Yeouido Japanese restaurant for premium kaisendon lunch: Ilpum

You know those times when you crave Japanese food that feels both polished and like a proper treat, whether it is weekday lunch or the weekend! This time, my friend and I were really craving a neat bowl of kaisendon piled high with fresh seafood for lunch, so we looked around and visited Ilpum Yeouido Branch, a Yeouido favorite with an upscale feel that stood out from the visuals alone.

As someone serious about Japanese food, I will honestly share everything from the atmosphere to the quality of each dish, haha.

What are the open kitchen and counter seats like?

As soon as I walked in, the calm yet sophisticated interior stood out. The restaurant was very clean overall, so I liked it from the first impression.

What especially caught my eye was the open kitchen, where you can see right into the whole kitchen, and the counter seats! The kitchen and counter were in the middle, surrounded by table seating.

From the counter, you can watch the chefs carefully prepare the fish and plate every dish in real time, which was genuinely fun to watch, haha.

The table seating was neatly arranged too, so it looked equally suited to office lunch gatherings near National Assembly Station or company dinners in Yeouido. There actually seemed to be lots of office workers having group lunch get-togethers when I visited.

Looking around, I saw many diners ordering unagidon topped with a whole thick piece of eel, or neatly formed omakase sushi.

It is known for great sushi in Yeouido, so I was very curious about that too, but we stuck with our original plan and ordered the Premium Kaisendon, a bowl filled with the freshness of the sea!

The full Premium Kaisendon course

Pudding-soft steamed egg and refreshing cold udon

After we ordered and waited a moment, a neat appetizer course arrived first to wake up our appetites.

✔️ Silky chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard): Served in a small teacup-like bowl, this steamed egg was so soft that it wobbled like pudding when I scooped it with a spoon! Its subtle bonito-broth aroma and gentle sweetness were excellent. It was perfect for warming and soothing an empty stomach, and there were ginkgo nuts and shrimp inside!

✔️ Bouncy cold udon: Next came cold udon topped with karaage, with chewy, springy noodles in a cool, savory tsuyu broth. Having such a solid course laid out even before the main dish really made it feel like a treat.

Premium Kaisendon with no fishy taste

At last, the Premium Kaisendon—the gorgeous-looking main dish—arrived at the table!

The bowl was filled with colorful seafood including uni, salmon roe, scallop, tuna, salmon, white fish, and abalone, so it was a feast for the eyes before I even started eating. Monkfish liver and king crab were also mixed well with sesame oil.

✔️ Freshness and a satisfyingly firm texture: The most important thing with a seafood rice bowl is whether it has any fishy smell, right? I placed each piece over rice and tasted it, and there was honestly not even a hint of off odor or fishiness—just the seafood's clean, naturally sweet savoriness! It had been aged perfectly, so the flesh was not soft or mushy, and the firm texture was amazing.

✔️ Chewy, mild abalone: The abalone especially was far more delicious than I expected! It was not tough at all, but soft while still wonderfully bouncy to chew. Its gentle ocean aroma really showed the chef's skill.

A great tip: wrap it in seaweed

I put a little of the seasoned rice on the crisp gim (roasted seaweed), then added a thick slice of fish and pungent fresh wasabi before wrapping it up. The balance of flavors was absolutely perfect 👍

The sushi rice was already lightly and savory-seasoned with sushi vinegar, so it was seasoned just right without soaking the fish in soy sauce. A small dab of wasabi alone was much better for tasting the seafood's natural sweetness!

A filling meal finished with mango panna cotta

After clearing every last grain of rice from the kaisendon, a cool, sweet mango panna cotta arrived as the finishing dessert!

Tangy-sweet mango purée topped the soft pudding, concentrated with the rich flavor of milk and cream, and it cleared away the lingering seafood notes so refreshingly, haha.

After finishing everything—from the appetizer and generous main bowl to the elegant handmade dessert—I was so full that it almost took my breath away when I stood up. I immediately understood why so many people recommend it for kaisendon in Yeouido.

My thoughts and seating tips

There was nothing not to like here: top-quality fresh seafood, a polished course, and a spotless open kitchen unfolding right in front of you! It is a perfect sushi and Japanese-food spot near National Assembly Station when you want quality dining in Yeouido or a special lunch to lift your mood.

• Counter-seat recommendation: If you want to eat while watching the chefs at work, choose a counter seat for a much more special dining experience.
• Go easy on the soy sauce: The rice (shari) is already well seasoned, so try a little fresh wasabi rather than lots of soy sauce to enjoy the ingredients' natural flavors.
• A filling course: Steamed egg, cold udon, and dessert all come as a full course, so I recommend taking your time and savoring it slowly, haha.