Weekend dinner tuna belly at a Gwanghwamun sushi spot: Elephant Sushi

A weekend evening review of a Gwanghwamun sushi spot — Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun.

I finally made it to this popular sushi spot near Gwanghwamun, a favorite of the office crowd in the area. I'd tried to go for weekday lunch once but the line was too long, so this time I came back on a weekend evening. The sushi sets were solid and it felt like an easy place to visit whether you're eating alone, on a date, out with coworkers, or with family — let me introduce Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun.

Where is Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun, and how busy is it on a weekend evening?

Elephant Sushi is located on the basement floor of KT Tower in Gwanghwamun. It's connected to Exit 2 of Gwanghwamun Station, so you can actually walk straight in underground. I visited on a weekend evening and the table turnover was pretty quick.

To the left of the entrance there are sushi bar seats, and table seats are set up on the opposite side. Since there are bar seats good for solo dining, it's not intimidating to come in and eat sushi alone!

The menu and first spread: two Elephant Sushi B sets and one kaisendon

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun has a wide menu ranging from sushi set meals to à la carte sushi, kids' sushi, pork loin cutlet, mixed sashimi, sashimi rice bowl, and kaisendon (mixed sashimi rice bowl). This time we ordered two Elephant Sushi B sets and a kaisendon.

Before the food arrived, they brought out soup and salad first. The salad had a savory dressing that felt like black sesame, but as I kept eating I could taste the tang of yuzu too. Savory yet refreshing, it was a great way to whet the appetite before the meal — yum.

What comes in the 28,000 won Elephant Sushi B set (12 pieces)

The Elephant Sushi B set is ₩28,000 for 12 pieces of sushi plus salad, soup, and udon. For takeout, they give you a potato croquette instead of the udon.

White fish, salmon, shrimp, ankimo (monkfish liver), futomaki, and more all come out together on one plate. They said the lineup can vary slightly day to day. Each piece had a thick slice of fish on top, so I felt full after working through just a few.

For the pieces where it worked, they tucked chopped scallion under the fish, which made the aroma and flavor richer with each bite. Overall there was no fishy taste at all, and the fish was well aged, melting in the mouth. The rice, too, had no clumps and just dissolved.

Summer swap: cold buckwheat soba instead of udon

The udon that comes with the Elephant Sushi B set apparently turns into cool cold soba during summer. Eating the cold soba in between pieces of sushi gave a refreshing, palate-cleansing feeling, which I liked. Though for my taste the seasoning was a bit mild — a stronger broth would have made it even better.

Kaisendon at 23,000 won, with the rice portion adjustable

The kaisendon is ₩23,000. This bowl, topped with a variety of sashimi, had a lineup that mostly overlapped with the fish in my Elephant Sushi B set.

Being able to adjust the amount of rice to your liking is the real perk of the kaisendon!

The tuna belly that stood out most at Elephant Sushi

I don't usually go for red-fleshed fish, but the tuna belly I had that day had zero fishy taste. It melted so softly the moment it hit my mouth that I fell for it instantly — out of everything I ate that day, the tuna is what stuck with me most, haha.

Is Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun worth it? Final verdict

Overall, this was a place with a wide variety of sushi and thick, fresh cuts of fish, making it fun to try one piece after another. The tuna belly in particular was so delicious that it stood out most from everything I ate that day. Whether you're dining solo, on a date, or grabbing lunch with coworkers, Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is an easy-to-visit Gwanghwamun restaurant and a sushi spot worth enjoying for its variety.