Gaepo-dong tuna restaurant with tuna refills in Seoul: Honma Tuna

Where is Honma Tuna in Gaepo-dong? Near Yangjae Stream

This time I went to Honma Tuna, a well-known spot in Gaepo-dong! It's a Gangnam tuna specialty restaurant where you can enjoy fresh tuna as a course, and it's also a solid option if you're looking for a good restaurant near Yangjae Stream. They serve a variety of tuna cuts along with accompanying Japanese dishes, so the whole meal felt generous from start to finish. The atmosphere is calm too, making it good for a Gaepo-dong work dinner, and also worth a visit if you're looking for a tuna restaurant around Yangjae-dong.

• Location: 210 Gaepo-ro, Chungui Building 1F #103, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Parking: Available / behind the building and nearby paid lots
• Hours: Mon–Fri 11:30–22:00, break 14:00–17:00, last order 21:00
• Sat–Sun: 17:00–21:00

I walked up while taking a stroll along Yangjae Stream, and it turned out to be closer than I expected, so it was easy to get to. The red signage catches your eye even from a distance, so first-time visitors shouldn't have trouble finding it.

It's also a great spot to visit if you're already out looking for restaurants near Yangjae Stream, and it's perfect for a light stroll along the stream again after the meal. If you're specifically after tuna in Gaepo-dong or a Gaepo-dong restaurant in general, this place is easy to find and convenient to reach.

Inside Honma Tuna: a calm dining room with a private room

The interior is decorated in wood tones throughout, giving it a tidy, clean, and upscale feel. From the entrance it looked like a small space, but once inside, it turned out to be much bigger than it appeared.

There's also a separate private room, which is great for a more intimate meal. There are several quiet 4-person tables as well. The calm, upscale mood makes it good for hosting someone important, and it also seemed like a solid choice for a Gaepo-dong work dinner. If you're looking for a Gangnam tuna or Japanese restaurant where you can talk quietly over a meal, the atmosphere here fits well.

The menu seemed to change in course type and price depending on the proportion of bluefin tuna included. It was nice being able to choose a course that matched the composition and price range I wanted, and beyond the tuna sashimi course, there were also plenty of options for a single meal, like sushi or sake-don (tuna sashimi rice bowl). It seemed like a good place for a leisurely tuna course dinner, but also for nearby office workers dropping in for lunch.

The first spread at Honma Tuna after booking ahead

We had booked ahead, so when we got to our seats, the table was already neatly set up.

We were greeted warmly from the moment we walked in, which felt nice, and once seated, everything from the white paper table mat to the water and chopsticks was set with no fuss, so it felt like proper hospitality. You could tell they paid attention to even the small details, which makes it a good pick for visiting with someone important, or for a Gaepo-dong work dinner or a more formal Japanese meal.

Here's the pickled radish and pickled ginger! They gave us plenty right from the start. And then a clean soup came out really quickly. I was pretty hungry before the food arrived, so it was great for taking the edge off, and being warm made it a nice first bite.

Then they set down potato salad and seasoned raw tuna salad, also very quickly. Since we had a reservation, it felt like the dishes kept coming without a break, which was nice. Seeing the neatly plated potato salad and tuna salad got my expectations up even before the tuna itself arrived! The potato salad had a clean, classic flavor that most people would like — soft, nutty, and not too strong, perfect for lightly waking up the appetite before the real tuna started.

The seasoned raw tuna salad was especially delicious! At first it looked like mostly vegetables, but underneath there was actually a lot of tuna. The portion was generous, so it was great to scoop up a big bite with the vegetables. The sweet-and-sour dressing with crunchy vegetables and soft tuna together really woke up the appetite!

What tuna cuts come with the Special course?

And then finally, the main tuna arrived! We had ordered the Special course, and the owner offered us a few extra pieces of bluefin tuna as a special service this time. They had already been so kind from the moment we walked in, and this extra touch made it even better. In the center sat the bluefin tuna given as a bonus, and around it were bigeye tuna and various other cuts, plated generously. Having so many varieties on one plate made it look amazing even before we started eating!

