# Magok Japanese restaurant monkfish liver kaisendon: Ilpum Magok - By Hayun (https://superchart.com/en/@alley-glass-seoul/) - Written Sep 15, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gangseo, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a complimentary meal from the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@alley-glass-seoul/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@alley-glass-seoul/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/index.md) ## In short Ilpum Magok is a Japanese restaurant on Gonghang-daero near Balsan Station Exit 8 in Gangseo, Seoul, known for its premium kaisendon (raw seafood rice bowl) and futomaki (thick sushi roll). The premium kaisendon at 37,000 won piles on scallop, salmon, smoked mackerel, tuna, raw shrimp, hanchi squid and monkfish liver, finished with sea urchin and salmon roe, while the half roll of futomaki at 17,000 won comes with cold udon and chicken karaage. Fresh fish, fluffy well-seasoned rice and a mango pudding to close made Ilpum Magok a satisfying meal. ## Good to know - **Location**: 228 Gonghang-daero, Unit 112, Gangseo-gu, Seoul (about 394m from Balsan Station Exit 8) - **Hours**: Tue–Sun 11:00–21:30, closed every Monday - **Break time**: 15:00–17:30 - **Last order**: Lunch 14:00, dinner 20:00 - **Premium kaisendon**: 37,000 won - **Futomaki half roll**: 17,000 won - **Zero cola**: 3,000 won - **Seating**: Bar counter in front of the open kitchen, plus tables further inside *as written by the visitor on Sep 15, 2026* ![A full spread of kaisendon at Ilpum Magok](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-01-1rwi9-900.webp) Today I'm introducing a place I'd recommend if you're near Balsan and want a proper kaisendon (raw seafood rice bowl) and futomaki (thick sushi roll): Ilpum Magok. Ilpum is already a pretty well-known spot, and it's especially known as one of comedian Lee Young-ja's favorite restaurants, so I'd been curious about it too. ![Premium kaisendon piled high with seafood](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-02-11cq8-m-900.webp) Just looking at the kaisendon visuals, you can tell they really don't hold back on seafood, so I went in with high expectations — and to cut to the chase, from the freshness of the ingredients down to the rice, it was quite satisfying. ## Where is Ilpum Magok and what are its hours? - Address: 228 Gonghang-daero, 112ho, Gangseo-gu, Seoul (about 394m from Balsan Station Exit 8) - Hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–21:30 (closed every Monday) - Break time: 15:00–17:30 - Last order: Lunch 14:00, Dinner 20:00 ## What are the exterior and interior like? Ilpum Magok isn't far from Balsan Station, and since it's on the first floor of the building you can walk straight in from outside. The exterior already looks clean and tidy, doesn't it?! Inside, there's a bar table centered around the open kitchen, with additional table seating further in — the overall wood tones give it a upscale Japanese restaurant feel. It felt less like a casual Japanese eatery and more like a place for a proper meal, so it seemed like a good spot for a date or a family visit. I went slightly past the weekend lunch peak, and it was still pretty crowded. ![Wood-toned interior of Ilpum Magok](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-03-885cc-900.webp) It really felt like a famous Magok restaurant — but once it got past 2pm, customers gradually thinned out and the place got noticeably more relaxed. If you want to eat quietly, it might be worth visiting slightly outside the lunch peak. ![Table setting at Ilpum Magok](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-04-16vi1-900.webp) ![Menu at Ilpum Magok](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-05-kyzy2-900.webp) ## What we ordered at Ilpum Magok and the prices - Premium kaisendon (₩37,000) - Futomaki half roll (₩17,000) - Zero cola (₩3,000) ![Clear broth soup served first](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-06-1v8ay-900.webp) ![Japanese steamed egg dish chawanmushi](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-07-1xhog-900.webp) After ordering, a clear broth soup and chawanmushi came out first. Chawanmushi is a soft Japanese steamed egg dish — it warms up your stomach and gets you ready to eat properly haha. ![Kaisendon and futomaki served together](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-08-1lz1b-900.webp) ## Premium kaisendon, 37,000 won: what's on top? The dish I was most looking forward to was, of course, Ilpum Magok's premium kaisendon. The moment I got the bowl, my first thought was: they really pile the ingredients on generously. ![Close-up of premium kaisendon](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-09-18fey-1200.webp) You can tell just from the photo how densely packed the sashimi and seafood are — scallop, salmon, smoked mackerel, tuna, raw shrimp, hantech squid, and monkfish liver, plus sea urchin and salmon roe on top, made for a really flashy combination. ![Kaisendon topped with sea urchin and salmon roe](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-10-ru43d-900.webp) When there are this many types of seafood, one or two can sometimes be a bit fishy or disappointing, but every single ingredient I had that day was fresh and I barely noticed any fishy taste — very satisfying. ![Scallop on top of the kaisendon](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-11-1ifaa-900.webp) ### Scallop and salmon The scallop was soft yet subtly springy, with a lovely gentle sweetness of its own. The salmon was cut into thick slices that melted softly in the mouth, and you could really taste