Sushi restaurant in Yeongdeungpo with akami lunch: Sushi Hibi

I found Sushi Hibi while looking for omakase in Yeongdeungpo, thought it looked good, and saved it for later. Even though I went in with fairly high expectations because of the great reviews, it was better than expected! The quality for the price was seriously so good?? I left promising myself I’d come back for dinner too.

They change up the course with each season, and the autumn course began on September 1, just so you know ❤

Parking, reservations, and corkage information

There is no parking lot, so you’ll need to use a nearby public lot. We parked at Yeongdeungpo Art Hall; it has underground parking, the fee is affordable, and it was a good option. It’s ₩300 per 10 minutes.

Lunch and dinner are each run in first and second seatings. Please check the menu for the times. I visited with a reservation! Corkage is limited to one bottle per party: ₩15,000 for sake or traditional liquor, and ₩20,000 for whisky.

A quiet eight-seat counter

Go a little way into the alley and you’ll spot the neat sign on the right. The counter has eight seats in total, so you can have a quiet, intimate meal. The interior had clearly been done up recently and was very clean and comfortable.

There was also a place to hang coats and bags, and the restroom inside was kept nice and clean.

Lunch and dinner omakase prices

They offer one omakase course: ₩50,000 for lunch and ₩100,000 for dinner.

The drinks menu came on these two pages! They even sell little petit sake bottles.

What we ordered

• Lunch omakase ₩50,000 × 2
• Yebisu draft beer ₩13,000
• Suntory highball ₩12,000
• Total ₩125,000

Wondering what dishes would come out next... while the chef prepared everything step by step.

The autumn lunch course begins

First was egg tofu, made by setting egg into a soft tofu-like form. The lightly seasoned ankake sauce went beautifully with the kabocha squash and shrimp.

Octopus with vinegar jelly. The octopus had such a pleasantly springy-chewy texture, while the sweet-tart sauce and tomato got the mouth watering and really woke up the appetite!

Then came gleaming flounder sashimi. It was chewy, delicate, and delicious. I think it would have been great dipped in salt too.

I can’t remember whether this was grilled or fried Spanish mackerel. The autumn-leaf decoration was so cute for the autumn course, haha. It came with daikon radish soaked in ponzu sauce. It was light and not at all greasy.

A palate-cleansing soup, and then the sushi begins.

A sushi course that even asks about your rice portion

The squid nigiri had toasted sesame tucked inside. The squid’s rich flavor and the nutty sesame went amazingly well together...!! So good. They asked whether the rice portion was right; it felt perfectly balanced to me, so I kept it as is. When I finished the lunch course, I was exactly the right amount of full!

The sea bream had fried white parts of green onion inside, and that nutty, sweet green-onion aroma with the mild, soft sea bream... so deliciousㅠㅠ

Horse mackerel, one of my favorite fish ❤ The chef said it was half of a small koaji, or young horse mackerel. It was topped with finely chopped scallion and was so tender and fresh. Delicious!!

Ankimo (monkfish liver) wrapped in nori (seaweed)—many places serve ankimo quite sweet, but here it wasn’t overly sweet and the salty soy sauce flavor stood out! The yellowtail had a yuzu-and-chili sauce on top; it was tender, fragrant, and... delicious ㅠㅠ

Akami zuke, lean tuna back marinated in soy sauce. This was probably my fourth omakase of the year?? And Sushi Hibi’s akami may have been the best of them all.

I love mackerel sushi too. This one came with chopped shiso, scallion, and pickled ginger... fresh, delicious mackerel sushi with no fishiness.

Anago, or sea eel. It was sweet and salty, though this was simply ordinarily tasty~! Then futomaki, a thick sushi roll~ My husband got the big end piece, haha. Compared with other futomaki, it had lots of sashimi inside, so it was mild and well balanced. I don’t like rolls that are too huge, and this was just the right size to eat.

Finishing with Goto udon and dessert

Udon for dessert. They said they use Goto udon, one of Japan’s three great udon noodles, and the thin, chewy noodles were seriously delicious...?? I love thin noodles, so they were totally my style. The broth was subtly right up my alley too.

Then came gyoku, made by grinding shrimp meat with egg and baking it for two hours. It had a faint shrimp aroma and was soft like a sweet pudding—just right for cleansing the palate.

Last was strawberry sherbet. They said they normally use strawberries grown on their older brother’s farm, but since it was planting season, this strawberry sherbet was made with other strawberries, haha. It wasn’t too sweet and ended the meal on a refreshing note, which I loved.

Overall, I could tell they use good ingredients, and I was satisfied without a single disappointing part of the course. The price is so good too... the seasoning, course composition, and balance were all spot on. At these prices, are they even making anythingㅠ I honestly think it’s such great value because the owner puts so much time and care into it. They change the menu every season, so I’m planning to visit again around December, when the winter menu changes!!