Jeju sushi restaurant with thick sashimi: Kkotdam Sushi

A sushi restaurant I returned to in Jeongsil, Jeju

I came back because it was so delicious the first time! It’s a place that gets both the taste and quality right, so I wanted to introduce it to anyone looking for great sushi in Jeju, haha.

It’s located in Jeongsil, Jeju! Rather than feeling busy, the surrounding neighborhood has such a calm, quiet feel, so it was lovely for a meal, haha. It’s also in a nice spot for when you want to take your time over a meal during a Jeju trip.

There’s a parking lot right across from the restaurant, so it was easy to come by car! Since you tend to get around Jeju by car, I also loved being able to visit without worrying about parking because the spaces are so close by, haha.

I found out that it received an Excellence Award in the sushi category of the Korea Consumer Industry Evaluation in Jeju for two consecutive years!!! After trying it myself, I could see why it had been rated so well. The ingredients on every piece of sushi were pristine, and the fish had great freshness and texture, so the overall quality really came through!

An open kitchen and a varied menu

The interior has such a neat atmosphere! Everything was well organized and comfortable for dining, and because it has an open kitchen, I could see the sushi being made right in front of me, which made me trust it even more, haha. Seeing the food being prepared in such a clean space got me excited before the meal even began!

There was a wide range of menu items, from sushi to raw fish (sashimi sets), rice dishes, and meals! There were many kinds of sushi, making it easy to choose according to your taste, and the sashimi and meal options made it look like a good place for a group to order a variety of things, too. We ordered one assorted sushi and one mini sashimi!!

The basic side dishes come out so neatly arranged! They were nice little accompaniments before the sushi, so they were great to nibble on one by one while waiting for our food. Everything was prepared so cleanly, and it went well with the sushi too, haha.

Mini sashimi with satisfyingly thick cuts

The mini sashimi arrived first. It was a good amount for one or two people, haha. It’s a great size when you want to add a little sashimi to your meal, and paired with the sushi, the amount was just right.

There were six kinds of sashimi in total. Each had vivid color and a nice thickness, making it look so appetizing too! The salmon especially was incredibly tender and so delicious, haha. It melted moistly on the tongue, with salmon’s rich yet subtle flavor coming through, so I kept reaching for more.

All the sashimi was thick and long, so delicious, and you could really feel the high quality!! These weren’t thinly sliced pieces; every bite had real thickness, so the more I chewed, the more I could taste the fish’s clean flavor and subtle savoriness. The sashimi was springy yet tender too, so I could properly enjoy it before moving on to the sushi!

Assorted sushi with a balanced variety of flavors

Next came the assorted sushi. It includes seasonal fish, halibut, bigeye tuna, salmon, shrimp, yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), seared swordfish sushi, beef, and inari or egg sushi! Rather than having just one type, I got to try a good range of sushi, so I was really glad we ordered the assortment, haha.

The sushi pieces were really long too, and the fish quality was excellent!! There was plenty more fish than rice, so the flavor of the fish was unmistakable in each bite, while the thickness gave it a lovely chew. There was caviar on top as well, and its little popping texture and salty flavor went so nicely with the sushi, haha.

And the salmon sushi!! Topped with avocado, it tasted softer and more refined than regular salmon sushi, haha. The avocado’s gentle, clean flavor added to the moist, rich salmon, making the texture feel even creamier in the mouth. I think salmon lovers would especially enjoy this!

The sushi selection was truly varied, and the quality really showed, haha. From clean-tasting fish sushi to rich salmon and shrimp, plus yukhoe and seared sushi, the changing lineup meant I could enjoy many flavors without getting tired of any of them. There were so many textures and flavors even on one plate, making it fun to choose each piece!

A sushi set that includes shrimp tempura and udon

When you order sushi, shrimp tempura and udon come as part of the set too!! The shrimp tempura was so crisp, and the shrimp itself was tender and delicious, haha. The batter had a light, crunchy texture, while the shrimp inside was springy and moist, becoming more savory the more I chewed. It offered a different texture from the sushi, so it was great to enjoy between bites.

Udon comes with it too, and it was so pleasantly chewy and delicious. The noodles were bouncy and chewy, making them so satisfying to slurp, and the warm broth felt like a clean finish after the sushi and tempura, haha. With udon and shrimp tempura included when you order sushi, it felt like a hearty, delicious meal, haha!! Overall, the ingredients were high quality from the sushi to the sashimi, and having shrimp tempura and udon alongside them made for a satisfying meal, haha. I was happy enough to come back because it was so good, so I’d recommend it to anyone looking for great sushi around Jeongsil, Jeju!