Busan Sushi Bar

Complimentary banchan with your sushi.
Complimentary green tea.
Complimentary porridge.
Friendly service even though they speak broken English.
Sadly, it looks like this place has closed down! It was not the best sushi you have ever had but it was close enough to my apartment that I could overlook that fact.

It was… it was OKAY…
I came in, got my food, and ate it unfeelingly. I came out and could not remember what I’d eaten and how it tasted like.
Not impressed, not disgusted, maybe slightly surprised by the service and quality of food. All I know is this: I will not go outta my way for this place.

Dude! Get the Sashimi Donburi. Big ass bowl of fresh greens and sashimi and kinds of goodness.
I came in here a couple of weeks ago for dinner. I was going to Phở 2000 (my favorite phở joint in K-​town) located in the same shopping area but I was really craving sushi so instead I came in to Busan Sushi Bar ~ Not knowing anything about it… I had not Unilocaled it or heard anything about it, positive or negative.
My friend and I made our way through the group of Korean men smoking outside in the parking lot. We sat down and were helped by a barely English speaking waitress. I said BEER. She said HITE. She handed us menus which come with very colorful pictures of the plates. I’ve had the «FISH RICE» elsewhere and I dig it so I thought ~ oh why not. She asked if I ever had it there and when I said NO ~ She said ‘oh is very good here” (yes I barely understood her but it all made sense after the second HITE). My friend ordered salmon rolls but when the Sashimi Donburi came, we knew we weren’t going to able to fit it. OMG the bowl is bigger than my imagination ~ Good Lawd it’s a BIG ASS BOWL of Deliciousness!!! Unlike other places, they don’t include the rice in the bowl but actually serve it as a side (perfect for those low-​carb peeps). They give you a large heap of beautiful greens and cucumber, radishes, all types of good stuff (I could have sworn I saw some apple in there too!!). This lovely mix is topped with an array of fresh sashimi (salmon, albacore, the works!) and small roe. It’s just a beautiful delicious dish. One mosdef is enough to feed two. So far, I’ve brought nearly 10 friends and they all LOVE LOVE LOVE this dish and I’m sure they will bring friend as well. I haven’t really tried anything else. Yeah they don’t speak English well — WHO CARES! yeah they are Korean and aren’t Japanese — WHO CARES! The fish is fresh and the price is great!
$ 9.00 Lunch
$ 11.50 Dinner
*Remember that this particular dish can feed two people but don’t share your beer.
This place was love at first HITE.

I came here with my parents a while to celebrate my getting a job (no more funemployment. yay…), and we were not impressed. My mom had found the sashimi special in the Korean newspaper, so my parents and I went for lunch.
So apparently Japanese restaurants (or maybe just the Korean-​run ones) are supposed to give you a ton of appetizers. My mom kept asking them, and the lady kept saying she’s going to bring it out. Too much lag. There weren’t even that many other patrons. When she did bring out the appetizers, they wasn’t much variety and they weren’t very special.
Finally, when the sashimi platter came out, it seemed big but only cuz it had 2 people’s worth on one tray. Thinking about it absolutely, each portion was not very big per person. Additionally, the fish was so-​so, and the price was also so-​so (not like super expensive, but I’m not sure I’d pay for it again). It’s a min 2 ppl dish anyway.
Anyway, not a fan.

Not to hate and it is possible to clean up your establishment but this place was closed by the health dept in June for vermin infestation. I would want to know which is why I am posting this.
It is now October and they are open still so I am assuming it has improved/​fixed. Still… I would want to know.

The sushi was not fresh at all.
Very disappointed.

Busan Sushi bar is a Sushi bar… meaning… they specialize in sushi — raw fish.
I’ve read all the reviews for this place. The bad reviews are the ones who didn’t order the sashimi.
It’s simple. you want donkatsu then goto wako donkatsu. If you want japanese ramen then you goto orochon or daikokuya.
Their sashimi is really fresh. It’s not over priced. I had the cho-​bap (assorted sushi)
for 19.99−25.00 (Can’t remember the price) also came with uni
& 3 different types of assorted rice with roes, raw crab, eel.
That was a fair price, quality & well portioned meal. I’d like to visit again soon.

Nice little location rated A meaning health dept has no concerns. Sashimi is priced well and the fish was really fresh. I love the service that was provided. The sushi chef is so nice

We got the dinner specials named «A» and «B». They were each delicious and it was so much food for only 17 dollars, we couldn’t finish it all. The hot saki was good too (its my favorite menu item at every sushi bar) this was the 3^rd time I have been here and I like it more each time.

a saturday afternoon… aunts and cousin at the beauty salon… myself spending the weekend as a chauffeur… lolling around and cellphone chimes… aunts and cousin are hungry… requesting food now… blind pick along western… busan sushi… an aged korean sushi restaurant… thinking rolls would be the easiest bite for the korean ladies under hot dryers… korean sushi joint… sashimi, fish stew and rolls on the menu… order of two rolls for $eighteen…lengthy wait of fifteen minutes… discovering two skinny rolls… chopped and tossed… disappointing in appearance… disappointing in taste… thinking a novice at home could have done better…

I will never return to eat here. I ate lunch here yesterday and had one of the lunch specials. Nothing looked fresh and the water looked, smelled, and tasted like toilet water. It cme out to 25 bucks for a lunch special 2 sodas and a udon soup. i dont recommend this place.

