Gwanghwamun sushi restaurant for solo dining: Elephant Sushi

Today’s spot is Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun, a great sushi restaurant in Gwanghwamun. I’m such a sushi killer, so when I was craving sushi, I looked up a spot with good reviews and headed over!

How to get to Elephant Sushi from Gwanghwamun Station, plus parking

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is on Basement Level 1 of KT Gwanghwamun Building West, connected directly to Exit 2 of Gwanghwamun Station. You can get there straight from the station without going outside, which is super convenient. You can use the KT Gwanghwamun Building West underground parking lot, with the first two hours free.

An interior suited to solo meals and get-togethers

The interior is divided around the counter. On the left, there’s a row of bar seats, making it perfect to eat alone without feeling awkward. On the right are tables for two to four people, which looked great for visiting with friends or a date, or for having a relaxed meal with a group.

Even though I visited around 5 p.m. on a weekend, there were already quite a few people eating. If you’d like a more relaxed meal, I recommend reserving ahead or arriving early before the dinner rush, like I did.

I came alone and ended up at a table for two in the middle!

Trying a range of sushi with the Elephant B Set

The menu is nicely packed with a range of sushi, meal dishes, and sides. There are sushi sets for tasting many kinds at once, as well as individual sushi pieces you can choose yourself. There are also filling meal options such as udon and rice bowls alongside the sushi—perfect for a proper meal..! So I went all in on the Elephant B Set to try a little of everything, haha.

The basic sides include salad and warm udon broth. The refreshing salad is a nice light way to wake up your appetite before getting into the sushi.

What comes with the Elephant B Set

The set comes with salad, soup, and udon, plus a platter full of sushi: white fish, salmon, shrimp, blue-backed fish, tuna, ankimo (monkfish liver), yellowtail, shima aji (striped jack), and more. It’s a seriously filling meal with so many varieties, haha.

There were so many kinds, and every piece was generously sized, so I was completely satisfied the moment it arrived, haha.

First up, the huge futomaki (thick sushi roll) sitting on one side! It was seriously substantial just from its thickness, lol. It was packed full with ingredients like egg and raw fish, so it was almost too generous to eat in one bite.

Next, tuna sushi with such vivid color. I really love tuna sushi too. The thick slice of tuna was tender to chew, with that clean yet rich umami that was so, so good. There was a big piece of tuna compared with the amount of rice, so each bite let me fully taste the tuna itself.

Next was gunkan sushi, visibly filled to the brim. The moment I took a bite, its soft, rich flavor spread all through my mouth. So delicious,, Maybe because it had been a while since I’d had gunkan, but it tasted extra good, hehe.

My favorite: salmon sushi. It came topped with salad, and one bite gave exactly the soft texture and nutty flavor I was hoping for, haha. (Seriously insanely delicious.)

Next was the beautifully glossy soy-marinated shrimp sushi. The shrimp was springy yet tender, and the salty-sweet soy seasoning had soaked right in. With the rice, the seasoning was just right, and the more I chewed, the more I could taste the shrimp’s subtle natural sweetness. So good ㅠㅠ

I also had a bowl of refreshing buckwheat soba. It was perfect for cleansing my palate between bites of sushi.

I finished every last bit and cleared another meal today! Overall, the prices are a little on the higher side, but each piece of sushi was good quality and generously sized, so I was satisfied. I loved being able to sample lots of different sushi rather than focusing on just one kind, and the futomaki and buckwheat soba made it a really filling meal. Recommended for anyone who wants to taste a little of many different kinds of sushi!