Gangnam sushi restaurant with torch-seared benizari: Sakai

I visited Sakai in Seolleung, where you can enjoy sushi okonomi-style. Rather than following a set omakase (chef-selected course), you can pick and order each piece of sushi you feel like having that day—and the sushi quality was every bit as good as omakase! Even the seseri tangsuyuk I ordered on the side was sooo delicious, making for a very happy dinner.

Sakai Location and Visit Information

Sakai is at Unit 101, 1F, 15 Yeoksam-ro 67-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It is open daily from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. the following day, and closed on the first Tuesday of every month. Reservations can be made through Naver Map.

Sakai is about a 10-minute walk from Seolleung Station. It is tucked away in an alley, so parking is not available.

Sakai's Interior and Seating

Inside Sakai, warm wood tones and yellow lighting create a calm atmosphere. It has the feel of a Japanese sushi restaurant, but without being too heavy or formal, so it is easy to drop in comfortably.

A long line of counter seats runs along the open kitchen. From the counter, you can watch the chef make sushi right in front of you, so this seems like the best spot for soaking up the sushi-bar atmosphere. It also looked great for coming alone and having a drink with a few pieces of whatever sushi you want.

We took this little table for two!

Okonomi Sushi Chosen From the Day's Available Toppings

Before coming to Sakai, I had looked at a photo of the menu and decided I absolutely had to try sweet shrimp. But it turns out not every neta (sushi topping) on the menu is always available; the fish that comes in changes from day to day! ㅠㅠ

The sushi available to order that day was written on this notepad. I was sad there was no filefish or sweet shrimp that I had wanted to try, but thankfully they had my beloved benizari. I ordered two pieces each of scallop, striped squid, horse mackerel, sea bream, and benizari, then added negitoro hosomaki (thin tuna roll)!

Here are the drinks and side-menu lists. I chose seseri tangsuyuk (crispy fried chicken neck with sauce) as a side. Just a heads-up: Sakai requires each person to order one alcoholic drink!

We started with a Cass non-alcoholic beer and a Suntory draft beer each. Wow... the draft beer was seriously smooth and delicious. I was like, why does beer taste sweet? Hahaha.

All the sushi pieces arrived at once! The colorful presentation was so pretty. Since okonomi sushi takes a little time to come out, you can just relax with your beer while you wait.

How the Okonomi Sushi Tasted

A plate of sushi packed entirely with pieces I love.

Scallop and Striped Squid

The scallop was plump and tender. As I chewed, a gentle sweetness came through, then a bright citrus aroma—maybe yuzu?—popped in halfway through. I loved its soft, melting texture. The striped squid had both a delicate chew and a melt-in-your-mouth softness. Its clean, naturally sweet squid flavor came through beautifully too!

Horse Mackerel and Sea Bream

The more I chewed the horse mackerel, the more its distinctive nutty richness spread through my mouth. An easy recommendation. The sea bream is a hard-to-miss piece for anyone who likes clean-tasting white fish. It was soft and fresh.

The Best Piece: Torch-Seared Benizari

And, as expected, the benizari was the best thing I had that day. The top was lightly torched, maximizing benizari's signature nutty fattiness. It was one of those pieces that tasted instantly, obviously delicious the moment it hit my mouth. Absolutely recommend this one!

Negitoro Hosomaki

Finely chopped tuna was packed inside the seaweed, so the tuna's soft, nutty flavor really came through. It was nice to pick up one piece here and there between the sushi!

Seseri Tangsuyuk You Have to Have With Beer

And the seseri tangsuyuk was the real hit that day. Honestly, I first ordered it just because sushi alone felt a little incomplete and we wanted to add a side, but one bite was enough to make my eyes fly open. It was insanely delicious!!!!

The chicken neck meat had seseri's signature springy, juicy texture, while its coating was fried so crisp it could rival Daegabang's tangsuyuk. The sweet-and-salty soy sauce clung perfectly too. It comes with shredded cabbage on the side, which is just right for cutting through the richness between bites.

You really have to eat this with beer. One bite of crispy seseri followed by a sip of cold draft beer is just pure happiness. Even if you come for sushi, I really want to tell you to order the seseri tangsuyuk as a side—no question.

Final Thoughts After Choosing Exactly What I Wanted

For two women, ordering this much left us stuffed to bursting. We initially chose about five pieces of sushi plus hosomaki and thought we would order more later, but the seseri portion was larger than expected, so it was more than enough! I especially recommend Sakai for anyone who wants sushi as high-quality as omakase but would rather choose according to their own taste than follow a set course. Next time, I definitely want to try the filefish and sweet shrimp I missed that day, haha. And I am absolutely ordering the seseri tangsuyuk again!