Gwanghwamun Station sushi, free sake on the rocks: Elephant Sushi

Elephant Sushi is a sushi restaurant inside the KT Gwanghwamun branch building, right in the heart of Gwanghwamun. If conveyor-belt sushi is all about cheap and cheerful, Elephant Sushi in the city center is the opposite — the quality of the sushi is genuinely impressive.

With its assorted sushi sets, sashimi rice bowls, kaisendon and other meal menus, this Gwanghwamun sushi spot draws a lunchtime queue of office workers.

Where is Elephant Sushi at Gwanghwamun Station, and how is the seating?

You don't even need to step outside Exit 2 — it connects directly from the subway to the basement floor of the KT Gwanghwamun branch, which is a huge plus in this scorching summer heat.

The basement food court of the KT Gwanghwamun branch has Chinese, Japanese, Western and Korean restaurants plus coffee shops, and Elephant Sushi specializes in sushi platters.

Counter seats where you can watch the sushi chef at work

The inner area has a spacious layout with 4-person and 2-person tables.

The cold draft beer and highballs listed on the menu were seriously tempting haha ^^

Elephant Sushi menu and prices

Elephant Sushi's meal menu includes kaisendon at ₩23,000, a veggie-loaded sashimi rice bowl at ₩18,000, yaki onigiri ochazuke at ₩8,000, and assorted sashimi at ₩50,000 for 2 / ₩70,000 for 3 / ₩90,000 for 4.

• Salt-grilled red seabream collar ₩5,000
• Salt-grilled salmon collar ₩5,000
• Grilled sablefish (miso-marinated) ₩18,000
• Futomaki ₩15,000
• Plump fried shrimp ₩12,000
• Buffalo wings ₩12,000

• Elephant A (10 pieces + cold soba) ₩19,000
• Elephant B (12 pieces + cold soba) ₩28,000
• Elephant B (14 pieces + cold soba) ₩38,000
• Akami platter (10 pieces + cold soba) ₩40,000
• Toro platter (10 pieces + cold soba) ₩50,000
• Akami-toro half & half (10 pieces + cold soba) ₩45,000

Elephant A vs Elephant B: what's the difference?

Elephant A: raw salmon, fried tofu, egg, fatty tuna belly, white fish, amberjack, mackerel, futomaki

Elephant B: white fish x2, fatty tuna belly, mackerel, akami (lean tuna), amberjack, grilled salmon, soy-marinated shrimp, squid, monkfish liver, swordfish, futomaki

Comparing the assorted sushi sets, I went with Elephant B.

If you order through the table tablet and join the Naver review event, you get a free potato croquette and a glass of on-the-rock sake.

Elephant Sushi uses imported Japanese Kikkoman soy sauce.

I also liked that they had cold tea on the table instead of plain water.

Free sake on the rocks from the review event

The on-the-rock sake I got for joining the Naver event. A glass of sake over ice, just as refreshing as a cold beer on a hot summer day.

Elephant Sushi includes cabbage salad and miso soup with every meal order.

Cabbage salad topped with black sesame dressing

Savory Japanese miso soup

Elephant B assorted sushi with cold soba

The Elephant B assorted sushi I ordered arrives

A big futomaki roll at this Gwanghwamun Station favorite. A generous assorted sushi platter with fatty tuna belly, akami and more

Cold soba comes included with the assorted sushi set.

Refreshing cold soba with seasoned seaweed and a slushy icy broth you can drink to the last drop

Besides the assorted sushi, I additionally ordered the à la carte futomaki. Futomaki actually looks more appetizing here in Korea than it does in Japan.

The free potato croquette

The potato croquette from the Naver review event

No flour at all — this original-style potato croquette is made purely from potato. Crispy outside, fluffy potato inside, the flavor is amazing.

What's in the 12-piece Elephant B set?

The Elephant B set from Elephant Sushi's assorted sushi lineup. 12 pieces of sushi in total: soy-marinated shrimp, squid, grilled salmon, swordfish, amberjack, monkfish liver gunkan

Futomaki, fatty tuna belly, white fish, akami, mackerel

No egg or fried tofu sushi here — the Elephant B set is packed entirely with sashimi-grade sushi.

Fresh wasabi sits next to the monkfish liver gunkan.

The pickled ginger served with the assorted sushi looked great too.

The first sushi in the set was akami.

Followed by fatty tuna belly sushi

Elephant Sushi says they low-temperature age their fish, adjusting the salt amount and aging time for each species to get the moisture and firmness exactly right.

The neta (fish topping) was fresh, and the amount of shari (rice) was just right for a perfect single bite.

Adding a ₩15,000 futomaki roll

Futomaki may have originated in Japan, but the version served here in Korea is much bigger, with more varied and luxurious fillings than what you'd find in Japan. Elephant Sushi's futomaki is packed full with salmon, fried shrimp, rolled egg, fried tofu and more.

The end piece of the futomaki is the non-negotiable part haha — the salmon in the end piece looked huge.

When I pulled the salmon out of the end piece, quite a lot of it came out. You could probably take the futomaki apart and eat it as a side dish for drinks.

Fried shrimp inside the futomaki end piece

Really enjoyed the assorted sushi set at this Gwanghwamun Station sushi favorite, Elephant Sushi ^^

Elephant Sushi hours and directions from Gwanghwamun Station

• Elephant Sushi, Monday–Sunday 11:00–21:00
• Break time 15:00–17:00
• Closed days: none, open year-round
• Line 5 Gwanghwamun Station Exit 2, underground passage via KT Tower West B1
• Basement floor food court of KT Gwanghwamun branch