on lunch as an office worker around Hapjeong or Hongdae.

Lunch special (weekdays 11:30–14:00)

• Mulhoe noodles ₩15,000
• Soba set ₩13,000 (seasonal)
• Sushi set ₩14,000
• Hoedeopbap (raw fish rice bowl) ₩13,000
• Pork cutlet ₩13,000
• Fresh cod soup ₩15,000 (seasonal)

À la carte sushi prices

• Flounder ₩2,200 / mackerel ₩2,200 / salmon ₩2,000
• Long shrimp ₩1,500 / shrimp ₩1,500 / egg sushi ₩1,500
• Tuna back ₩3,000 / tuna belly ₩4,000 / sweet shrimp ₩4,000
• Mullet ₩1,800 / Spanish mackerel ₩1,800 / yellowtail ₩1,800
• Greater amberjack ₩3,000 / sea bream ₩2,500 / abalone ₩2,500
• Herring ₩2,000 / gurnard ₩2,000 / monkfish liver ₩3,500

Dishes sourced from the dawn market

• Sokcho mulhoe: small ₩38,000 / large ₩52,000
• Assorted aged sashimi: Mini ₩38,000 / Small ₩50,000 / Medium ₩69,000 / Large ₩89,000
• Salmon tower sushi ₩24,000

They also sell à la carte sushi, so you can order extra to match your appetite, and when I looked up reviews before visiting, the salmon tower sushi was a popular pick.

What are the atmosphere and seating like?

Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong has tables for 4, 6 and 8, plus terrace seats on the 2nd floor. The sushi spot looked really cozy and nice. The terrace seats especially look perfect for an outdoor drinking session in this time of year.

The moment we sat down, we were served soft steamed egg and a salad. You could tell they put a lot of care into every single dish.

How did the small aged sashimi for 2 with a sharii set taste?

At Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong we ordered the small aged sashimi (for 2) plus a sharii (sushi rice) set~! The cabbage, aged kimchi and rice that came as the sharii were generous enough to make even sashimi filling.

Even though it was aged sashimi, the chewy texture like live fish and the soft flavor made it a fantastic drinking snack.

Shrimp, tuna, salmon, and even uni (sea urchin), which I usually can't afford, so the aged sashimi lineup in a single dish was really well packed.

Types of aged sashimi

Aged sashimi wrapped in cabbage, aged kimchi and rice

Wrapping it with cabbage, aged kimchi, ssamjang (dipping sauce) and rice made it as filling as sushi, and let us enjoy a variety of aged sashimi. We came without having had dinner, so we added the sharii and piled the sashimi on top.

Sushi Sakaba serves fresh, high-quality aged sashimi in thick, generous cuts like this. Since it's right in Hapjeong, I definitely recommend a visit.

Dinner or lunch: when should you go to Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong?

I recommend trying the aged sashimi at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong at dinner, while at lunch ordering sushi is easy on the wallet. The soft aged sashimi without any fishy smell and the live-fish chewiness left a deep impression, so do visit at dinner, and since sushi for a Hapjeong lunch seems affordable, it would also work as an office lunch around Hongdae and Hapjeong.