its rich, savory flavor. ![Thickly sliced salmon sashimi](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-12-1brsz-900.webp) ### Smoked mackerel and tuna Unlike the other sashimi, the smoked mackerel had a subtle smoky note and umami, so eating it in between the others gave a nice change of flavor. The tuna was also thick and soft, clean-tasting yet savory, and paired really well with the rice. ![A thick piece of tuna sashimi](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-13-1chw2-900.webp) ### Raw shrimp and hanchi squid The raw shrimp was springy with a slightly sweet taste, and you could really feel how fresh it was. The hantech squid was chewy without being tough, with a subtle sweetness that came out more the more you chewed — great texture. ![Springy raw shrimp and hantech squid](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-14-1agv1-900.webp) ![Close-up of kaisendon seafood](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-15-11auh-900.webp) ### Monkfish liver And the monkfish liver had a really rich, creamy flavor unique to itself — personally, I felt it had the strongest presence of any ingredient in the kaisendon. If you like monkfish liver, you'll especially love this one. ![Well-seasoned fluffy kaisendon rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-16-juikk-900.webp) ### The rice under the seafood, surprisingly good But what surprised me most that day was actually the rice. The grains weren't mushy — they stayed light and fluffy — and it was seasoned just right, so even eating the rice on its own was delicious. Put a piece of sashimi on top with a little wasabi and eat it like sushi — genuinely delicious. With kaisendon, even if the sashimi is great, if the rice is disappointing the whole thing falls flat, but Ilpum clearly put real care into the rice too, which made it even more satisfying. ## Futomaki half roll, 17,000 won: how much do you get? Ilpum Magok's futomaki surprised me the moment it arrived, just from the size 😯 I already thought it looked big in photos, but seeing it in person, each individual piece was almost too big to eat in one bite. ![A large futomaki half roll at Ilpum](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-17-1mi38-900.webp) Inside the seaweed, along with rice, it was packed with tuna, salmon and other sashimi, egg, cucumber and other crunchy vegetables — the cross-section alone looked super filling. The soft sashimi, fluffy egg, and crunchy vegetables all hit at once, so it was fun to chew, and overall the freshness of the ingredients was satisfying. ![Cross-section of futomaki packed with ingredients](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-18-5xkt2-900.webp) ![Lifting up a piece of futomaki](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-19-180n2-900.webp) More than anything, the portion was really bigger than I expected haha. I ordered the half roll to share with the kaisendon, but eating it piece by piece, I filled up fast. If you're just having futomaki, even the half roll is filling enough for one person, so if you're ordering multiple dishes, keep the portion size in mind. ![Cold udon and chicken karaage served with futomaki](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-20-7qxr7-900.webp) The cold udon that came with the futomaki also had a really refreshing, tasty broth. And even though I was already full... there was chicken karaage too lol. The futomaki really seems like a filling menu item for the price 👍 ## Mango pudding, the dessert that surprised us The mango pudding that came out as dessert at the end also stuck with me, surprisingly. Honestly, since the main dishes were so strong, I didn't have high expectations for dessert, but one bite in, the mango flavor was way richer than I expected. ![Mango pudding served as dessert](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-21-to0ci-900.webp) It wasn't just sweet — it had that distinctive tangy-sweet, rich mango flavor come through, and the texture was smooth and silky, making it a perfect way to finish the meal. Even after eating my fill of kaisendon and futomaki, my spoon kept going back for more lol. This place turned out to be surprisingly good at dessert too 💛 ## Final verdict on Ilpum Magok Ilpum Magok is famous as one of Lee Young-ja's favorite restaurants, so I went in with pretty high expectations, and after actually eating there, I understood why it's gotten so much buzz for its kaisendon. You get a varied, generous amount of seafood, all fresh, and especially the well-seasoned, fluffy rice really stood out. ![Eating the kaisendon](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-22-1v6lj-900.webp) ![Nearly empty kaisendon bowl](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-23-g6482-900.webp) Personally, the combination of a bite of kaisendon with rice, plus the mango pudding at the end, made for a quite satisfying meal 😋 The store's atmosphere is also clean and upscale, so if you're in Magok or Balsan looking for a proper kaisendon or futomaki spot, I think it's worth visiting at least once! ![Final table spread at Ilpum Magok](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding-24-1pnpl-900.webp) ## Where it is - Ilpum Magok (일품 마곡점) - 228 Gonghang-daero, 112ho, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 강서구 공항대로 228 112호 일품 마곡점 - 37.5584383, 126.8328227 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%9D%BC%ED%92%88%20%EB%A7%88%EA%B3%A1%EC%A0%90/@37.5584383,126.8328227,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@alley-glass-seoul/ilpum-magok-kaisendon-monkfish-liver-mango-pudding/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt