Mapo sushi restaurant for a weekday date: Yu Iksang Sushi

Not long ago, my husband and I were craving neat, delicious sushi on a weekday afternoon, so we visited Yu Iksang Sushi, a Hongdae sushi spot that everyone talks about.

Yu Iksang Sushi is run by an owner with an impressive 16 years of Japanese-cuisine experience, and the restaurant has stayed in this one Hongdae location for six years now.

It is already famous as a Hongdae sushi favorite with countless regulars—and as a place where there is always a line of diners.

The owner, whose expertise matches that long career, says freshness and quality come first. Only carefully selected fish is used and it is meant to be sold that day, so the savory flavor and pleasantly springy texture really stood out the moment it hit my mouth.

There are countless Japanese restaurants tucked all around Hongdae, but from the entrance alone, I could see why this place has kept its original aura and steady love for so long.

A space for solo meals and dates alike

As soon as I stepped inside Yu Iksang Sushi, it had that cozy, charming feeling of a classic Japanese restaurant.

With counter seats and tidy table seating in a nice balance, it was perfect for a Hongdae date with atmosphere like ours. There is also a bar table, making it an easy, comfortable place for a solo meal or lunch near Hongik University Station.

What comes in the Couple A Plus Set

For the two of us, we ordered the Couple A Plus Set, which is great for enjoying a varied and abundant spread together.

Yu Iksang Sushi's Couple A Plus Set was seriously well put together. It includes 2 pieces of salmon, 4 flounder, 4 tuna, 4 beef, 2 tamago aburi (lightly torched sweet egg), 4 garlic shrimp aburi, and 2 mekagari aburi, and the colorful presentation caught my eye right away. It even comes with shrimp tempura and buckwheat soba...

The striking look of extra-long fish-topped sushi

Yu Iksang Sushi's signature trait is its long slices of fish, which wrap generously around the rice and still hang over the edge.

Unlike ordinary sushi with lots of rice and only a little fish, these long-tailed pieces let me really experience the fish's rich texture and freshness in every bite. It truly felt like a great sushi spot near Hongik University Station.

Aburi sushi where smokiness meets sauce

Yu Iksang Sushi's real signatures are its aburi dishes—lightly torched sushi. A subtle, nutty charred aroma brushed past my nose, while the garlic shrimp, mekagari, and tamago aburi, coated in the house sauce, melted softly in my mouth. The flavor was truly in a class of its own.

Starting cleanly with mild flounder and tuna, then moving through the umami-packed aburi sushi and nutty beef sushi, I found myself nodding along at why it has such a reputation as a Hongdae sushi favorite.

Every ingredient was wonderfully fresh, so I finished even the last piece cleanly, without any fishiness ^^

A sweet ending: lollipops and stickers

After our satisfying meal at Yu Iksang Sushi, as we paid and headed out, the owner handed us cute lollipops and Crayon Shin-chan stickers with a smile!

It was a small gesture, but the thoughtful care and humor for customers made me smile all the way home and put me in such a good mood.

Who I recommend it for

• Anyone who wants to taste the full flavor of deep torched aroma and extra-long fish-topped sushi
• Couples looking for a neat, good-value meal together
• Anyone wanting quality Japanese food at an approachable bar table
• Office workers seeking a fresh, quick meal during a busy lunch hour
• Anyone looking for a conveniently located restaurant near the subway station

It was an excellent meal where I could feel the conviction and care of an owner who has devoted 16 years to Japanese cuisine.