Sushi Hyo Cheongdam: Michelin Plate Sushi in Gangnam

2017-11-19 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

Today was a good day personally, so I decided to take my family somewhere we don't usually go. Wondering where to go, I looked for a sushi place since my mom loves raw fish. It's a place that almost every blog, magazine, and media outlet I've seen praises as top-tier. The name is 'Sushi Hyo'. Since the name includes 'Hyo' (filial piety), I felt good driving there to treat my family. ~~I had no idea it was right behind my old high school.~~

Sushi Hyo is so famous it even made the Michelin Guide (it didn't get a star, but received a Michelin Plate). Articles about Sushi Hyo almost always mention Head Chef Ahn Hyo-ju, so he's easy to read up on. He's been described in all sorts of ways—from a martial arts master in a cheap novel to calm, flavor-focused reviews, and he even appeared in the manga 'Shota no Sushi'. Because of this, many people sit at the counter and order omakase to taste his skills firsthand. But today was a celebration, so we ordered a set course meal instead.

Just like its reputation, the prices at Sushi Hyo are staggering. There's a very simple menu with sushi and sashimi courses, plus a drink menu packed with sake. Without overthinking it, we went with the Dinner Sashimi Course B, no alcohol. It was a shame, but I had to drive, so I saved the drinks for next time. We chose the sashimi course over sushi because my mom loves sashimi. If you're asking why we came to a sushi restaurant instead of a sashimi place, well... 'Sorry, I didn't think that far ahead. This is a bit embarrassing, haha.' You can see the menu right away by clicking the link below.

Sushi Hyo Cheongdam Menu

Illuminated Sushi Hyo sign in the dark night — Pull up to the front, and the valet parking attendant takes care of your car right away.

Nighttime exterior view of Sushi Hyo restaurant with a small pine tree garden and glass doors

Restaurant interior hallway with a shoe rack and sliding doors — The interior that earned a 'comfortable' (Class 2) rating from Michelin.

Vegetable sticks, pickled side dishes, ssamjang (dipping sauce), and an empty front plate placed on a table — Once you order, they serve these basic tsukidashi (appetizers). I was so hungry I kept munching on the peppers and cabbage. We were probably the first people here to ask for a refill of those. The white dish is for soy sauce.

Fish dish garnished with carrots and green onions served in a patterned square bowl — The first dish was braised white fish, which I'm guessing was cod. It disappeared into our mouths in the blink of an eye.

Various types of sashimi including tuna and white fish neatly arranged on a clear glass plate — Next came the sashimi. Abalone, halibut, and more—we enjoyed it all. I meant to identify each piece as I ate, but the problem is I only thought of that after I'd already eaten them.

A piece of grilled fish, lemon, and a green leaf placed on a white plate.

Four pieces of sushi topped with raw shrimp, red tuna, fatty tuna, and eel placed side by side on a white plate — Four pieces of sushi from the master. With all due respect to the famous chef, I didn't feel the 'perfect stickiness of the rice,' the 'vigorous thrashing of the eel,' or the 'beauty of the raw shrimp' like in the manga 'Shota no Sushi'—I just ate it and it was delicious. If there's a difference from other sushi spots, I thought the pieces were a bit smaller here.

Rice topped with salmon roe and wasabi in a small yellow bowl with a black spoon stuck in it

Four pieces of sushi topped with shrimp, tuna, and eel on a wavy patterned plate.

Clear broth with white fish cake and mushroom slices in a dark-colored bowl.

Grilled shrimp, beef, broccoli, and mushrooms on a black iron plate placed over a wooden stove. — My family has small stomachs, so our chopsticks started slowing down around here. But spurred on by my battle cry of 'Do you know how much this costs?!', we kept eating.

Grilled shrimp, beef, broccoli, and mushrooms served on a black round plate. — The meat was so good I wondered where they buy it.

Large fish head braised in a dark sauce and green peppers served on a round plate. — I think they said this was cod head.

A thick piece of gimbap (seaweed rice roll) filled with rolled omelet, avocado, and fish meat placed on a plate. — They gave us gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) on the house because we were eating so well. I'm sorry, but we are so full ㅠㅠ

A thick piece of gimbap (seaweed rice roll) packed with various ingredients like egg, avocado, and shrimp placed on a white plate. — Also, why did my gimbap look like this...

Clear broth dish containing crab, scallops, mushrooms, and vegetables in a black pot. — The truly, absolutely final nabe (hot pot). If we'd had drinks, we would have eaten it slowly and finished it, but without alcohol, we ate too fast and got full quickly.

Purple ice cream sprinkled with yellow powder in a brass bowl with a spoon resting on it. — The ice cream that surprised me once with the brass bowl and again with the taste. I'd love to set a table with pretty brass bowls like this someday.

Now that we've finished, let me share my honest thoughts... Unfortunately, unless you're a true gourmet, I don't think you'll feel the real value of this price tag. No matter how picky I am about food, I don't have the palate or the wallet to consider these prices reasonable. Lunch is 65,000 KRW, which is somewhat okay (actually, it's not okay, it just looks okay compared to dinner), but dinner is seriously expensive. And it's not like they serve incredibly unique or mind-blowing sushi or sashimi to match the high price. In fact, the sushi at Yeonsusa in Yangjae (a neighborhood in Seoul), which is in a similar price range (though still cheaper than here), had more variety.

Setting variety aside, it's the knife work of a famous chef, the service is great, and the restaurant has a neat, clean impression, so I can't say it's not worth the money. I just think there aren't many customers who can fully appreciate it. Also, I made a mistake when booking—I should have asked for a private room, but that wasn't communicated, so we ate at a table. Since it's an expensive restaurant, I recommend eating quietly in a private room.

There are other branches besides this Cheongdam one, and they are a bit cheaper, but their reviews are also 'cheaper.' But I'm guessing that even if I went there, they'd still serve excellent food that exceeds my palate's standards, so it should be fine for ordinary people like me.

#GoodEats #Michelin #GoodButHardToRecommend #IfIRecommendThisPeopleWillThinkIOwnBuildings