Tuna belly VIP sushi 12 pieces for a couple's evening: Hwangje Sushi

This summer was unusually long and hot. Whenever it gets too hot, I tend to pause on sushi for a while, telling myself I'd go eat it once it cooled down a little more. So I waited for that cool weather. Then, once the mornings and evenings finally started to feel a bit crisp, I went and had the sushi I'd been waiting for. :)

I went to Hwangje Sushi, near Westerndom, known as one of the best places for sushi in Ilsan. Today I'll share our visit to Hwangje Sushi near Westerndom!

Location and parking at Hwangje Sushi Ilsan

Hwangje Sushi Ilsan is located near the end of Westerndom — my navigation guided me toward the parking area near Coocoo Coocoo. Coming from the direction of Janghang IC was actually closer. We'd been there several times already and had no trouble finding it using navigation. If you head for Gate 11 of the SK M-City complex, you'll get there quickly. :) You can park in the complex, and they registered our parking for free!

The interior is always clean and pleasant every time we go, which puts me in a good mood. There are also seats for solo dining, so it seems like a nice quiet spot to enjoy sushi alone too.

What should you order?

Since it had been a while since we'd had sushi, I found myself torn over what to order. Deciding between Special and VIP, my husband and I both went with the VIP sushi set. Since we'd finally cooled down enough to eat it, we figured we might as well go for the good stuff! :)

Before the sushi arrives, they bring out porridge and basic side dishes, which seem to change a little with the season. Anyway! It felt like a course meal, which made it even better. If you need more broth, pickled radish, and so on, you can grab them yourself from the self bar.

What's in the VIP sushi 12-piece set?

Sea bream x2, flounder, seasonal live fish, salmon x2, akami (lean tuna), mekadoro (tuna belly), abalone, grilled red shrimp, grilled beef, and grilled freshwater eel, plus udon and tempura — a perfect lineup. They really do say Hwangje Sushi is one of the best sushi spots in Ilsan, and the menu composition alone feels pretty substantial, right?

I personally don't like sushi with too much rice, so I always end up scraping off half the rice, but at Hwangje Sushi, the ratio of rice to fish was just right.

It tastes even better if you dip it in soy sauce mixed with wasabi and top it with pickled ginger!

As we ate, the sushi seemed to be aged, which made it chewier and even more delicious. The salmon melted the moment it hit my mouth too — it made me want to come back for a set made entirely of salmon next time. :)

The best of the 12 pieces: mekadoro

Of the 12 pieces, I'd pick mekadoro (tuna belly) as the best. I tend to love the belly cuts whenever I eat sushi, and this mekadoro was rich and just melted away. If you're looking for great sushi in Ilsan, especially around Westerndom, definitely visit Hwangje Sushi. And order something that includes mekadoro. You won't regret it.

I thought 12 pieces might not be enough, but I ended up full and passed the grilled freshwater eel piece to my husband. Maybe I should have traded it for the mekadoro instead?🙃

Would we go back to Hwangje Sushi Ilsan?

As a sushi lover, I feel like I've tried almost every good sushi spot in Ilsan, and Hwangje Sushi is the cleanest and most delicious. You'll notice the difference starting with the sushi itself. All food tastes best eaten fresh at the restaurant, but now that it's cooled down, I plan to order delivery from time to time too. I think it'll be a meal that never disappoints.

Maybe because it had been a while since we'd had sushi, this meal felt even more delicious. Eating quietly with my husband gave it a date-night feel too, which somehow made it taste even better. :) If you're wondering what to eat for lunch or dinner around Westerndom, how about Hwangje Sushi, the great sushi spot in Ilsan I introduced today? If you love sushi, I'm sure you'll be satisfied! :)