Gwanghwamun minced tuna rice bowl at Ilpum, a Jongno sushi spot

What kind of restaurant is Ilpum Gwanghwamun?

Introducing today's spot, Ilpum Gwanghwamun! It's a popular kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) specialist in Seoul where you'll need a reservation, serving bowls piled high with fresh seafood.

• A popular Seoul kaisendon restaurant where reservations are essential
• Kaisendon loaded with fresh seafood
• Rich uni (sea urchin) and a great sashimi lineup
• Clean seafood with no fishy taste
• The complimentary chawanmushi was also memorable
• The Teuk Ilpum Don comes with tuna practically overflowing the bowl

📍 Address 223, B2F, Le Meilleur Jongno Town, 19 Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea 🚇 Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5) Exit 4, about 4 min walk 🚇 Jonggak Station (Line 1) Exit 1, about 5 min walk ⏰ Hours 11:00–21:30 Break time 15:00–17:30 Last order 20:00 🚗 Parking Available, free for 2 hours ✔️ Takeout available ✔️ Reservations available ✔️ Separate restrooms ✔️ Wi-Fi available

How to get to Ilpum Gwanghwamun from Gwanghwamun Station, and booking a table

The entrance to Ilpum Gwanghwamun

If you've ever wanted kaisendon around Gwanghwamun, you've probably heard of Ilpum Gwanghwamun!

It's located in the basement of Le Meilleur Jongno Town, so just head into the building and follow signs to the restaurant floor~

Weekday and weekend lunches get busy, so if you're hunting for a Gwanghwamun kaisendon restaurant, I'd recommend booking ahead! (It seemed like without a reservation you might not get a table, given how many guests come.)

Inside Ilpum Gwanghwamun: counter seats and atmosphere

Walking inside, there were both counter seats and table seats set up.

Sitting at the counter, you can watch the food being prepared, which looked great for solo diners or a couple visiting together!

The wall was covered in celebrity autographs — turns out this place is famous as a spot Lee Young-ja has visited! If you're searching for a Gwanghwamun sushi restaurant or Gwanghwamun Japanese restaurant, it seems this one's already well known as an office worker's lunch favorite!

Ilpum Gwanghwamun menu and prices

From kaisendon to ilpum don, unagi don, and sushi — there were plenty of tempting options for any seafood lover.

• Signature Premium Kaisendon ₩37,000
• Teuk Ilpum Don ₩30,000
• Cola ₩3,000

Here's what we ordered. The Premium Kaisendon is one of the signature dishes also known as the Lee Young-ja favorite, and the Teuk Ilpum Don, topped with tuna, salmon roe, and uni, had me curious.

From chawanmushi to Teuk Ilpum Don, in the order it was served

Side dishes and the complimentary chawanmushi

The basic side dishes. Before the main dishes arrived, the chawanmushi (savory egg custard) came out first — and honestly it was way tastier than I expected, haha.

Can steamed egg really be this savory? It was so soft and moist all the way through that I could've eaten two servings of just this🥹

Signature Premium Kaisendon, 37,000 won

The signature Premium Kaisendon — the second it arrived, its beautiful colors grabbed my attention right away!

Various types of sashimi covered the rice, topped with salmon roe and uni, and I just wanted to snap a photo and dig in right away🤤

Each piece of sashimi had barely any fishy taste and was thick enough to enjoy in one bite. The uni melted richly on the tongue with a sweet finish.

The rice wasn't seasoned too strongly, so it paired well with the sashimi — I finally understood why so many people call this the go-to Gwanghwamun kaisendon restaurant!

Teuk Ilpum Don, 30,000 won: how much minced tuna do you get?

With the Teuk Ilpum Don, the sheer amount of tuna was the first thing that caught my eye haha. It's visually similar to Tsujihan in Tokyo, but here there's way more tuna!

Minced tuna was piled up as if it might spill over the bowl's edge, along with salmon roe and uni, so it was fun wrapping each bite in seaweed.

The tuna was so soft that mixing it with the rice kept bringing out a savory, nutty flavor. Personally, if you love tuna, I recommend the Teuk Ilpum Don! The amount of tuna is honestly ridiculous.

Cold udon, karaage and mango panna cotta

Midway through, a dish of mini cold udon topped with karaage (Japanese fried chicken) also came out! The chilled noodles had a nice chewy bite, and the crispy karaage on top made a great side.

To finish the meal, mango panna cotta came out!

Mango sat on top of the smooth panna cotta, and the sweet mango balanced perfectly with the not-too-sweet pudding underneath — a perfect way to close out the meal! Getting dessert after a kaisendon meal made it feel like they really took care to complete the whole dining experience!

Verdict on Ilpum Gwanghwamun and what fell short

I visited Ilpum Gwanghwamun while searching for a Gwanghwamun kaisendon restaurant! Some kaisendon places are all flash with no substance, but this one had a great seafood lineup and well-balanced rice seasoning.

Especially the rich uni — personally, top notch..👍🏻 Even the complimentary chawanmushi was delicious, so there wasn't a single dish I didn't enjoy~

Would I return? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The drawback is that since it's so popular, it can be hard to book the time slot you want.

If you want kaisendon loaded with fresh seafood near Gwanghwamun, this is a place worth booking ahead for!

Who should eat at Ilpum Gwanghwamun?

• Anyone looking for a Gwanghwamun kaisendon restaurant
• Anyone looking for a Gwanghwamun sushi restaurant
• Fresh seafood lovers
• Uni lovers
• Anyone who loves rice bowls piled high with tuna
• Office workers near Gwanghwamun looking for a lunch spot
• Anyone curious about the Lee Young-ja favorite restaurant