Seocho-gu — home to Seoul's arts corridor, the Supreme Court, and upscale residential areas — has a refined dining culture to match its address. Garosugil in Seocho is particularly known for its café-lined tree canopy street. Restaurants here tend toward the polished and premium, often with outdoor terraces and wine lists to match.
EATHigh quality lunch omakase at a very reasonable price - 80000 won per person. Solid choices, thick cuts, tasty. Make reservations on the Catch Table App. Contrary to another review, I felt the entire experience was professional, no issues with parking (car elevator in the same building, friendly staff to assist with loading + Korean instructions), and the chef owner/operator was very pleasant (Korean speaker, lived in Japan for 10 years). He was friendly, gave info on fish (to include seasonality confusion, as catch quantity =/= best quality/fattiest fish), and chat plenty with our group, to include about family and travel. Very pleasant overall. Food was tasty, highly recommend. He will be moving to Osaka next year (2026), enjoy this delicious and reasonably priced lunch omakase while you still can.
On the second floor of an officetel in Seocho-dong, Seoul. Dinner is a hefty 166,000 won. First-time visitors face the complex layout, confusing the main entrance on the first floor with the back entrance on the second floor, making it incredibly difficult to find. However, because omakase is reservation-only, customers come here anyway, so this unique entrance is just another feature for regulars. The interior is spacious, with seating for eight, ensuring a pleasant dining experience (if you can get in). The chef's service style is a key point of discussion here. As the chef himself admits, it's a divisive experience. While he's far from unfriendly, first-time visitors might sense a slight tendency to cater to regulars. The chef's signature rhythmic sculpting of sushi, and his remarkably confident tone of voice, oozing with pride in the finest ingredients, can be both delightful and a bit overwhelming to some. However, this confidence stems from his unwavering philosophy of "doing business without sparing ingredients." From the mildly sweet Shizuoka wasabi to the "almost unlimited encore sushi" that will have you wondering, "Is this really the best?" This unpretentious yet heartfelt hospitality is the restaurant's greatest appeal. Furthermore, the extensive selection of sake glasses (15,000 won) and the generous service make it a perfect place to enjoy a drink, even without the corkage fee (30,000 won). The cuisine, from the tsumami (snacks), is simply stunning. The thickly sliced raw tuna meat, with its fresh blood and texture, was exquisite. The abalone innards sauce, unequivocally the best crab sauce I've ever had, bursting with rich flavor without a fishy aftertaste, captivated my palate from the start, blending perfectly with the steamed abalone. The 2.8kg red snapper sashimi had a luxurious texture, and the yellowtail, with its exquisite garlic soy sauce, followed. The grilled mackerel, with its impressive plating, was extremely tender thanks to its low-temperature cooking, but unfortunately, the fish itself was just so-so. Furthermore, the crab tempura, with its charming presentation and perfect flavor, and the yellowtail kama suimono, which made me exclaim, "This is the taste I'm going for!" The texture of the fried shrimp head was a bit disappointing here and there, and the bluefish dish had a slight fishy flavor that didn't quite reach the critical point, but overall, it was a superb tsumami course. The sushi course was a series of highlights. The crunchy, exquisite striped horse mackerel (shima-aji), the fatty tuna belly (toro), and the enormous tiger shrimp (kurumaebi) that almost obscured the sushi rice immediately whet the appetite. Following this, the thick, moderately fishy horse mackerel (aji)—which I'd call "the best horse mackerel sushi I've had this year"—and the delicately prepared herring (nishing), which earned me the "best herring of the year," are particularly memorable. The sea urchin gunpan, served "crazy," was so flavorful that even the rice was melted in its mouth, and the cuttlefish, with its plum-like savory flavor, was a delicacy. The mackerel bon-zushi, made with "extremely good mackerel," was another highlight. However, the anago (conger eel) sushi left me wishing it had a bit more texture, and the seasoning felt a bit too sweet. The accompanying chicken soba noodles had a light and delicious broth, but the texture of the noodles left something to be desired. The course concluded with a castella-like egg roll, which was so good that even the word "best ever" would be an understatement, demonstrating the chef's deep understanding of ingredients. The cucumber rolls, which I'd rate as the "almost best" of the day, showcased the chef's deep understanding of ingredients. I was once again touched by the generosity of the chef, who provided seven more pieces, including red snapper and gizzard shad, which I requested as an encore. The strawberry monaka, the final dessert, was merely "acceptably delicious." The only regret is that this entire experience is only available until March 28, 2025. There's no reason to diligently visit until then.
If you would like to spend $$$ and want to experience the worst customer service in your life, this is the place for you. I visited here for the lunch with my family. Despite paying a hefty price of 320,000 won for four people, the service was completely inadequate. We were met with a level of service that did not match the restaurant's reputation or price. The initial inconvenience of not being able to find parking for our electric vehicle was compounded by the staff's indifferent attitude towards our query. The significant wait between courses and the lack of attention to detail from the sushi chef, who merely placed the sushi on our plates without any explanation, were further disappointments. The most egregious incident was the discriminatory treatment we received when requesting additional servings. Considering the high price of the meal, such a level of service is unacceptable.
