Korean cuisine (hansik) is built around balance — fermented sides (banchan), a steaming bowl of rice, and a main dish that changes with the season. Meals are served all at once rather than in courses, and sharing dishes at the table is the norm. The depth of flavor comes from slow-fermented pastes like doenjang (soybean) and gochujang (chili), which form the backbone of soups, stews, and marinades across the country.
About the District
Songpa-gu
Songpa-gu includes Jamsil, Olympic Park, and Lotte World Tower — one of the world's tallest buildings and a major tourism hub. The food scene is family-friendly and commercially vibrant: department store food halls, international chains, and Korean comfort food restaurants that cater to the large residential population. Lotte World Mall's food floor alone contains dozens of notable dining options.
There's at least one so-so Japanese restaurant in every neighborhood.
It feels a bit dated, both positively and negatively.
If it were closer to home, I might visit once or twice when I'm craving Japanese food for its value. Otherwise, it's not a place I'd go out of my way to visit.
It has a certain 90s or early 00s vibe, creating a different atmosphere from modern Japanese restaurants.
Unlike modern establishments with part-timers or kiosks, the owner, who appears to be the owner, greets each customer kindly and diligently. Fully-dressed wait staff are visible behind the bar (it feels a bit unnerving, like they're being watched). The food itself, with pickled cabbage as a side dish, feels a bit dated, giving it a slightly retro feel.
The classic interior and service are fine, but the food is a bit dated. It feels like a throwback to a time when incomes in Korea were low and Japanese food was relatively new, when cheap, fake Japanese food (which was the best at the time) was sold at high prices at Japanese restaurants, as if it were high-end.
The basic sashimi is decent, but even at a local Japanese restaurant, which has its own neighborhood shopping district, the specials are usually topped with the most luxurious items. However, this restaurant offers a significant portion of the low-priced food court sushi.
The combination of these elements with the sushi topped with thick, good-quality sashimi creates a strange atmosphere, making you wonder, "Do they really think this is real sushi, not just a filler dish? Are they truly stuck in a time when even this was considered restaurant sushi, unable to keep up with the times?"
First off, the soy sauce-pickled cabbage and carrots, which you'd expect to find at a meat restaurant, feel cheap. The rice is a bit lumpy and hard, slightly better than Costco sushi but worse than a sushi place that prides itself on its craftsmanship.
Special fish like tuna, which you might expect to find in a specialty, are absent. The small eel is tough and has intact bones, as if it were made from pre-made ingredients. The cooked shrimp, which also seems to be made from pre-made ingredients, is acceptable, but I've never seen crab meat sushi before, and I wonder if it's even allowed.
The flounder is also quite good, making it quite interesting.
In summary, the quality is decent, but the presentation is a bit strange.
To summarize, the service and atmosphere are excellent. The price isn't too high compared to other Japanese restaurants these days, so it's acceptable. However, considering the taste and quality, I hesitate to pay the full price, even though it's considered a good value.
I feel like my review is a bit harsh, so to be a little more blunt, it's partly because there are so many Japanese restaurants these days, and partly because I love sushi, so my standards are a bit high. So, it's not that it's unpalatable, but even someone with a mild palate might find it okay after a quick bite.
senie1 year ago
#CoupleC#47,000won#The fried food here is really good...
It's not cheap, but the sushi, tonkatsu, udon, etc. were of good quality, and the tonkatsu was especially delicious, so I thought it was a tonkatsu restaurant. The seats were spacious, so I was able to eat comfortably.
