# Weekend eel and seafood rice bowls at Ilpum, Gangnam Station - By Sugeom (https://superchart.com/en/@banchan-seat/) - Written Sep 8, 2026 - Updated Sep 14, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Seocho, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a visit supported by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@banchan-seat/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@banchan-seat/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/index.md) · [日本語](https://superchart.com/ja/@banchan-seat/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/index.md) · [简体中文](https://superchart.com/zh-cn/@banchan-seat/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/index.md) · [繁體中文](https://superchart.com/zh-tw/@banchan-seat/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/index.md) · [Tiếng Việt](https://superchart.com/vi/@banchan-seat/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/index.md) · [ไทย](https://superchart.com/th/@banchan-seat/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/index.md) · [Bahasa Indonesia](https://superchart.com/id/@banchan-seat/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/index.md) · [Bahasa Melayu](https://superchart.com/ms/@banchan-seat/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/index.md) · [Español](https://superchart.com/es/@banchan-seat/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/index.md) ## In short Ilpum Gangnam Branch is a kaisendon and unagidon restaurant in the basement level near Gangnam Station in Seocho, Seoul. A couple ordered kaisendon (26.0) and a whole-eel unagidon (40.0) on a weekend afternoon and received a course-like spread of steamed egg, karaage cold udon, and mango panna cotta, with the eel grilled fresh to order. Recommended if you want to leave a Japanese restaurant genuinely full on eel rice bowl alone. ## Good to know - **Kaisendon**: 26.0 - **Whole-eel unagidon**: 40.0 - **Business hours**: 11:00–21:30 - **Break time**: 15:00–17:30 - **Closed**: Sundays - **Location**: 3-minute walk from Gangnam Station, basement level - **Seating**: Counter seats (for 2), table seats - **Reservations**: Naver reservation recommended; table pre-set upon reservation *as written by the visitor on Sep 8, 2026* ![Kaisendon and unagidon, the signature dishes at Ilpum Gangnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-01-1j9pq-900.webp) As the weather started cooling down, I got a craving for sushi or sashimi, so I went to Ilpum Gangnam Branch, known for its kaisendon and unagidon (eel rice bowl). Let me introduce it right away! ## Location and hours of Ilpum Gangnam Branch near Gangnam Station First, the location is within a 3-minute walk from Gangnam Station. It's great for nearby office workers or a Gangnam date lunch spot. Since this area can get a bit crowded, I'd recommend walking there. The restaurant is located on the basement level. This building seems to have a lot of good restaurants? There was a fair bit of foot traffic in the corridor on the way. It's closed on Sundays and operates from 11am to 9:30pm. Break time is from 3pm to 5:30pm! ![Entrance to Ilpum Gangnam Branch on the basement level](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-02-1jzq9-900.webp) ![Basement corridor leading to Ilpum Gangnam Branch near Gangnam Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-03-1wlkw-900.webp) ## Counter seats and table seats — reservations are a must Inside, the seating is divided into high-chair counter seats (for 2) and table seats. If you've made a reservation, your table will already be set up. As of 1pm on a Saturday, a lot of seats were already reserved and the place was nearly full by the time we left, so I'd recommend booking through Naver reservations! In winter, if you bring a coat or bag, note that there's a hanger at the back — good to know for counter seating. ![Interior of Ilpum Gangnam Branch with counter and table seats](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-04-18nj8-m-900.webp) ![Pre-set table seating](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-05-1dufa-900.webp) ![High-chair counter seats for two](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-06-1wxp9-900.webp) ## Order just one dish and it comes like a full course The real value here is that ordering just one menu item comes out like a full course. Even dessert is included. I ordered the kaisendon (26.0) and my husband ordered the whole-eel unagidon (40.0). ![Menu showing kaisendon and unagidon](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-07-7hna8-900.webp) ### Broth, white kimchi, and pudding-like steamed egg First they bring out broth, white kimchi, and a pudding-like steamed egg. The steamed egg was seriously so fluffy, I could cry. I love steamed egg made this double-boiled way, it's so good. I sipped it while watching the chef's back as he worked hard on my kaisendon. ![Broth, white kimchi, and steamed egg served first](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-08-1azra-900.webp) ![Fluffy double-boiled steamed egg like pudding](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-09-d3vqc-900.webp) ### Kaisendon, best eaten wrapped in seaweed And then, the star of the show, kaisendon! It comes so packed that you can't even see the rice underneath. They also give you a ton of seaweed to eat it with, haha. What sets this place apart from other Japanese restaurants is that orange-looking innard-ish thing next to the shrimp! Wrap that together with the sashimi in seaweed and the combo is amazing. I'm curious how they make it... ![Kaisendon piled with sashimi so the rice underneath is hidden](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-10-v88mi-900.webp) ### Whole-eel unagidon, a visual shock And my husband's unagidon was genuinely a visual shock, lol. He'd been going on about wanting eel rice bowl lately, so we ordered it, and it was the biggest eel I've ever seen in a unagidon. There's a huge, soft egg underneath. The egg was so delicious too that I kept stealing bites, haha. ![Unagidon topped with a whole grilled eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-11-9pzfb-900.webp) ![Kaisendon and unagidon shown together](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-12-lbmog-900.webp) Such a wholesome shot of the two dishes together... The tables on either side of us were literally staring when the unagidon came out, lol. Don't worry, they give you tongs and scissors to cut the eel with. ![Cutting the large eel with tongs and scissors](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-13-107yr-1200.webp) This unagidon eel wasn't some skimpy diet eel, and it wasn't pre-grilled either — it was a plump, juicy one grilled fresh, so cutting into it was pure joy, haha. ![Cross-section of the freshly grilled, plump eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-14-dyyuy-900.webp) The egg hiding underneath is also seriously huge. It's almost the size of the rice bowl underneath it. ![Large egg hidden beneath the rice in the unagidon](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-15-ngnu7-900.webp) Leaving the unagidon aside, I also got serious about wrapping mine in seaweed. Not a single thing was anything less than tender, I could cry. Salmon is my favorite fish because it's soft, but since everything here was soft, I was too happy to even pick a favorite. The rice wasn't just plain soy-sauce rice either, it was seasoned a bit more and topped with garnish, so even the rice alone was delicious;; ![A bite of kaisendon sashimi wrapped in seaweed](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-16-wjzhf-900.webp) ### Karaage cold udon and mango panna cotta By the time we were getting full, they brought out a cold udon with karaage (fried chicken) in it. It was slightly tangy and perfect as a palate refresher. ![Cold udon with karaage fried chicken](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-17-1mw2k-900.webp) And then they gave us mango panna cotta for dessert. So good... how are they this good at dessert too. Please sell it in large portions.. ☆ ![Mango panna cotta served for dessert](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-18-1m8zz-900.webp) ![Table at Ilpum Gangnam Branch after the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon/ilpoom-gangnam-unagi-don-kaisendon-19-10lrt-900.webp) ## First time an eel rice bowl actually filled us up When my husband orders eel rice bowl elsewhere, he usually doesn't get full and ends up going for a second meal (lol), but he raved that this was the first unagidon that actually filled him up. My kaisendon didn't leave a single bite behind either. If you work nearby, or want to start a weekend date with a great meal, I recommend Ilpum Gangnam Branch >