Sushi Sora 스시 소라 @ Seoul

Sushi Sora is a chain omakase-only sushi restaurant near Gwanghwamun in Seoul. I highly recommend a visit as I was surprised by the omakase served.

The mall that Sushi Sora Gwanghwamun is housed in is quite run down, and it is rather difficult to navigate around the maze. Don’t go up the escalator or you will have to take a bid roundabout to find the shop, if you can find it.

Depending on where you enter from, you may be lost quite easily. But look for the CU convenience store in the alley next to Bib Gourmand eatery on the ground floor. There’s a glass door, enter and you will find the lift. Take to second floor, and Sushi Sora is on the left behind the macaroon store.

Nakamura Koji, the owner chef of Sushi Sora and Sushi Koji, has been working with sushi for 23 years now, when he started in Shibuya, Tokyo. He came to South Korea in 2011 and started Sushi Koij, the flagship fine dining sushiya that bears his name. And then he started Sushi Sora, which sushi beginners can enjoy, and is currently operating in eight locations nationwide

Executive Chef Kim Younghwan is the man behind the honten of Sushi Sora and culinary director that trains the itamae that helps him run the different Sushi Soras around the country. I was very lucky to have him serve my side of the table that evening.

Once you settled in the seat, the drink order is taken; everyone needs to order one compulsory alcoholic drink. Then the gari is placed on the serving slab with additional wasabi. It is interesting to note that in Korea, pickled garlic is served with sushi.

계란찜 | 茶碗蒸 | Steamed egg with chestnut 

We started the journey with a chawanmushi with the seasonal ingredient, chestnuts. Chawanmushi is similar to gyelanjjim 계란찜 in Korean (which looks more like how my mom would steam egg custard), but they will understand chawanmushi if you ask for it because the Korean egg custard is different.

넙치 | ヒラメ | Halibut

This flatfish available in Korea is the olive flounder, aka bastard halibut or Korean halibut, and is used as a delicious sashimi locally in Korea. Called neobchi 넙치, it has a mild flavour and a firm, springy texture.

넙치 지느러미 | 縁側 | Halibut Fins

Besides the flesh of the halibut, its fin meat is served separately as a neta (sushi topping) or as sashimi for its crunchy, chewy texture. The engawa 縁側 (as it is known in Japanese) is aburi (flame torched) to tenderise the flesh and to bring out the fattiness of this otherwise bland fish.

가리비 성게 페이스트 | 帆立 練うに | Scallops with Uni Paste

Galibi 가리비 or scallops are so sweet and full of umami. Neri uni 練うに is fresh sea urchin made into a smooth creamy paste, and is the second best thing besides fresh sea urchin. At first glanch, this looks over decadent. I am hapy with the indulgence, too much of the good things cannot be bad.

쑥두부안간치즈중 | よもぎ豆腐あん肝チーズ最中 | Mugwort Tofu Monkfish Liver Cheese Monaka

This homemade tofu is made from ssuk 쑥 or Korean mugwort extracted to add flavour and colour to the tofu. The herby tofu is topped with monkfish liver and grated cheese housed in a crispy wafer cup called monaka 最中. Delicious appetiser that can only be finished in two bites. The texture of the tofu is like yuba 湯葉 or beancurd skin, very bland and herby but perfect with the ankimo paste.

문어 조림 | タコ煮付け | Braised Octopus

Muneo jorim 문어 조림 or braised octopus is a popular appetiser in sushiya. It is delicious and chewy, a little sweet, garlicky, salty and has a unique octopus flavor with a ton of umami. Well balanced with a sprinkling of lime zest to give it that acidic, zesty fragrance.

전복간을 넣은 찜전복 | アワビの酒蒸し 肝ソース添え | Saked Steamed Abalone with Liver Sauce 

Abalone was not my favourite mollusc – it has no taste of its own, it is chewy if not done correctly and it’s overpriced. All abalone dishes “borrowed” the taste from the sauce, the ingredients that were cooked together with the abalone. Here, the sake-steamed abalone was served with Chef Kim’s special liver sauce. Just the right texture, it was al dente but not chewy. And best part, the ball of shari to mop up all the liver sauce. Delicious!

도미 | 鯛 | Sea bream 

Domi 도미 or sea bream is a popular sashimi or sushi fish, often available live in tanks in those fish whole markets like Noryangjin. Koreans refer to dome as the “queen of sliced raw fish” for its outstanding taste and texture. At first, you will fall in love with the chewy texture, but later on, you will find yourself falling for the subtle sweetness.

오오 토로 | 本マグロ 大トロ | Fatty Bluefin Tuna

Only bluefin tuna can be called toro. And the most luxurious cut with best marbling is called otoro 大トロ. I mistaken this to be chutoro, but I was promptly corrected by Chef Kim. Nothing but the best for this omakase.

Hon maguro 本鮪 (literally “true” tuna) or bluefin tuna, is a very large fish, with some specimens weighing more than eight hundred pounds. Because it is so large, different cuts of the fish have different flavours and appearances, and different names: a lean cut, red in appearance, is called akami, a moderately fatty cut is called chutoro, and a very fatty cut, lighter in colour and showing some marbling, is called otoro.

몽크피쉬 간 | 鮟肝 | Monkfish Liver

Ankimo あん肝 is known as the foie gras of the sea, and can be made into あん肝パテ or monkfish liver pâté, which made its appearance in the monaka earlier on during the appetiser course. The temaki is served with a copious amount of the pâté that it’s overwhelming. I rather it was served as a dip with toasted baguettes like in izakayas.

튀긴 몽크피쉬 | アンコウのから揚げ | Deep Fried Monkfish

When it was served, I thought it was deep fried fugu (blowfish), Thankfully it was deep fried monkfish, really moist and delicious and tasted like fried chicken. I wanted to ask for more, but then I remembered that it’s only midway in the omakase. I shall resist.

참치 | 本鮪の漬 | Marinated Tuna

During the Edo period virtually all maguro (tuna) was marinated in a shoyunikiri in order to preserve it. Doing so not only preserved the fish, but it also kept it visually appealing as otherwise the tuna’s flesh would have turned dark when exposed to air. Visually, akami zuké has a bold, bright red appearance, and texturally it is incredibly smooth thanks to the marinade. The resulting bite is simply fantastic, especially when paired with good shari.

된장국 | 味噌汁 | Miso Soup

As an interlude, hot miso soup made from sea bream fishbone stock was served to ease the furious pace of the raw stuff.

전갱이 | 鯵 | Japanese Horse Mackerel

Jeon-gaeng-i 전갱이 (Japanese horse mackerel, or simply, horse mackerel as it is known in Korea) is one of my favourite neta for its complex flavours and fattiness. It is usually garnished with wasabi, ginger, and scallions to bring out the flavours of the fish. Here, Chef Kim has prepared a minced version that resembled the condiment we get in Hong Kong for chicken, very delicious. Most of the skin is removed during preparation, leaving a pinkish, appealing flesh.

방어 | 魬 | Japanese Amberjack

I am often confused bang’eo 방어 (which is hamachi or Japanese amberjack) with hiramasa (yellowtail amberjack) because of their similar appearance, but this is cheaper and often served in sushi restaurant around the world and translated as yellowtail, which in Japan is a “shusse-uo” (promoting fish) called buri 鰤. Served with a brush of soy sauce and a dab of minced garlic, it has a soft texture with full-on flavour

달콤한 새우와 성게 손으로 감기 | 甘エビとウニ手巻 | Sweet Shrimp and Sea Urchin Hand Roll

Next up, a temaki 手巻 with amaebi 甘エビ (dalkomhan saeu 달콤한 새우) and uni ウニ (uni 성게). Some ingredients from South Korea are really high quality. Wasabi from Cheorwon and sea urchin farmed in Goheung are examples. The sea urchin, in particular, is so delicious that it is comparable to the top-grade uni from Hokkaido, Japan. I was getting used to this level of strong tasting sushi and temaki, I needed some champagne or white wine to strike a balance.

수국 바스시 | アジの棒寿司 | Aji Bo-sushi

Unlike the traditional bo-sushi, the Japanese horse mackerel (aji) used is not cured or marinated with vinegar. The sushi is then covered with freshly milled sesame for that added fragrance.

붕장어 | 穴子 | Sea Eel

Jangeo 장어, or eel, is one of the top three dishes to eat in Korea on the hottest of days in the summer. Baem jangeo 붕장어 or anago in Japanese is a summer delicacy. These sea eels live in freshwater for 5 to 12 years and travel to the ocean to spawn eggs between August and October. Once they get out to the deep ocean, they lay their eggs and their lives end. The sea eel is simmered in shōyu and sake, and is best served warm and brushed with a tsumé reduction. 

아캄츠 흙냄비 | アカムツ 土鍋ご飯 | Blackthroat Seaperch Claypot Rice

Akamutsu アカムツ (aka nodoguro) or blackthroat seaperch/rosy seabass offers a very high fat content. Imagine the flavour and texture of kinmedai, but even a bit fattier and more oily, with a lovely, sweet flavour and aroma. This fish is now commercial raised in Taiwan, but I am not sure if this is wild-caught (even better) or farmed. Two ways to eat it from the akamutsu donabe (rosy seabass claypot rice) – as is or ochazuke (added with a bonito dashi stock), equally delicious.

김밥 | 太巻き | Futomaki

Chef Kim asked if anyone wants the ends of the futomaki because they overflow with ingredients. That is what I call ugly delicious. But if you look at the cross section of the futomaki, it is so stuffed with ingredients (negitoro, amaebi, tamago, chives, pickled radish) that you can almost not see the shari. And to top it all off, more akami zuke cubes. I had to finish off the tuna and then the gimbap.

계란구이 | 卵焼き | Egg Castella

Ask a sushi aficionado how they judge a sushi restaurant or itamae, and you will get one of two answers: by their kohada or by their tamago, as both require arduous preparation, a lot of practice, and a lot of skill. The Suzuhiro style tamago yaki uses fish paste as a base giving it a smooth texture and a richness of umami. This one has a texture of the pandan part of kueh salat. Tamago is technically not a sushi but is considered by many to be the best way to finish a great sushi meal. 

Encore – One More Thing….

NO, the meal did not end with the tamago. At the end you have the chance to choose your favourite piece and eat it again as an encore. Anything you want from tonight’s repertoire, even the otoro. And for good measure, Chef Kim gave an extra thick cut of the otoro to my guest.

I asked for my usual finale, the tekka maki, although it is not an encore. Again, instead of the usual size, I got an oversized tekka maki with the same delicious akami zuke (marinated tuna) from earlier. I was really satisfied.

Dessert – Matcha Ice Cream

The dessert is a simple ball of matcha ice cream, but presented in an elaborate manner, from the bulldog stand to the teddy bear candle – too cute.

When looking at the price of omakase, it may seem expensive. However, once you visit, you can feel its value exceeds the cost. The omakase is in two seatings per evening, and there’s no walk-ins without a reservation in this super-popular place.

If you are looking for fine dining sushi, delicately made in true Japanese style, this is not the place. However it is very good quality sushi with very generous portion for the price. All staff are very nice and courteous., and the itamae is extremely knowledgeable. Highly recommended for Edo-style sushi in Seoul.

Sushi Sora (Gwanghwamun) 스시 소라 광화문 점
116, 1B, 19, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Tel : +82 2 733 8400 (Reservations)

Visited Sep 2024