# Basement Japanese rice bowl lunch in Yeonnam-dong: Jongno Donburi - By Seoram (https://superchart.com/en/@brush-cup-entries/) - Written Sep 18, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a sponsored store visit. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@brush-cup-entries/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@brush-cup-entries/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/index.md) ## In short Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese rice bowl restaurant on the basement level of an alley off Dongyo-ro in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, opened by a donburi specialist that has run in Jongno for years. The writer had lunch there: sake tarako-don topped with salmon and cod roe, with an onsen tamago on the side, and breaking the yolk into the bowl made the salty flavours much softer. Jongno Donburi Yeonnam suits anyone after a light but filling meal. ## Good to know - **Hours (Mon-Fri)**: 11:30-21:30, last order 21:00 - **Hours (Sat & Sun)**: 11:30-21:00, last order 20:30 - **Parking**: No parking; use the nearby Yeonnam Public Parking Lot - **Seating**: Bar-style counter, tables for 2, tables for 4 - **Side dishes**: Pickled radish, garlic scapes, pickled chili peppers, clear broth - **What was ordered**: Sake tarako-don, onsen tamago *as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026* Recommending a Yeonnam-dong favorite today — the sake tarako-don and onsen tamago at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam! ![A bowl of sake tarako-don at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-01-1218v-1200.webp) > Yeonnam-dong Japanese restaurant "Jongno Donburi Yeonnam" — sake tarako-don, onsen tamago ## What kind of place is Jongno Donburi Yeonnam? Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese rice bowl (donburi) restaurant newly opened in Yeonnam-dong by a donburi specialist that's been running in Jongno for a long time. It's on the basement level of a building tucked in a Dongyo-ro alley in Yeonnam-dong, so there was a bit of fun just finding it :) When you want a light lunch in Yeonnam-dong, sometimes what you're craving is exactly this — warm rice piled high with delicious toppings, Japanese-style. This time I went to Jongno Donburi Yeonnam! ## Opening hours and parking near Dongyo-ro ![Entrance to Jongno Donburi Yeonnam in a Dongyo-ro alley in Yeonnam-dong](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-02-jhslk-900.webp) ![Sign directing down to the basement-level entrance of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-03-1106u-900.webp) [Hours] Mon-Fri 11:30-21:30 / last order 21:00, Sat-Sun 11:30-21:00 / last order 20:30 [No parking] Use the nearby Yeonnam Public Parking Lot ## Inside the basement space and seating ![Wood-toned interior of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-04-1ki8r-900.webp) Walking into Jongno Donburi Yeonnam, the warm wood-toned atmosphere caught my eye first (so much romance!). It has that cozy feel typical of Japanese restaurants, so it's fine for eating alone, and also easy-going for lunch or dinner with two people. ![Restaurant seating with bar seats and tables](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-05-y2t3y-900.webp) Seating ranges from bar-style seats to tables for two and four, so it suits all kinds of visits. Such a nice vibe, right? ## What's on the menu at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam? ![Donburi menu board at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-06-1m3vo-900.webp) ![Menu listing rice bowls and side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-07-sd2qh-900.webp) The menu is really varied and has a genuinely upscale feel... totally fine for a meetup, too. ![Vertical menu signage inside the restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-08-1dp7z-900.webp) ### The side dishes that come with every bowl ![Basic banchan setup including pickled radish and garlic scapes](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-09-17jl7-900.webp) ![Basic table setting with pickled chili peppers and clear broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-10-h82j6-900.webp) Pickled radish, garlic scapes, pickled chili peppers, and clear broth all come standard, and they went well alongside the rice bowl! ## How does the sake tarako-don taste? ![Sake tarako-don topped with salmon and cod roe](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-11-1bdhd-900.webp) The sake tarako-don was amazing! Sake means salmon and tarako means cod roe, so this is a combo that lets you enjoy both salmon and cod roe at once, and I really loved that. ![Close-up of salmon and cod roe on rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-12-1he12-900.webp) ![A spoonful of sake tarako-don](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-13-1a3fs-900.webp) With salmon and cod roe piled onto warm rice, it looked satisfying just from the sight of it — the soft texture of the salmon paired with the salty, umami-rich flavor of the cod roe went really well with the rice! Sake-don with just salmon is delicious too, but adding the cod roe gives little bursts of flavor throughout, so you don't get tired of it over the whole bowl! Mixing rice, salmon, and cod roe together in one spoonful especially made the flavors blend naturally instead of standing apart. ![Salmon and cod roe mixed into rice in the sake tarako-don](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-14-32nz4-900.webp) I think this is a great dish for when you want a meal in Yeonnam-dong that's filling but not too heavy. ## What does adding onsen tamago do to the bowl? ![Onsen tamago served separately](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-15-dji60-900.webp) ![Onsen tamago placed beside the rice bowl](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-16-160wv-900.webp) Adding onsen tamago (soft-poached egg) gives it a whole different flavor! And personally, this is the combination I'd recommend — pairing the rice bowl with an onsen tamago whose yolk runs softly makes the salty flavor of the salmon and cod roe even smoother. ![Onsen tamago yolk placed on top of the rice bowl](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-17-12ufd-900.webp) ![Sake tarako-don with the egg yolk broken](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-18-1lngj-900.webp) Popping the yolk and mixing it into the rice added an overall moist, nutty richness. Especially when the cod roe's flavor felt a bit strong, the egg's softness stepped in and balanced it out nicely! ![A spoonful of the rice bowl mixed with onsen tamago](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-19-138l7-900.webp) ![Sake tarako-don mixed to a moist, glossy finish](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don-20-1em9f-900.webp) It's also nice that you can enjoy two different experiences from one dish — taste the rice bowl on its own first, then mix in the onsen tamago partway through! ## Who is Jongno Donburi Yeonnam best for? If you're picking a lunch spot in Yeonnam-dong and want something a little different in Japanese food, or if you love salmon rice bowls, give the sake tarako-don at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam a try! The sake tarako-don plus onsen tamago combo in particular let me enjoy the softness of salmon, the umami of cod roe, and the nutty, moist flavor of egg all together — filling, yet with plenty of variation in flavor. It's a great Japanese rice bowl spot for a date in Yeonnam-dong, a meal with friends, or a clean, simple solo meal. ## Where it is - Jongno Donburi Yeonnam (종로돈부리 연남) - 9 Dongyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, B1 - 서울특별시 마포구 동교로46길 9 B1 - 37.562598, 126.925406 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%A2%85%EB%A1%9C%EB%8F%88%EB%B6%80%EB%A6%AC%20%EC%97%B0%EB%82%A8/@37.562598,126.925406,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@brush-cup-entries/yeonnam-donburi-basement-sake-tarako-don/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt