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Sushi Seonsoo, a sushi restaurant by Dosan Park in Apgujeong

These days getting a reservation at a sushi restaurant is like plucking a star out of the sky, and with the number of sushi places exploding, the competition is fierce too. I do want to eat something good, but I didn’t want to book two months ahead and then show up (because life being what it is, you never know what will happen in two months…), so while I was working out where to go, I settled on Sushi Seonsoo. I can’t claim to remember the taste of every sushi I’ve ever had, but this held its own against any sushi restaurant in Japan. And the price was 120,000 won a head. It got to the point where I felt sorry while I was eating…

Appetizer

Sushi seonsoo

Every single dish is beautifully executed. The only problem was that I failed to account for the volume – at the start the chef offered to serve me less rice, and I thought, how many pieces can a lunch sushi course possibly run to that I’d need less rice, so I told them to serve it as is, and I nearly burst. Next time I’ll skip the bravado…

Hirame

Sushi seonsoo

A light start, and a very Korean ingredient.

Chutoro

Sushi seonsoo

It melts in your mouth.

Hotate

Sushi seonsoo

Nice and sweet.

Kuruma ebi

Sushi seonsoo

Cute little guys, though…

Shima aji

Sushi seonsoo

Hikarimono has charms all its own.

Ikura

Sushi seonsoo

The premium neta just keep coming…

Kuruma ebi

Sushi seonsoo

The prawn meat is sweet…

Madai belly

Sushi seonsoo

Grilled nodoguro

Sushi seonsoo

It was seriously good. I never thought I’d eat sushi this good in Korea…

Fried kuruma ebi

Sushi seonsoo

Koreans get a little sulky if you don’t give them something like this…

Akami zuke

Sushi seonsoo

Delicious.

Ika

Sushi seonsoo

Splendid.

Grilled fish

Sushi seonsoo

I don’t really remember what it was, but the fish was good and the sauce seemed French in style, so I was impressed that a sushi restaurant would put out a dish like this.

Suimono

Sushi seonsoo

I was genuinely moved by everything up to this point, and just as I thought we might coast for a while, the feast of flavours came roaring back.

Uni and amaebi gunkan

Sushi seonsoo

Well, it’s the best…

Seared otoro

Sushi seonsoo

Splendid.

Engawa

Sushi seonsoo

The texture is the best part. Honestly, I’ve had plenty of good uni and otoro all over the place so I took those in stride, but a chewy piece like this was really impressive.

Toro maki

Sushi seonsoo

I do love toro maki… but I never expected it in a course…

Saba bo-zushi

Sushi seonsoo

A piece of pressed bo-zushi turns up too.

Fried bites

Sushi seonsoo

I enjoyed these…

One more for an encore

Sushi seonsoo

I was full, but I couldn’t not order. I agonised between the grilled nodoguro and the engawa, and went with the engawa.

Anago

Sushi seonsoo

It just melts away. I thought that was the end, but…

Futomaki

Sushi seonsoo

The size was enormous.

Soba…

Sushi seonsoo

After all that, honestly, the soba wouldn’t go down. I just spooned up a bit of the broth.

Even tamago…

Sushi seonsoo

Nothing left wanting – everything you’d hope for comes out.

Sherbet

Sushi seonsoo

I thought everything had already come out, and then there was dessert… All I can say is that it was perfect… A place like this must feel the competition too, because lunch seems to be priced as a service. Dinner is a bit pricier. But if it’s this good, I’d like to visit in the evening as well.

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