Aged sushi near Yeungnam University with anago liver futomaki: Sonsi

So what did we eat today?

I had somewhere to be in Daegu today, and while trying to figure out what to eat, I heard there's a famous sushi place near Yeungnam University, so I parked right away and went 🚘 If you already know the area, you know — if it's a waitlist restaurant near a university, that already says it all. Let's start the Sonsi Sushi post, a well-known spot near Yeungnam University.

Sonsi Sushi hours, parking, seating

• Hours: Daily 11:30–21:00
• Break time: 15:30–16:30 (no break time on weekends)
• Regular closed days: None
• Parking: Free at Joyeong-dong public parking lot, Gyeongsan (8-minute walk, about 885m to Sonsi Sushi)
• Location: 325 Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk, Sonsi Sushi
• Groups possible (up to 6) / bar table / standing seating
• Waiting chairs available / sun umbrella for waiting available

Waitlist — Catch Table walk-in booking

On weekends or during busy hours you need to join the queue through Catch Table, but we arrived exactly when there were zero parties waiting haha. For reference, by the time we left there were 4 parties waiting.

Right next to the Catch Table kiosk, they've set up waiting chairs and a sun umbrella too. This kind of thoughtful detail is exactly what separates the places that do well!!

Interior mood and seating

The inner space mainly uses 4-person tables divided by partitions. Pairs like us seemed to be the most common, and there were quite a few solo diners enjoying sushi too. We didn't have to wait, but the tables were full, so we sat at the bar 🪑

What we ordered and prices

• Sookseong Iljeom (standard) ₩15,800 — swapped for Namhae anchovy cold buckwheat noodles +₩5,500
• Sookseong Iljeom (deluxe) ₩18,500 — swapped for large katsuo udon +₩1,000
• A la carte: aged-kimchi flounder ₩2,200
• A la carte: Sonsi anago liver futomaki 2pc ₩6,000
• TOTAL ₩49,000

For reference, the difference between the deluxe and standard Sookseong Iljeom is 2 extra pieces — anago liver and grilled eel.

Sookseong Iljeom (deluxe), 12 pieces

Sonsi Sushi's most premium line, the deluxe Sookseong Iljeom 12-piece, arrived! Udon comes as a set side normally, but since we were sharing, we paid extra to upgrade to the large size haha.

Sonsi Sushi apparently created the country's first low-sodium jujube sushi soy sauce. It wasn't salty, so you could dip generously, and the jujube's mild natural sweetness wasn't overpowering, just deeply savory. Best of all, it didn't stand out on its own and blended really well with the rice and the fish.

The sashimi included flounder, salmon, tuna and more, and overall it felt really fresh! Properly aged, so it was soft and chewy at the same time — both textures came through. And of course, being a sushi specialist, the nigiri topped with fish was delicious 🍣 but honestly, the anago liver and eel here are borderline insane.

A little scallion detail hiding in the tuna nigiri 🌿 Chopped scallion was placed on top of the rice, pairing well with tuna's naturally soft texture and adding just the right amount of aroma. Places that pay attention even to spots you can't see are exactly what makes them a go-to restaurant near Yeungnam University.

Sookseong Iljeom (standard), 10 pieces

Both sushi sets came out at the same time, and the standard set had 10 pieces of sushi. It also came with a sesame-dressed cabbage salad to cleanse your palate between bites of sushi. We swapped the default udon for cold buckwheat noodles, and I'd recommend that as a clean, refreshing option for hot summer days!

Recommend upgrading the udon to large

Personally, I'd recommend upgrading the udon to the large size.

For just ₩1,000 more, you get a really generous portion — a clean Japanese-style udon topped with seaweed.

Namhae anchovy cold buckwheat noodles

Don't worry that a cold-served broth means a weak, watered-down flavor — nope.

A deep katsuo aroma rising from the broth, plus the nutty flavor of scallions and sesame sprinkled on top, plus chewy buckwheat noodles. They went really well together, and it slurped down like a sweet Japanese-style dish. Some places serve cold buckwheat noodles slightly undercooked, but this one was cooked just right, which I loved — and since it's still hot out, I'd recommend the cold noodles over the udon, honestly.

Extra a la carte — anago liver futomaki and flounder aged-kimchi

The anago liver in the Sookseong Iljeom set was so good that we ended up ordering the anago liver futomaki from the a la carte menu too.

The moment we tasted both, we each said "this has to be eaten" and weren't willing to share, so we ordered one each: [+extra] anago liver futomaki 2pc, [+extra] flounder aged-kimchi nigiri (only available a la carte) 1pc.

Can you see the amount of anago liver? We ordered extra, so it'd be a bummer if they skimped on it. It was generous, and satisfaction level was through the roof haha. If you like anago liver, I'd recommend adding the futomaki without a second thought — but it's limited quantity, so they may run out 😢 Ask if it's available, and if it is, get it without question.

To wrap up

The staff were friendly, and with lots of bar seats and two-tops, turnover is faster than you'd expect — so if the waitlist is in the single digits, wait no matter what ❕

Unpacking, bite by bite, a true favorite spot of Yeungnam University students.