Lunch special was decent priced. Service was ok. The portion was good. I think for lunch this place is worthwhile. We had a soup and the sashimi rice bowl. It was all in all decent.

2.5 stars…
Seriously, this place isn’t that bad.
I went here and had their $ 10.99 lunch special and it was pretty good. 12 pieces of nigiri sushi, though each piece was a bit small, was fresh and the salmon was pretty tasty.
It was just a quick lunch, and hence a quick review. Would i go back? maybe… but it’s definitely not a 1 star establishment from my experience.
Happy Eating!

I am a picky eater, that is, not in what I eat but where I eat. I go to Busan for generally for two things: the hwe-​dup-​bap, which is a dish comprised of a mixture of salad greens, Japanese pickles (which is red, sweet and crunchy) topped with pieces of raw fish – usually tuna, salmon, snapper and masago (fish eggs), spoonful of chopped raw jalapeño/​garlic mixture (I ask them to omit) and garnished with radish sprouts and thin strips of dried seaweed. You also get a bowl of rice with it, which you’re supposed to put into the huge salad/​fish bowl and mix with gochu-​jang (Korean chili paste) to taste. It is delicious and inexpensive! I also go for their «mae-​une-​tang» (spicy fish stew), and when i’m really in the mood for a raw fish feast, I get the deluxe sashimi (or in Korean «hwe») platter or the halibut hwe platter
When you think raw fish, you probably first think sushi and that equals Japanese. Koreans have long eaten «hwe» (raw fish) in cities close to the coast and the style and manner that it is served is considerably different from its Japanese counterpart. Thus, I can understand the surprise of those Unilocalers who are not familiar with Korean style «sushi» restaurants, which I wouldn’t call a sushi restaurant at all. They do have Japanese style sushi to cater to the masses but don’t go to Busan if you’re looking for good Japanese style sushi. I know, it says Japanese restaurant on their sign (that’s another topic), but it’s supposed to cater to the Korean palate and how Koreans in Korea are used to eating raw fish. This is also why the banchan they serve is not typical of a Korean restaurant, because it is served to accompany raw fish. That said, they really specialize in «hwal-​uh» (pronounced «hwar-​uh,» oh, anglicizing Korean is such a touch task) which is live halibut thinly sliced on a platter and served with accompanying banchan and the scraps of the de-​boned halibut is then used to prepare a stew for you. It’s expensive, but they say that it is Korean halibut imported from Korea, plus they bring you a lot of extras like «dynamite,» grilled skewered garlic, but it changes if you order these specials.
By the way, Busan is a city at the southern tip of S. Korea and they’re famous for their fresh seafood and Busan Restaurant serves it in this style. So yes, while they’ll have sushi to cater to people who want «sushi,» you should really go for what they’re good at. I found their sushi to be average and moderate to expensive for what it is.
Another hit is their sashimi platters. They are great because it comes with a bunch of extras… like a set/​course meal, and if you order for I think two or three persons (I think three), they add the good stuff, like amaebi, that is live amaebi from their tank people, and uni, which they also have live in shell. Order them separately, and you’ll pay a lot but get the deluxe sashimi platter and you’ll get those along with the usual tuna, salmon, snapper, yellow tail and maybe stew too I think. Koreans usually eat the hwe platters with beer or soju.
So if you walk in an are confused by the menu, don’t get anything that you do not know what it is such as the monkfish casserole or the fish stews, they offer some hardcore Korean seafood dishes that would take some getting used to, so if you’re thinking sushi, don’t be adventurous with their regular menu! Ask for a sushi menu/​list (the kind that you pencil in?) For the Hwe-​dup-​bap and other simple meals, go for lunch, it’s inexpensive and good, you can also opt for the bento boxes (which I never get) but don’t expect to be wowed. It’s a bento box! Go for dinner for the deluxe sashimi platter. The fish will be fresh and will be lots of it. So what, they give you periwinkle as a side? Don’t eat it and don’t bash it. There’ll be plenty of things that you can eat that you non-​Koreans will enjoy. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll have a much better experience.
I’ve read that Arado has good hwe-​dup-​bap on Unilocal but am reluctant to try it because Busan’s is great. So there you go… before you bash the place, after you read my review and decide to go, at least you know what to expect. maybe I’ll try and update with a comparison.

I don’t understand what is up with the previous reviewers. I live near BuSan and eat there happily.
Yes, it’s a Korean sushi bar. Just like the Phở 2000 next door is Korean. This is Koreatown, people!
Yes, some of the wait staff don’t speak English well, but if there is ever a question they go get someone else. The waitresses have always been very sweet and accomodating.
Their sashimi donburi is a great inexpensive lunch, and far too huge to finish. And nothing beats gathering with my favorite gluttons for one of the enormous sashimi combo dinners. The small easily feeds four.

