Jongno sashimi bar date with caviar-topped aged fish: Suksseong Susan

My husband and I were craving chewy aged sashimi in Jongno, and while searching I found Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch (숙썽수산 종로본점), so off we went.

Seating at Suksseong Susan Jongno: good for a date?

They aren't rooms, but each seat is a private spot where you can pull down a curtain, so it works fine for a date or a blind date. I booked ahead, and we were shown straight to a quiet seat.

Thanks to the curtain, we could eat comfortably without worrying about the people around us. I think it would be great for a blind date or a date, too.

Near the entrance there's a fridge where the fish is aged, and you can see the fish tank as well. Seeing them age the sashimi themselves made me look forward to it even more.

Once we sat down, the basic side dishes came out first: green peas and soft tofu.

The silky soft tofu gently warmed up our appetites.

Menu prices at Suksseong Susan Jongno and what we ordered

Aged sashimi is ₩69,000 for small and ₩99,000 for medium, and the squid mulhoe (cold squid soup) is ₩39,000. This time we ordered the small aged sashimi (for 2), squid mulhoe, red crab innards cream croquettes and fried shrimp, plus highballs.

• Aged sashimi (small) ₩69,000
• Aged sashimi (medium) ₩99,000
• Assorted seafood ₩55,000
• Squid mulhoe ₩39,000
• Fried shrimp ₩17,000
• Red crab innards cream croquette ₩19,000

Here's what we ordered that day.

• Aged sashimi, small, for 2
• Squid mulhoe
• Red crab innards cream croquettes
• Fried shrimp
• Highballs

If you're looking for aged sashimi in Jongno, this combination is a good way to start.

Caviar-topped aged sashimi at Suksseong Susan: how does it taste?

The small aged sashimi at Suksseong Susan Jongno has the fish name written by each piece, and it even came with caviar on top. It was the first dish to arrive.

With the names written out, we could see which cut each one was and savor them slowly. I was so surprised to see caviar on the sashimi! Caviar is something I rarely get to eat, and having it together with the fish made the flavor so much richer.

Each type came as 4 pieces, so it was a perfect amount to split, 2 pieces each.

The aged sashimi here gets more savory the more you chew.

Squid mulhoe at Suksseong Susan: portion and taste

The squid mulhoe (₩39,000) at Suksseong Susan Jongno had an overwhelming plate size, so much that I worried whether we could finish it. It was packed with fresh vegetables, squid, thin wheat noodles and soybean powder.

We mixed it all up and ate a bowl each. It was refreshing, and the broth had real depth.

It's a lovely cool dish for summer, so if I come back to Suksseong Susan Jongno I'd order it again.

How does the red crab innards cream croquette come out?

The red crab innards cream croquette (₩19,000) at Suksseong Susan Jongno came as 3 pieces with fried shishito peppers.

It was hot when it first came out, but the outside was crunchy and the inside blended softly with the red crab innards.

Tossed in the sauce, it vanished in no time.

Extra order: fried shrimp with chipotle sauce

Having felt that Suksseong Susan Jongno is good at fried dishes like the croquette, we added the fried shrimp (₩17,000).

One bite and I was surprised again: it was full of plump shrimp. Dipped in chipotle sauce, the fried shrimp was a really great match.

The highballs I sipped in between made the food go down smoothly.

Service and atmosphere at Suksseong Susan Jongno

The staff at Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch were friendly, and the food we ordered was set out quickly, so the flow of the meal never broke.

It isn't a room, but it's a separate space, so we could chat about all sorts of things without worrying about anyone else.

Visitor info for Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch

• Location: 16 Samil-daero 19-gil, 3rd floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: daily 15:00–01:00
• Seating: private seats with a drop-down curtain (not rooms)
• Reservations: recommended in advance

Verdict: a quiet aged sashimi date in Jongno

With chewy aged sashimi, refreshing squid mulhoe and crunchy fried dishes, Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch lacked nothing as an aged sashimi spot in Jongno.

I'd recommend Suksseong Susan Jongno when you want a quiet drink and a good talk.

It's a place I'd like to stop by again with my husband.