Songdo sushi restaurant where you can skip the wasabi: Sushi Doku

Where is Sushi Doku The Songdo? 2nd floor of Onesta Mall, '100% authentic aged, live'

Sushi Doku The Songdo is an aged-sushi restaurant on the 2nd floor of Onesta Mall, 157 Songdo Guksae-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. At the entrance, a large sign read "100% Authentic Aged, Live."

With its dark wood interior, the restaurant had a calm, tidy Japanese-restaurant atmosphere. The chopstick wrapper read "Life is live, sushi is live too" — a playful line about the restaurant's concept that caught my eye before the meal even started.

It's apparently a place with a waiting line, since there are chairs set up outside for that. Luckily we walked in right at opening, so we didn't have to wait.

The premium sushi set at 25,900 won per person: three of us, same order

That day we ordered three premium sushi sets from Sushi Doku The Songdo, priced at 25,900 won per person. With three of us there, we each ordered the same menu — the variety of sushi and the number of side dishes made for a really satisfying, hearty meal.

Wasabi at Sushi Doku The Songdo: add it or skip it

The hours posted at the entrance during our visit were 11am to 9pm. You could also choose whether to add or skip wasabi when ordering. That's convenient if you don't like wasabi or if you're visiting with kids. Serving wasabi separately so people can add as much as they like would also be a nice option.

How thick is the fish? Salmon, tuna and eel sushi

Sushi can be disappointing when there's plenty of rice but the fish is thin — but at Sushi Doku, the fish really stood out. Even picking up a single piece, there was a generous amount of fish on top, which felt satisfying. The salmon was soft and rich, while the white fish was clean-tasting with a chewy texture. The tuna was smooth and easy to eat, and the shrimp varied between plump texture and sweetness depending on the type. There was also crab and eel sushi, which made for a nice change of pace midway through. The eel had a sweet, salty glaze that worked well between the cleaner-tasting pieces.

The premium sushi set isn't just a plate of sushi on its own — it comes with warm udon, tempura, salad, and chawanmushi (steamed egg custard). I'd worried the sushi alone might not be enough, but seeing the full spread, it looked like plenty for a full meal. With familiar and unfamiliar dishes side by side, it was fun to sample everything all the way to the end — from salad to truffle chawanmushi.

With three of us there, lining up the identical plates made for a truly generous spread.

What did my parents think? "A whole different level from delivery sushi"

I went with mom and dad that day, and they said it was delicious — on a whole different level from the sushi we order delivery at home. They loved it.

Chawanmushi, tempura and udon: what to eat first

We had salad, and we had chawanmushi too. Switching from cold sushi to a spoonful of warm chawanmushi worked really well together. It felt a bit more special than the steamed egg you usually get at sushi restaurants.

Tempura came with the set too. Crispy shrimp tempura and other pieces were served together with sauce. Since tempura can go soggy over time, it's best to eat it while it's still warm and crispy right after it arrives. Switching between the soft texture of the sushi and the crunch of the tempura made the meal feel even richer. Warm udon was also included. If you eat only sushi the whole time, you might start craving warm broth — so it was nice to have the udon alongside.

A distinctive touch at Sushi Doku: brushing soy sauce onto the sushi with a silicone brush.

The udon noodles were chewy and the broth refreshing — an essential little extra.

The last piece remaining — full, but a little sad to see it go. ^^

10 pieces, many kinds of sushi on one board

When the food arrived, the first thing that caught my eye was the sushi neatly arranged on the wooden board. Vivid salmon and tuna, clean-looking white fish, shrimp and eel all together made for a generous-looking plate. The salmon sushi had fish large enough to fully cover the rice — not just a small piece on top, but draping down the sides, letting you really taste the salmon's soft texture.

The premium sushi set came with a variety of side dishes beyond the sushi itself. Sipping the broth between bites of sushi or finishing the meal with udon left me feeling comfortable and full. The salad had fresh vegetables and tomato with a soft dressing — nice to eat lightly before the sushi, and refreshing eaten alongside it midway through the meal.

The chawanmushi was warm and soft. Scooping it with a spoon revealed a smooth, pudding-like texture that went down easily. Listed on the menu as truffle chawanmushi, it added a subtle aroma on top of the egg's usual savoriness.

Is 25,900 won per person worth it for a family meal out?

Ordering the same set for each of us meant we got to try every kind — salmon, tuna, white fish, shrimp, eel, all of it. It was also nice that each person could comfortably enjoy their own board of sushi plus udon, tempura, salad, and chawanmushi. It's a good option for a family visit, or whenever you want everyone to have their own neatly arranged full set.

The sushi totals 10 pieces, but with so many other dishes included, the portion didn't feel lacking. At 25,900 won per person, it might seem pricier than a simple lunch sushi set. But considering it's a full set with 10 pieces of sushi plus udon, tempura, salad, and chawanmushi all included, it was a solid choice for a family meal out or a date in Songdo.

Looking for a sushi set meal in Songdo?

What I liked about Sushi Doku The Songdo's premium sushi set was getting to eat a variety of sushi and warm side dishes all at once. In particular, with the fish piled generously on the rice, I could really taste the ingredients in each piece. The salmon sushi stood out for its size and soft texture, and with tuna, white fish, shrimp, eel, and sea urchin roe all on offer, it was fun to compare them one by one.

Starting light with salad, moving through the sushi, adding chawanmushi and tempura in between, and finishing with warm udon made for a well-balanced overall meal. If you're in Songdo and want something more put-together than just a plate of sushi, or you're looking for a family-friendly restaurant in Songdo, Incheon, Sushi Doku's premium sushi set is worth putting on the list.

Sushi Doku The Songdo hours, break time and location

• Address: 2F Onesta Mall, 157 Songdo Guksae-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00 - 21:00
• Break time: 14:30 - 17:00
• Last order: 20:15