Magok Japanese restaurant, Saturday date night kaisendon: Ilpum Magok

Ilpum Magok opening hours and parking

Ilpum Magok (일품 마곡점) is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00–21:30, with a break from 15:00 to 17:30 and last order at 20:00. It is closed every Monday, takeout and reservations are available, and I hear parking is free for up to 2 hours.

A Saturday evening kaisendon date in Magok

Last Saturday I went to Ilpum Magok, famous as a Magok kaisendon spot. I came for a dinner date with my boyfriend, and spoiler: both of us were really happy with it!

Is there seating for solo diners and groups at Ilpum Magok?

Inside Ilpum Magok there is a good variety of seating, from table seats for up to 5 people to counter seats (dacchi). It looked like a nice place for everyone from solo diners to bigger groups.

Ilpum Magok menu and prices

• Kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) ₩26,000
• Whole-eel unagi bowl (Hanmari Unagi-don) ₩40,000
• Sushi omakase platter ₩50,000
• Special sashimi bowl ₩39,000
• Uni toro bowl ₩55,000
• Salmon sake bowl ₩26,000
• Chicken karaage bowl ₩22,000

Ilpum Magok serves a range of seafood dishes, including kaisendon, Ilpum's signature. You can get kaisendon, sushi, and even an unagi bowl with a whole eel in it, so there are plenty of seafood rice bowls to choose from.

The kitchen is open, so you can watch the food being made while you wait and never get bored. It felt like they care about cleanliness too, so I trusted the food before even tasting it.

How was the chawanmushi appetizer?

First, Ilpum Magok brings out chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg), miso soup and washed kimchi as an appetizer. The chawanmushi was just right for getting my appetite going. (There's shrimp inside too 👍🏻)

Premium kaisendon for ₩37,000

The premium kaisendon at Ilpum Magok is ₩37,000: a Japanese seafood rice bowl with kelp-aged sashimi, packed with richer, fancier seafood than the basic kaisendon. I hear it's Ilpum's signature dish, even endorsed by Lee Young-ja, the celebrity famous for her eating shows.

Tip for eating kaisendon: seaweed wraps

The best way to eat the kaisendon at Ilpum Magok is to wrap rice, seafood and wasabi (to taste) in the seaweed (gim) that comes with it. Absolutely delicious. Oh, and combining sashimi with ankimo (monkfish liver) or salmon roe is amazing too.

Cold udon and karaage in the middle of the meal

While you're busy working through the kaisendon, cold udon and karaage (Japanese fried chicken) come out, and they were great as a palate cleanser in between. I only knew Ilpum Magok as a Magok kaisendon spot, but the karaage turned out to be great too. (The karaage bowl probably tastes good as well.)

Finishing with panna cotta for dessert

The panna cotta that came as the last dessert at Ilpum Magok has a rich creamy flavor and a clean aftertaste. It isn't too sweet, so it was a really nice way to finish.

Ilpum Magok is a great kaisendon spot in Magok, good for solo meals, dates and family dinners alike. Totally recommended~