The sashimi platter 50.99 is not bad. Kinda small I’d have to say. Comes with four pieces each of the following: abalone, mirugai, maguro, hamachi, red snapper, halibut, salmon and something else, i forget.
For banchan, theres edamame, small sea snails, sea squirt, sea cucumber, korean style sunomuno, wet peanuts. The porridge was bland. The freshness of fish is decent (pretty fantastic for a korean place. but thats not saying much) for all except the maguro (which is the Korean crappy grade sashimi) and the mirugai which was tad mushy for my taste. the hamachi was really fresh surprisingly.
For «service» we got 4 oysters w sriracha (really oceany), ankimo w sriracha which was not bad, salmon collar I believe, dynamite, garlic skewers (great). Korean yogurt drink for dessert.
its not as bad as i expected (from reading the reviews).

Jonathan Gold, you are an animal. And like an animal, you will die alone.
I love Gold. I don’t mean that as a death threat. But I trusted him against all better judgement and ended up at Bu San one night for what would be amongst the worst (and funniest) dining experiences of my life.
I’m not sure how to express in words the magnitude of my skepticism when I read that the panchan can consist of things like Periwinkle snails, giant prawns with heads attached, and tripe*. I suppose I foolishly imagined that it wouldn’t necessarily consist of ALL of those things, at once, and in great volume. The panchan are one of my favorite things about Korean dining, and someone deserves to die a fiery death for thinking that kimchi, potato salad, salted fish, tender beef, and various other delicious side dishes somehow aren’t CRAZY enough for Bu San.
While one of my dining companions chowed down on stringy Periwinkle snails (a toothpick is required to pull them from their shells), my other companion and I looked over the menu, growing more pale by the minute. It was not an easy menu to decipher, and the wait staff speaks English as well as I speak Korean. My adventurous friend ordered the sashimi special, my non-​adventurous friend ordered ordinary sushi rolls, and I ordered a «snapper casserole.»
I am a fucking idiot.
After all the food had come out, it was 5 to 10 minutes before I realized what on the table was actually my order. I turned out to be less of a «casserole» and more of a «cross-​section of a fish’s head laid on a plate.» I didn’t realize this until after my first few bites (which were my only bites). As I dug into this fish-​thing, I wondered why it was so salty and fatty, and seemed to be pieces of fat coming apart in my mouth.
I now in retrospect can say that I was not consuming meat, but rather brain matter or possibly another organ mixed in for good measure.
I wish I had simply stopped right there with that realization. I really do. I could have gone home, unsatisfied, but relatively calm. Instead, I explored further this fish-​thing on a plate, and announced my discovery to the table:
«This is an eyeball,» I said.
«No it’s not,» my adventurous companion said.
I pulled it out of the fish. It was much, much bigger than you are picturing in your mind right now.
«Yes it is,» I said. «That’s the optic nerve, hanging out the back.»
That seemed to convince him.
«Oh my God,» my less adventurous dining companion said.
I didn’t eat anything else that night, save for a bite of a very safe looking sushi roll.
I won’t be returning to Bu San anytime soon, and I suggest that unless you are a masochist, you heed my words. There are fine sushi establishments all over this fair city; you don’t need to go here to get it. And if you don’t believe me about the eyeball, look at the pictures.
*Tripe is the lining of the stomach of an animal. That it is considered «food» is both a travesty and completely debatable.

Oh my gosh, this place was really bad, and not just the food. Me and a group of friends went at about 4pm on a Saturday and we were greeted at the door by a very unpleasant fish smell. We decided to try it anyways since we were in the mood for sushi. The waitress did not speak a word of English or a word of Japanese! She was Korean, which might have been helpful if the food was Korean…
I ordered sushi and 2 of my friends ordered some other dish that I still can’t pronounce. When the waitress finally brought our food (after what felt like an hour later), I couldn’t even eat it! The fish was really squishy and looked like it had been sitting around (maybe being used as the air freshener for the restaurant?) for a few days. Even worse was the way it tasted. I ordered 4 pieces of sushi and could only choke down 1. I actually spit out one piece that I tried to chew but just couldn’t swallow. Yikes! Anyways, my 2 friends that didn’t order sushi never got their food. The waitress didn’t bring them anything! And then when they tried to ask what happened, she could not answer because she spoke no English. She couldn’t even understand what they were asking, so instead, she brought them the check.
On top of all of this, the food was expensive! You couldn’t pay me to come back to this place. I felt like it was out of a really bad comedy movie.

Although the place looks like a Japanese restaurant, it has a very Korean vibe. The food is pretty good and the price is great– but ONLY for LUNCH SPECIALs. On weekdays. It’s a good deal for the combo meals you can get. I like the chicken terriyaki here. If coming to this place at any other time, it’s like 3x the price! I feel jipped when I come at any other time.