First kaisendon try for a fishy-smell-sensitive eater: Makise Hapjeong

Finally trying kaisendon properly in Hapjeong

I like sushi and sashimi, but I'm actually pretty sensitive to fishy smells, so I'd never once had kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) before.

This time I finally tried kaisendon for the first time at Makise Hapjeong (마키세 합정) 🍣 Bottom line first: I couldn't have picked a better place for my first try — I was so satisfied 🖤 Even with all kinds of seafood piled on top, I barely noticed any fishy taste, and each piece had such distinct texture and flavor that I enjoyed it right down to the last bite.

Location and hours of Makise Hapjeong

• Makise Hapjeong / 44 Poeun-ro 2na-gil, B01, basement level, Mapo-gu, Seoul (about 400m from Hapjeong Station Exit 8)
• Hours 11:30–21:00, last order 20:30
• Break time 15:00–17:00
• Closed on Mondays

Makise sits in a small alley behind Exit 8 of Hapjeong Station — a cozy little spot whose exterior alone gave off the feel of a small local restaurant in Japan. The inside isn't large either, but that made it feel even more comfortable and relaxed, and it was totally fine for eating alone.

What was the atmosphere like inside

The whole place has a compact, cozy vibe — gray-toned walls, a dark ceiling, and wood tables and chairs that came together into a casual atmosphere, like a small local restaurant in Japan. Japanese-style posters and knick-knacks hung on the walls, and figurines and small decorations sat on shelves in the back, which was fun to look around at.

There are tables for 2–4 people as well as counter (dachi) seats, so it looked like a good spot for solo dining, a meal with friends, or even a light date. It's not a big space overall, but that made it a cozy place to focus on the food, and the owner and staff were friendly, which made the meal feel even more comfortable 😊

What I ordered and the prices

• Kaisendon ₩20,000
• Suntory cream draft beer ₩9,000

The Suntory cream draft beer came out first haha. Wow, that cream was so refreshing and smooth — it wet my throat before the main event 🍺

A kaisendon packed with fresh seafood

The kaisendon finally arrived 😍 When I ordered, they asked if there was any fish I couldn't eat, so I said to leave out anything with a strong fishy taste. Maybe because of that, nothing gave off any fishy smell no matter what I tried, and I really enjoyed it.

The kaisendon was piled high with thickly sliced sashimi of various kinds, plus salmon, squid, and other seafood covering the rice, along with egg, wasabi, and even ankimo (monkfish liver).

Each slice of sashimi was thick enough that you could really feel the texture, and above all it looked extremely fresh! I'd always been cautious about kaisendon out of fear it would taste fishy, and now I was wondering why I waited so long to try it haha.

Trying it the proper kaisendon way

Okay, time to eat 😋 At first I just used my chopsticks to eat the sashimi and rice separately,

and then I decided to try eating it the proper kaisendon way haha. By accident(?) I mixed the wasabi into the soy sauce, but making little sushi bites and topping them bit by bit tasted even better.

The salmon was sliced thick, so I could really feel that melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich, savory fattiness,

and the white fish had a clean taste with no off odor and a springy texture that was still alive — easy to eat even for someone as sensitive to fishy taste as me.

Isn't the tuna's color amazing? That vivid red alone looked incredibly fresh, and while tuna can sometimes be fatty depending on the cut, this one was light and moist with absolutely no fishy taste.

After that I tried piling it onto the rice sushi-style haha. If you pile on that much wasabi it's way too spicy — I think about half that amount is right haha.

Oh! But then I immediately understood why they tell you to eat it this way +_+ Unlike eating the sashimi and rice separately, eating it all together in one bite like sushi let all the flavors hit at once, and it was so much more delicious.

There were side dishes too — pickled radish and pickled stem vegetables — crunchy and crisp, so good good.

My beloved squid looked so fresh it was almost translucent, and it had that delightful soft-yet-slightly-chewy texture.

I already love soy-marinated shrimp, so no need to say more about that haha.

Especially delicious: the charcoal-smoked mackerel

Of everything, what stuck with me most was the mackerel smoked over charcoal. I was a little scared it might be fishy just from the look of the skin, so I saved it for almost last... but it was so good I asked the staff what fish it was 👀

The subtle char and smoky aroma on the surface met the mackerel's naturally savory fat and the flavor really came alive — fragrant on the outside, soft and moist inside. One bite in, I knew this was genuinely delicious 👍

Ankimo, savory beyond my worries

And then, cautiously, I tried ankimo (monkfish liver) for the first time. Since it's literally monkfish liver, I expected it to be pretty fishy — but it wasn't at all.

Instead it was soft, rich, savory, and light, so it was far easier to eat than I expected. It had a deep flavor but wasn't heavy or greasy, so it went really well with the rice, and it was fun to have an ingredient like this in a kaisendon. Along with the uni I tried a while back, I think I need to drop my assumptions about seafood that looks scary and actually give it a try 🤣

I made the egg into a sushi bite too haha — somehow it felt different from plain tamago sushi!

Final thoughts

Final verdict from a fishy-smell-sensitive eater in Mapo, Seoul

This was the first place I ever had kaisendon, and I didn't expect it to be this satisfying. Even being sensitive to fishy taste, I enjoyed every bite from start to finish, and the freshness and texture of each ingredient really came through — a great kaisendon spot in Seoul, Makise Hapjeong.

The charcoal-smoked mackerel especially stuck in my mind — I still think about it — and the ankimo was a surprisingly savory bite I won't forget either. With friendly service and a cozy atmosphere on top of the food, I'd recommend this place both for solo dining and to anyone looking for a Hapjeong date restaurant ☺️

• A variety of seafood you can enjoy fresh with no fishy taste
• Distinctive dishes like charcoal-smoked mackerel and ankimo
• Friendly service and a comfortable atmosphere even for solo dining