Omakase restaurant in Seongnam: Suyori Sikdang’s 18-course lunch

Where is Suyori Sikdang, and how do reservations work?

My mother and I went to Suyori Sikdang (수요리식당) for a weekend lunch course. It is a Japanese course restaurant in B126 on the first basement level of Building B at Samwhan Hi-Pex in Pangyo.

It was listed as reservation-only, with Catchtable and Naver Booking available. The original post lists lunch seatings as 11:40–13:00 and 13:00–14:20, and dinner as 18:00–22:00. It also lists the restaurant as open Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday. Parking is said to be free for two hours on weekdays and free on weekends.

Before going in, I looked over the menu board by the door. It listed sake, wine, beer, highballs, Korean alcoholic drinks, and beverages.

Can you see the cooking from the bar seats?

Once inside, the neatly arranged bar-table seats caught my eye. At our assigned seats, moist towels, cutlery, and water bottles were set out tidily.

From where I sat, I could see the course being prepared. Watching the cooking while we waited added to my anticipation for the meal.

What starts the weekend lunch course?

There were 18 dishes in total on the day I visited. The first was gamtae juk (sweet seaweed porridge) with shiitake mushrooms. It was soft and mild, making for an easy start to the meal.

The second was steamed abalone. I dipped thick slices of abalone in geuwoo sauce (abalone liver sauce).

Sashimi came third. Tasting the different kinds of raw fish one piece at a time let me notice their distinct flavors.

How were the sushi and kaisendon?

The fourth dish, flounder sushi, came with truffle oil and scallions. I could taste the truffle aroma as I ate it.

The fifth was red sea bream, which I usually enjoy as well. I liked its mild flavor.

The sixth was smoked mejimaguro (young bluefin tuna). The smoke aroma added another layer to the soft tuna, making it taste different from the sushi before it.

For the seventh dish, I mixed the mini kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) thoroughly and wrapped it in gim (dried seaweed).

The eighth, herring, was topped with finely chopped pickled ginger. Its soft texture was complemented by a fresh taste.

The ninth, spear squid, was mild and pleasantly chewy. It was nice to see an ingredient I already like.

The tenth, akami (lean tuna), was topped with basil pesto. The flavors of the tuna and basil worked well together.

What dishes follow in the latter half of the course?

The eleventh dish, fried eggplant, was crisp outside and filled with minced shrimp. The twelfth, tuna belly, seemed to melt softly in my mouth.

The thirteenth was mackerel sushi. I like raw mackerel, but I find it difficult to find places that prepare it without a fishy taste; I enjoyed it here.

The fourteenth, uni gamtae (sea urchin with sweet seaweed), was flavorful yet fresh. The fifteenth, futomaki (thick sushi roll), stood out for its large size and had a soft texture.

Warm udon came sixteenth. It was nice to have something warm after the sushi, and the noodles were springy.

The seventeenth dish, tempura, arrived freshly fried, warm and crisp. The final, eighteenth dish was yuzu sherbet. Its sweet, tart flavor and chewy texture made it a fitting end to the meal.

How was lunch with my mother?

As my mother and I savored each dish, time passed quickly. She enjoyed the meal very much too. With several dishes served in sequence at a tidy table, I felt it could also suit a family meal with parents.

Because it is in Techno Valley, I also pictured having a course meal there with colleagues or for a company dinner. I thought it could be worth visiting on a day when I wanted a course meal alone.