Susiko’s Secret: Where a Fictional Japanese Master Makes Real Sushi Magic in Budapest

📋 Susi by Cork at a Glance

Topic	Details
Best For	Affordable creative sushi, casual dining, a bright little room
Time Needed	45-90 minutes
Cost	1,980-8,980 HUF (about $6-$28) per item (September 2026 menu)
Hours	Daily 11:00-22:00
Getting There	Tram 4/6 to Jászai Mari tér, 5-minute walk
Skip If	You want traditional omakase or a large dining space

Where a Fictional Japanese Master Makes Very Real Sushi Magic

Újlipótváros has almost everything: good coffee, wine bars with personality, breakfast places where eggs Benedict dreams come true. What it lacked for a long time was a relaxed neighborhood sushi spot with fair prices. Susi by Cork opened in September 2025 and filled that gap so quickly that locals now wonder how they managed without it.

The people behind it are not Japanese veterans with decades of knife work in Tokyo fish markets. They are the same Ukrainian trio (Myroslav, Artem and Nataliia) who run Cork Breakfast & Wine, a neighborhood favorite for brunch and evening drinks. They saw the sushi-shaped hole in District XIII and filled it with something playful, affordable and genuinely delicious.

It clearly worked: a second Susi by Cork has since opened on Lajos utca in Óbuda, so this is now a small local chain rather than a one-off.

Photo: J RAWLS, CC BY 2.0

Meet Susiko: Budapest’s Most Charming Fictional Chef

Every good restaurant needs a story, and Susi by Cork has one that is equal parts adorable and absurd. Browse their Instagram and you will meet Susiko, an illustrated character they created as their fictional Japanese sushi master. According to the legend, Susiko traveled from Osaka to Budapest, bringing his passion for ocean flavors and fish artistry to the Danube.

In reality, Myroslav leads the kitchen, but Susiko gives the place its personality. The walls carry drawings of Susiko’s “fish friends”, which make the bright, compact room smile at you before you have even ordered. In a city where new restaurants sometimes take themselves very seriously, that lightness is refreshing.

The team is mostly Ukrainian, and several members speak fluent Hungarian. The menu comes in Hungarian and English, so ordering is easy even if your Japanese stops at “arigato”, which is where most of ours stops too.

The Art of Becoming a Sushi Master

Here is something casual sushi eaters rarely think about: becoming a sushi chef is not a weekend course. Myroslav has explained that traditional training takes years. You start by washing rice, and nothing but washing rice, until your technique is perfect. Then you graduate to cooking it. Then you spend months learning to massage octopus until the meat is properly tender. Only after all that do you get to roll anything.

The Susi team went through that process, which is why the maki hold their balance: firm enough to stay together when you pick them up with chopsticks (or fingers, nobody minds), loose enough to be tender rather than packed. The rice has the right amount of vinegar without shouting about it. You may not notice these details consciously, but your palate will.

The Menu: Creative But Never Gimmicky

Susi by Cork does what many creative sushi places miss: it is inventive without forgetting what makes sushi good. The fish is fresh and sourced seasonally from Europe and beyond, and the combinations surprise without being random.

💡 Pro Tip

Don’t halve your sushi. Each piece is built to be eaten in one bite, with the flavors designed to land together. Halved sushi also tends to fall apart, and chasing rice across the table is nobody’s favorite part of dinner.

September 2026 prices, next to what the same dishes cost in February 2026:

Dish	February 2026	September 2026
Spicy tuna and mango salsa gunkan	2,280 HUF	2,680 HUF (about $8)
Salmon onigiri	2,980 HUF	2,980 HUF (about $9)
Philadelphia roll	5,580 HUF	6,380 HUF (about $20)
Susiko’s Favorite roll	6,180 HUF	6,480 HUF (about $20)
Tiradito (hamachi in February, salmon now)	5,280 HUF	4,880 HUF (about $15)
Matcha Panna Kitty	2,680 HUF	2,980 HUF (about $9)

The gunkan is a must-try. This “battleship” sushi is an oval of rice wrapped in nori with a raised edge that holds a loose topping, here spicy tuna with mango salsa. It sounds risky and works beautifully: the fruit’s sweetness cuts the heat, and the nori adds the savory crunch.

Susiko’s Favorite is the showstopper: grilled shrimp tartare, sesame sauce, cream cheese, crab stick, cucumber and passion fruit sauce, with salmon on top. A lot is going on, and somehow every element earns its place. This is the one you photograph first.

The Philadelphia roll keeps to the familiar template (Norwegian salmon, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber) and lifts it with salmon caviar that pops with each bite. Classic comfort sushi, done very well. There is also a flamed version at 6,180 HUF (about $19) with house-made unagi sauce and sweet potato crunch.

For something lighter, the salmon onigiri is a handheld rice triangle in nori, filled with salmon, avocado and cream cheese and finished with sesame sauce. No chopsticks required.