There was lemon placed in the middle too, and I was about to squeeze it over everything, but the owner stopped me and recommended squeezing it onto the soy sauce instead, since lemon's acidity is strong. Tips like that made the meal even more enjoyable and easier to eat.

They also gave us a really generous amount of seaweed, so we could wrap the tuna as much as we wanted. Topped with radish sprouts and wasabi and dipped in sesame oil sauce, I could have kept eating endlessly.

A lot of places don't thaw their tuna properly, but here it was thawed just right, at just the right temperature, so it was easy to enjoy the soft, fatty texture.

There was such a variety of cuts, it was fun picking different ones to try. This particular cut was chewy, which made for a fun bite.

First I tried tuna dipped lightly in soy sauce. The moment it hit my mouth, that signature soft, nutty tuna flavor came through, and the salty soy sauce added savory depth — a classic combination that's simply delicious.

This time, swordfish! Different from the bluefin, it had a slightly firmer, springy, and chewy texture that I really liked.

It wasn't just soft — there was a distinct texture when chewing that made it my personal favorite cut! Dipping it lightly in the sesame oil sauce brought out the nutty flavor even more.

Tuna sushi and warm dishes on the Special course

Next came 4 pieces of tuna sushi. The tuna was delicious, but the rice here was genuinely great too! The grains were loosely packed with just the right seasoning, and the tuna on top melted the moment it hit my mouth. It even looked as stunning as sushi from a Japanese sushi restaurant... The combination of tuna and rice was so good I'd want to come back just for the sushi alone. If you're looking for a Gaepo-dong restaurant to visit for lunch, this tuna sushi would make a great meal on its own. Being a proper Gaepo-dong tuna specialty restaurant, both the sashimi and the sushi were delicious, so I'd love to come back and try it as a lunch option next time!

After eating cold tuna sashimi for a while, I started craving something warm, and right on cue, corn cheese arrived. It looked freshly cooked, still piping hot with the cheese stretching — an unbeatable combination. Sweet corn topped generously with nutty cheese was a nice refresh between rounds of tuna.

Next was the buttered abalone and shrimp. With scoring cuts for extra texture, the buttery aroma hit as soon as I took a bite — genuinely so good!

The shrimp were big and had a chewy, springy bite, and the abalone was also crunchy and chewy in a great way. Having a warm dish like this in between the cold tuna made for a really nice pairing.

I was surprised at how the side dishes just kept coming. This time it was braised tuna head and back meat! Sweet and salty, with the meat cooked down so thoroughly that it just fell apart. There was a good amount of meat inside too, so it was quite filling.

Finishing with a tuna refill and udon

I thought that was the end, but then a refill of tuna showed up! I expected the refill to be just a light few pieces, but they brought out a whole plate, generously piled — I was genuinely surprised. We had already eaten our fill of tuna, sushi, and sides, but we got to properly enjoy tuna all over again.

And finally, fried shrimp and spicy udon! The crispy fried shrimp was great, but after eating so much tuna, a spoonful of the hot udon broth really hit the spot and settled the stomach. The broth's spiciness cleanly cut through the richness of the tuna, and it was the perfect warm finish. Going through tuna, sushi, warm dishes, and udon in that order felt like a truly complete, well-hosted meal!

I walked out of Honma Tuna having eaten a truly generous meal from start to finish! The tuna quality was great, but the owner was genuinely kind, and each dish came out at just the right timing, so it felt like being properly hosted throughout. With tuna, sushi, warm dishes, udon, and even a tuna refill, the portions were more than generous, and I left completely full. With its quiet, clean atmosphere and private room, it's a great fit for a Gaepo-dong work dinner, and I'd recommend it if you're looking for a Gaepo-dong restaurant to visit with someone important. It's also close to Yangjae Stream, so it's nice for a walk before or after the meal — if you're after Gangnam tuna or a Gaepo-dong tuna restaurant, I'd definitely recommend giving it a visit!