Mishima

About

Private room Japanese dining near Gangnam Severance Hospital serving thick-cut sashimi, generous cold raw fish soup, and comforting seafood stews.

Tucked away on the second floor of a quiet commercial building on Dogok-ro, just a short walk from Gangnam Severance Hospital, Mishima is a classic Japanese establishment built around discretion and comfort. Visitors ascend a flight of indoor stairs to find an understated dining space composed almost entirely of private rooms. Outfitted with wall hooks, neatly pressed aprons, and quiet sliding doors, these rooms provide an insulated, relaxed environment well-suited for multi-generational family gatherings, business dinners, or patients decompressing after hospital visits. The meal typically begins with warm bowls of savory abalone porridge alongside a rotating spread of home-style side dishes, which might include seasoned water parsley, braised potatoes, perilla-tossed mushrooms, or seasonal touches like fresh cabbage and gwamegi served with house-made dipping sauce. When it comes to the raw fish, the kitchen focuses on generous, thick-cut preparations. Platters of winter yellowtail and glistening raw oysters showcase pristine freshness, while the teuk-saengseon chobap (special sushi) delivers hefty slices of raw fish with a punchy dab of wasabi. For quick lunch crowds and daytime diners, Mishima’s oversized bowls of cold and warm specialties are the primary draw. The teuk-mulhoe arrives in a wide vessel packed with seasonal sliced fish, vegetables, and chilled, tangy broth intended for stirring in somyeon noodles. The teuk-hoedupbap is equally massive, letting diners fold a whole bowl of steamed rice into fresh raw fish and crisp greens. When cooler weather demands heat, the kitchen turns to bubbling earthenware pots. The jeonbok haemultang (abalone seafood stew) comes loaded with two abalones, blue crab, fish roe, and slow-cooked radish that softens into a spicy, comforting broth. While the lack of an elevator requires carrying strollers up the stairs, the ample front parking lot and serene room dining keep locals and hospital regulars steadily returning.