If you want good aged sashimi in Samsan, Ulsan, Yoonseul Dining (윤슬다이닝) is worth a stop.
I’d been meaning to go for a while because the sashimi kept showing up on my Instagram.
Short version: if you like raw fish, you’ll probably leave happy.
It’s small and you really need a reservation, so I’d plan around that.
The basics
The address is 5 Dalsam-ro 24beon-gil, Nam-gu, Ulsan (울산 남구 달삼로24번길 5 1층).
It’s one block over from Yongma Night Market in Samsan, tucked behind the grilled-meat alley, not far from Lotte City Hotel.
Open Monday to Saturday, 5 PM to midnight, last order at 11 PM.
Closed Sundays.
Phone: 010-4618-1764.
📍 View Yoonseul Dining (윤슬다이닝) on Google Maps →
One travel tip: Google Maps is unreliable for walking and transit directions in Korea. Use Naver Map or KakaoMap instead. For taxis, the KakaoT app works well, and the front desk at many places can call one for you.
About reservations (read this first)
Yoonseul Dining isn’t strictly reservation-only.
I saw the owner explain this in the shop’s Naver listing.
You book through Naver, and when you arrive you’re seated at either the counter or a table, depending on how full the place is that night.
So walk-ins aren’t impossible, but in practice you’ll want to book ahead.
When I read other reviews beforehand, plenty of people who showed up without a reservation got turned away.
Even on weeknights it fills up, and since the room is small, tables don’t turn over quickly.
One more tip: if there are two of you and you’d prefer a table over the counter, write that in your booking request. Otherwise you may be seated at the counter by default.
Booking is done online in Korean. If that’s tricky, your hotel desk or a Korean friend can help, or you can simply try walking in earlier in the evening on a quieter day.
Also, this is an izakaya, so each person is expected to order at least one alcoholic drink rather than just a soft drink. If someone in your group doesn’t drink at all, keep that in mind. There’s a non-alcoholic beer for anyone who’s driving. And if you have any food allergies, it’s worth noting them in the reservation request so the kitchen can work around them.
A small, counter-focused room
Inside, the main seating is a counter facing the open kitchen.
There are a few four-tops too, but I liked sitting at the counter and watching the chef work.
There’s a coat rack, and the restrooms are clean and separated by gender.
A couple of honest downsides.
It’s a small space, so it’s not great for larger groups.
It’s lovely for a quiet drink for two, but because the room is tight, sound bounces around, so it isn’t whisper-quiet.
There’s no call button at the table, which felt a little odd at first, but the owner comes right over and is friendly when you wave him down.
Even the starters are a step up
Once you sit down, the complimentary starters come first.
Everyone gets a chawanmushi (차완무시), a Japanese savory egg custard in a dashi broth with a shrimp inside, and it’s silky.
That kind of thing usually shows up as an appetizer at a sushi omakase, so getting it as a free starter set a nice tone.
You also get three kinds of pickles, including olives, which woke up the appetite, plus some blanched mideodeok (미더덕, a sea squirt) that was pleasantly fragrant.
Even the water wasn’t just plain tap.
What we ordered
Jecheol sashimi, seasonal sashimi for two (제철사시미, 45,000 won)
This is the signature.
The fish changes daily, so the lineup is different each time, and the point is that it’s aged rather than just fresh-cut.
The slices are cut nice and thick.
You’ll see amberjack, sea bass, squid, smoked mackerel, sea bream and more, including some fish you don’t run into often, which is fun if you’re into sashimi.
The owner explains each fish as it comes, so you’re never left guessing what you’re eating.
Being honest, not every piece was flawless. The richness varied by fish, and the aging and moisture on a few pieces may be a matter of taste.
Still, it’s hard to find this kind of varied aged sashimi anywhere else in Ulsan.
Hirame ankimo maki (히라메안키모마끼, 28,000 won)
This one stuck with me.
It’s a slice of aged flatfish topped with monkfish liver (ankimo), which is soft and deeply rich.
There’s no fishy edge, and a bit of pickled stem cuts the richness, so it stays clean.
It melts in your mouth and makes you reach for another sip.
Real squid jjamppong (진짜 오징어짬뽕, 7,000 won)
This is a playful one.
It starts from an instant cup noodle but gets loaded with real squid and turned into a proper spicy bowl. Great value, and a nice contrast to the raw fish.
A heads-up for visitors who aren’t used to Korean spice: jjamppong has a real chili kick, so brace yourself a little. It’s perfect for closing out a meal that started clean with sashimi.
Fried cuttlefish (갑오징어튀김, 16,000 won)
Don’t skip the fried plates.
The gabojingeo twigim (fried cuttlefish) is crisp, finished with a house sauce, and made a perfect beer snack.
There’s more in this vein, like daikon karaage (다이콘가라아게) and a yangkatsu brioche sando (양카츠브리산도). Most dishes are Japanese at the base with a Western touch, so it’s fun to mix and match.
There’s also a Chinese-style mala noodle dish, and a signature neko potato salad (네코감자사라다) served inside a cat-shaped monaka wafer, which is as cute as it sounds.
The drinks are well covered
The Suntory draft beer is smooth, and there’s a solid range of sake, Japanese shochu, spirits and highballs that pair well with the food.
Sake alongside the sashimi was a great match.
As mentioned, there’s a one-drink-per-person rule, so plan on at least one glass.
A few practical notes for visitors: as at almost every restaurant in Korea, you can pay by card here, and any internationally accepted card should be fine. There’s no tipping culture in Korea, so you don’t need to leave one, and trying to may just confuse the staff. Ordering wasn’t a problem even with limited English. The menu is mostly in Korean, but you can point at what you want, and the owner happened to speak a little English and was happy to help. If you ever hit a wall, the photo menus in this post and a translation app cover the rest.
Know the parking situation before you go
Worth flagging.
Yoonseul Dining has no parking lot of its own, so if you drive, you’ll need to sort parking out separately.
If you’re driving, use the nearby Daemyeong parking lot (2,000 won per 30 minutes) or a public lot close by.
This is a busy part of Samsan, so street parking isn’t easy. Given the location, it’s less stressful to sort out parking before you arrive.
Most places take cards, but it’s handy to keep a little cash for small lots and the like.
Final thoughts
The strengths are clear.
The aged seasonal sashimi is varied and generously cut, the Japanese-meets-Western small plates are well executed, and the chef’s explanations and service feel genuinely thoughtful.
He trained as a head chef at the well-known Gappo Ichi and has been featured on a popular Korean food show, and you can tell each dish gets real attention.
To balance it out: the room is small and not suited to bigger groups, the sound carries so it isn’t truly quiet, and you’ll struggle to get a seat without a reservation.
And the one-drink rule may not suit non-drinkers.
Even so, for two people who want a quiet evening of aged sashimi and a drink, it’s a lovely spot, and I’d go back to try the dishes I missed.
If you’re after a date spot or a calm drink for two in Ulsan, I’d recommend it.
Location / Getting there
Yoonseul Dining
5 Dalsam-ro 24beon-gil, Nam-gu, Ulsan
One block from Yongma Night Market in Samsan, behind the grilled-meat alley