Hongdae sushi date: onion-topped salmon and smoky beef at Yu Iksang

What kind of sushi restaurant is Yu Iksang Sushi in Hongdae?

Yu Iksang Sushi (유익상스시) is a sushi specialist on Wausan-ro 23-gil in Hongdae, and the chef apparently has a whole 16 years of Japanese cooking experience. I found this sushi spot 🍣 while out on a date with my boyfriend in Hongdae. It has a 4.9 rating, so I was curious, and when I actually ate there the portions were generous and you could feel the freshness and care put into the ingredients.

Hongdae sushi hotspot: Yu Iksang Sushi

Yu Iksang Sushi location and opening hours

• 📍 Location: 18-7 Wausan-ro 23-gil, Unit 101, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:00)
• Closed on Mondays

Atmosphere at Yu Iksang Sushi: good for a date or eating solo?

The inside of Yu Iksang Sushi is cozy and clean, so it's comfortable whoever you come with! The seating layout is efficient, and for couples out on a date it's nice for a quiet, intimate chat. There are also bar seats (dacchi) for people dining alone, so you can eat without worrying about anyone's stares!!

Yu Iksang Sushi menu

The menu has so many options! There are couple sets, from Couple A to B sets, to suit your taste, plus half-and-half sushi (banban chobap) where you build your own combination. There are also sides like single-piece sushi, rolls, rice bowls and noodle dishes, as well as drinks, so you can enjoy it however you like.

We ordered the Couple A Plus! (₩56,000)

In what order does the Couple A Plus set come out?

The Couple A Plus set starts with salad, clear soup (jangguk) and cold soba. The salad went so well with its sauce that it was perfect for getting the appetite going, and the cold soba was clean and good too 👍

A brush comes with it so you can brush soy sauce onto the sushi!

Fried shrimp comes too. You know it's better eaten right away while it's hot, right?! haha

And then the Couple A Plus set arrives! The table gets so full you wonder, can we even finish this...?

Couple A Plus set contents

• Flatfish / red drum-type white fish, jeomseongeo (4 pieces)
• Salmon (2 pieces)
• Beef (2 pieces)
• Tuna (4 pieces)
• Grilled roll (2 pieces)
• Garlic crab stick aburi (seared) (4 pieces)
• Tamago (egg) aburi (2 pieces)
• Webfoot octopus (jjukkumi) aburi (2 pieces)
• Scallop aburi (2 pieces)

How do the long-tail flatfish, salmon and tuna sushi taste?

The flatfish, salmon and tuna sushi are the basics, live fish and aged fish, and they were so fresh and delicious! The long-tail pieces especially are sliced long, so you get the full texture of the fish. Your mouth gets completely stuffed with raw fish, lol.

You brush soy sauce onto the tail like this, and eating it with the aged kimchi (mukeunji) on top was such a good combo!

The salmon sushi is great with onion too! Sometimes sushi with lots of rice leaves me wanting more fish, but I loved that at Yu Iksang Sushi you get to eat so much salmon, lol.

There's no wasabi inside the sushi, so add it on the side to your taste!!

How were the grilled roll and beef sushi?

The grilled roll in the Couple A Plus set adds a nutty flavor to a sushi lineup that could otherwise feel a bit plain, and it was really good. The tempura crumbs sprinkled on top were the highlight!

The one that hit my meat-loving taste was the beef sushi! Juicy and smoky from the torch, so tasty. It's tender, not tough, a flavor anyone from kids to grandparents would like.

Is the Couple A Plus at Yu Iksang Sushi enough for two?

The Couple A Plus set has 26 varied pieces, so picking through them one by one we got comfortably full without ever getting tired of it haha. The freshness of the ingredients themselves was perfect too, so both taste and quality made it a satisfying meal. If you're looking for a no-fail sushi place in Hongdae, definitely try Yu Iksang Sushi!!