16.191 A True Omakase

Cycle 16 – Item 191

Post 5,670

15 (Tue) July 2025

A True Omakase

4.0

at Sushi Zak

-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

with the Family

Try Every Restaurant in Scandi Mall (12) (see TERSM)

Sushi Zak is a Japanese restaurant.  No menu, omakase only, lunch and dinner.  By reservation – max seating capacity of 8 customers.  Opened last year.

Located in the northeast corner of Scandi Mall.

Been looking forward to trying the restaurant, but it’s always been fully booked, at least when trying to get a table at the last minute.

This time, we planned ahead in anticipation of DJ’s 18th birthday, his final birthday before heading off to college.

As far as we could tell, the entire operation was managed by the chef alone (presumably the owner?), who prepared each course by himself, including to shuttle back and forth from the kitchen to bring out soups, noodles, and eventually dessert, all the while serving drinks, refilling side dishes, and clearing plates.

The food was excellent.  A total of 22 courses comprising 28 individual items, including 17 pieces of sashimi or sushi, plus a bottomless plate of various tsukemono.  Everything was cleverly conceived and expertly executed with premium quality ingredients.  Certain dishes were simply perfect.  Other dishes were mind-blowing.  Never knew what would come next, even while each dish logically and seamlessly flowed into the next.  Not a single miss.  This is what a true omakase should be.

Slicing soy sauce jelly.

The first of his self-proclaimed “signature” dishes involved minced and marinated ankimo (monkfish liver), rolled in a slice of flatfish, topped with a sliver of soy sauce jelly.  Each layer contributed a distinct taste and texture, then combining into another surprising thing altogether – reminded me of a dissonant yet inexplicably pleasing chord by Thelonious Monk.  One of the most intriguing bites of food that I’ve experienced in my life.

Signature 1 (4.0)

The second “signature” dish was nigirizushi topped with scallop (hotate) + sweet shrimp (amaebi) + sea urchin roe (uni).  In contrast to the first signature, the combination here was more intuitive – like a tight vocal Beach Boys harmony.  Not surprising, but powerful nonetheless.

Signature 2 (4.0)

Aside from the main courses, we were also impressed by the tsukemono (pickles), especially the green ones.  When asked, the chef described them as “romaine stems,” but their thick shape and chewy texture suggested they might actually be some kind of gourd, like a cucumber.  In any case, they were seasoned, perhaps with a touch of chili oil, to be perfectly balanced between savory and sweet and spicy and bitter.  Fortunately, I was seated right in front of the container, so I continued to refill our plates whenever the chef was in the back – in cleaning up after we left, he was probably surprised to find the container nearly empty.

Romaine Stems (4.0)

The second best meal, this kind of table d’hôte meal, in the history of GMTD, second only to the lunch at Jungsik (see generally 16.011 (Lunch) Signature).   The first visit to Jenny’s Apron might trail as a distant third (see generally 15.196 Shrimp & Fluke Ceviche in Mustard Oil).

While 110,000 won per person isn’t cheap, I believe that the price represented a respectable value considering how many different things  were on the table.  In writing this post, I can’t recall ever tagging so many ingredients.  By contrast, the recent meal at Jenny’s Apron cost 150,000 won per person (plus 8% for credit card) (minimum of 8 customers), which came with 9 courses, 17 items, including 2 servings of frozen shrimp and instant ramyeon (see generally 16.175 Ramyeon, Really?).  Jungsik cost 200,000 won per person for 8 courses, 14 items.  Of these 3 restaurants, Sushi Zak is the only one that I would return to without hesitation.

(See RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)

(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

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