The tiradito shows their range beyond sushi. In February it was made with hamachi (yellowtail); the September menu does it with salmon, passion fruit sauce, avocado, mango salsa and fresh coriander. It sits somewhere between sashimi and ceviche: the citrus just starts to “cook” the fish while it keeps its silky raw texture.

The newer end of the menu has grown more generous: a kumquat salmon roll (5,680 HUF (about $18)), a Golden Dragon with unagi eel, salmon and sweet potato crunch (6,680 HUF (about $21)), and at the top an A5 Wagyu and truffle roll (8,980 HUF (about $28)).

Hot Items and Sweet Endings

Sushi is not the only game here. The warm side of the menu includes the SushiDog (6,380 HUF (about $20), octopus, house-made unagi, salmon, cucumber, avocado and cream cheese) and chicken karaage with rice (4,780 HUF (about $15)). The coconut shrimp that regulars liked in February now turns up inside rolls such as the Avocado Smash (5,880 HUF (about $18)). If you have filled up on rolls, which is understandable, save these for the next visit.

Dessert at a sushi place can feel like an afterthought, but the Matcha Panna Kitty with strawberry coulis proves otherwise. The matcha pudding walks the line between rich and light, the matcha’s earthiness keeps it from being cloying, and it disappears fast. The other dessert is a lime cheesecake with mango and passion fruit coulis (3,280 HUF (about $10)). If green tea is your thing, they also make a very good matcha latte.

The Space: Cozy Is an Understatement

Susi by Cork is tiny. It is not the place for a big group dinner or a four-hour first date with long meaningful looks. The room has a bright, modern look that photographs well but offers little privacy.

What it lacks in square meters it makes up in warmth. The staff seem genuinely glad you came, service is quick without rushing you, and the vibe is neighborly. It is the kind of place where you pop in for lunch, end up chatting with the staff about their favorite rolls, and leave planning the next visit.

🕐 Best Time to Visit

Weekday lunch is the calmest. Weekend dinners fill up fast with so few seats, so book, go early (around 18:00), or order takeaway. With the kitchen open from 11:00, an early lunch is the easiest walk-in of the day.

The Loyalty Program That Actually Makes Sense

In February 2026 every takeaway order came with a small fish token, and enough tokens could be swapped for rewards. It is a simple loyalty scheme with no app and no password to remember. Old school in the best way.

In February the team talked about expanding across Budapest. That has started: the second Susi by Cork is on Lajos utca in Óbuda, so north Buda now has its own Susiko.

How Susi by Cork Compares

Budapest sushi runs from all-you-can-eat conveyor belts, where quantity wins, to high-end omakase, where quality wins and your rent money loses. Susi by Cork sits in the growing middle: creative, quality-focused sushi at prices that do not need a bank loan.

With rolls mostly between 5,380 HUF and 6,880 HUF and nigiri pairs at 1,980 HUF, two or three items and a drink still come in under 15,000 HUF (about $47). It is not rock-bottom cheap, but for the creativity and quality on the plate, it is real value. For the wider field, from omakase counters to buffets, see our guide to the best sushi in Budapest.

The Ukrainian team brings a different angle to Japanese food. They are not bound by strict tradition, which is how you end up with mango salsa, kumquat marmalade and passion fruit sauce on the same menu. Whether that appeals depends on your sushi philosophy. Purists may prefer a traditional counter; everyone else will be busy eating.

🍽️ Susi by Cork

• Address: Radnóti Miklós utca 43, District XIII
• Hours: Daily 11:00-22:00
• Price Range: 1,980-8,980 HUF (about $6-$28) per item (September 2026 menu)
• Vibe: Tiny, bright, playful, casual

Menu and booking | Instagram | Facebook

Susi by Cork also made our list of new places in Budapest for 2026.

📍 Susi by Cork: Essential Info

• Address: Radnóti Miklós utca 43, 1137 Budapest, District XIII
• Second location: Lajos utca, Óbuda (District III)
• Hours: Daily 11:00-22:00
• Price Range: 1,980-8,980 HUF (about $6-$28) per item (September 2026 menu)
• Getting There: Tram 4/6 to Jászai Mari tér, then a 5-minute walk north on Radnóti Miklós utca. Staying nearby? Check our where to stay guide
• Reservations: Recommended for dinner; online through the restaurant’s booking page or +36 70 345 7140
• Payment: Cash and cards accepted
• Instagram: @susi_budapest

Pro tip: Try the Matcha Panna Kitty even if you think you are full. It is light enough to fit, and good enough that you would regret skipping it.

Prices are in HUF, which is what you pay at the counter. Converted at 1 USD = 320 HUF, the ECB rate on 25 September 2026. Rates move, so treat the converted figures as indicative.

Source: Susi by Cork Radnóti menu, hours and booking and the Susi by Cork locations page, checked 27 September 2026. February 2026 prices are from the earlier edition of this guide and are labeled as such.