Restaurant in Seoul, South Korea
Dedicated kushiage counter, Michelin-recognised value
A dedicated kushiage counter in Gangnam with back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025. At the ₩₩ price tier, it's one of Seoul's more straightforward value decisions for Japanese specialist dining. Book a few days ahead — this is an easy reservation — and consider solo or counter seating for the full effect.
Kushi Kawa earns its Michelin Plate recognition — awarded in both 2024 and 2025 — as one of the few dedicated kushiage counters in Seoul's Gangnam district. At the ₩₩ price tier, it sits well below the city's fine-dining corridor of four-symbol restaurants, which makes it one of the more direct value calls in the neighbourhood. If you're looking for a focused, single-format Japanese frying experience without the commitment of a splurge dinner, book it. If you want Korean-forward tasting menus or contemporary innovation, look elsewhere.
Kushiage , skewered and deep-fried proteins, vegetables, and seafood served in sequence , is a counter format by design, and Kushi Kawa follows that logic. The address on Nonhyeon-ro 24-gil puts it in the quieter grid of streets south of Gangnam-daero, away from the heavier foot traffic of the main boulevard. Counter seating keeps the experience immediate: you watch the frying, the pacing is set by the kitchen, and there's very little distance between you and what's being cooked. That proximity suits solo diners and pairs who want a focused, unhurried meal more than it suits groups looking for a convivial table dynamic.
For those coming from central Gangnam , near the COEX area or the Apgujeong strip , the walk is short enough to make this a practical pre- or post-evening option. It also means the room doesn't carry the ambient noise of a larger dining hall. The format is inherently intimate, which is either a strength or a limitation depending on what you're after.
This is the most useful question to ask before booking. Kushiage restaurants in Japan , the format's home market , traditionally offer meaningful price differentiation between lunch and dinner, with lunch sets providing the same kitchen quality at a reduced entry point. Whether Kushi Kawa follows this structure is not confirmed in available data, but the logic applies: if you want to test the kitchen's quality without committing to a full dinner spend, ask about the lunch menu when booking. At the ₩₩ tier, the dinner price is already modest by Seoul fine-dining standards, so the gap between meals may be smaller than you'd expect at a ₩₩₩ or ₩₩₩₩ venue.
For a first visit, dinner is likely the fuller expression of the format , more courses, more variety across the skewer sequence, and a pace that suits the evening. For a second visit, lunch is worth exploring specifically to see how the kitchen manages a compressed format and whether the value proposition shifts meaningfully. Return visitors who already know the kitchen's style are better positioned to judge whether the lunch menu represents a genuine alternative or simply a shorter version of the same experience.
Kushi Kawa is a practical choice for food-oriented visitors who want to eat something specifically Japanese within Seoul's broader dining context, without paying ₩₩₩₩ prices. The Michelin Plate signals consistent kitchen quality , it's not a star, but it does represent two consecutive years of recognition, which matters when deciding whether a specialist counter is worth your time in a city with as much competition as Seoul.
It's a harder sell for occasion dining. The kushiage format doesn't easily accommodate the milestone-dinner markers , extended wine pairings, elaborate service choreography, private rooms , that venues like Jungsik or Mingles provide at the higher price tier. For a casual but quality-driven weeknight dinner, or for a solo lunch when you want something methodical and well-executed, Kushi Kawa earns its place on the shortlist.
For context on how kushiage formats work across the region, Ahbon in Kyoto and Hidden Kitchen in Hong Kong offer useful reference points for how the cuisine operates at different price and formality levels outside Seoul.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. With 88 Google reviews at 4.3 stars and Michelin Plate recognition, Kushi Kawa has a clear audience but a modest online footprint compared to Seoul's most-booked restaurants. Walk-ins may be possible, particularly at lunch or on weekday evenings, but the counter format means capacity is limited. A few days' notice should be sufficient for most visits; aim for a week ahead if you have a fixed date. There is no confirmed online booking platform in available data, so contact the restaurant directly. The Nonhyeon-ro address is accessible from Gangnam Station and the broader Apgujeong area.
For more options across the city, see our full Seoul restaurants guide, as well as guides to Seoul hotels, Seoul bars, Seoul wineries, and Seoul experiences.
Further afield in South Korea, Mori in Busan and Double T Dining in Gangneung are worth noting for travellers moving beyond the capital. Other Gangnam-area addresses worth considering include Kwon Sook Soo and, for a different price register, Soigné and alla prima.
Quick reference: Kushiage counter, Gangnam, ₩₩ pricing, Michelin Plate 2024–2025, Google 4.3/5 (88 reviews), Easy to book, a few days' notice recommended.
It depends on what you mean by special. For a low-key celebration where the food itself is the focus, Kushi Kawa's Michelin Plate kitchen delivers enough consistent quality to feel like a considered choice. But the kushiage counter format , sequential skewers, an intimate space, modest price tier , doesn't carry the ceremony of a formal occasion dinner. For milestone events where the setting and service need to match the food, Jungsik or Kwonsooksoo are better fits at a higher price point.
No dress code is confirmed in available data, but the ₩₩ price tier and counter format suggest smart casual is appropriate and likely the norm. This is not a white-tablecloth room. Seoul's Gangnam dining culture trends toward well-dressed without being formal, so neat, presentable clothing is the safest call. Avoid anything you'd be uncomfortable getting a faint oil scent on , kushiage is a frying-forward format.
Yes, this is one of the better formats for solo dining in Seoul. Counter seating means you're engaged with the kitchen from the start, the pacing is set by the chef rather than a table conversation, and there's no awkwardness around a table built for two. At the ₩₩ price point, the solo spend is also modest. If solo dining at a Japanese counter is specifically what you're after, Kushi Kawa is a more practical option than most of Seoul's tasting-menu restaurants, which tend to be priced and formatted for pairs.
Booking difficulty is Easy. A few days' notice should cover most visits; a week ahead is prudent if your date is fixed or if you're visiting on a Friday or Saturday evening. Kushi Kawa has a smaller booking footprint than Seoul's Michelin-starred venues , restaurants like Mingles require weeks of lead time , so you have more flexibility here. No online booking platform is confirmed in available data; contact the restaurant directly.
Within the ₩₩ tier, Kushi Kawa is relatively distinct as a dedicated kushiage counter. For Korean-forward dining at a similar or slightly higher price, alla prima and Soigné offer innovative formats worth comparing. If you're open to stepping up to ₩₩₩ or ₩₩₩₩, Mingles and Jungsik represent the leading of Seoul's contemporary dining tier. For regional Korean context outside the capital, Baegyangsa Temple in Jangseong-gun is a different kind of reference point entirely. See also our full Seoul restaurants guide for a broader set of options.
At the ₩₩ tier with two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions, Kushi Kawa represents solid value for what it offers. You're paying for a focused, well-executed specialist format in a city where that specificity is not always easy to find. It's not the leading price-to-prestige ratio in Seoul , that argument belongs to venues like alla prima at competitive price points with strong critical backing , but it doesn't need to be. If kushiage is what you want, Kushi Kawa delivers it at a price that doesn't require justification. If you're undecided on the format, the ₩₩ entry point makes it a low-risk way to find out.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kushi Kawa | Kushiage | ₩₩ | Easy |
| Solbam | Contemporary | ₩₩₩₩ | Unknown |
| Onjium | Korean | ₩₩₩₩ | Unknown |
| 7th Door | Korean, Contemporary | ₩₩₩₩ | Unknown |
| L'Amitié | French | ₩₩₩ | Unknown |
| Zero Complex | Korean-French, Innovative | ₩₩₩₩ | Unknown |
Comparing your options in Seoul for this tier.
It works for a low-key special occasion — a birthday dinner or a treat meal — but it is not a formal celebration venue. The counter format is convivial rather than ceremonial, and the ₩₩ price range keeps the stakes manageable. If you want a grander occasion setting in Seoul, L'Amitié or Onjium offer a more event-appropriate atmosphere. Kushi Kawa's Michelin Plate recognition (2024 and 2025) gives it enough credibility to feel like a considered choice.
Casual to neat-casual is appropriate for a ₩₩ kushiage counter in Gangnam. Counter dining in this format is relaxed by design — there is no indication from the venue's positioning that a dress code is enforced. Avoid anything you would mind carrying a faint frying-oil scent home on, which is standard practice at any kushiage counter.
Yes — kushiage is a counter format by design, and solo diners are well-served by it. You eat at the bar, courses are served in sequence, and there is no awkwardness around table sizing. At ₩₩, the solo spend is reasonable, and the 88 Google reviews suggest a regular, returning clientele rather than a venue dependent on large group bookings.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, so a few days' notice is generally sufficient rather than weeks. That said, Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025 has given Kushi Kawa a steady audience, so weekends and peak dinner slots may fill faster. Booking a week out is a safe buffer if your dates are fixed.
For Korean fine dining at a higher price point, Onjium and 7th Door are the relevant comparisons. Zero Complex suits diners who want a more contemporary, boundary-crossing menu rather than a format-specific Japanese counter. L'Amitié is the choice if you want French-influenced tasting menus in Seoul. Solbam is worth considering for a refined Korean experience that still sits within a casual-to-mid price range. None of these replicate the dedicated kushiage format that Kushi Kawa offers.
At ₩₩, yes. A Michelin Plate counter specialising in a single Japanese format — kushiage — at a mid-range price point is solid value in Gangnam, where dining costs can climb quickly. The 2024 and 2025 Michelin Plate awards confirm a consistent standard. If you want kushiage specifically, Kushi Kawa is the practical choice in Seoul; if the format is flexible, the same budget opens up a wider range of Korean options.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
