Yeouido Japanese restaurant with chicken karaage don: Ilpum

It feels like it has been a while since my last Japanese-food experience group post(?) hahaha Actually, I went to Sapporo last year, and I still think about the kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) I had there. So today, I went hunting for a kaisendon place that I really love 🍣🍣🍣?! It is “Ilpum Yeouido Branch,” near National Assembly Station, and I am going to introduce it to you 😊

Reservations and a weekday evening visit

You can visit via a Naver reservation. There is no reservation deposit ❗️ However, dining time is limited to 1 hour 30 minutes only when there is a reservation or a wait for the next seating.

If you reserve through Naver Place, make use of the various coupons too〰️ (2 birthday-celebration nigiri sushi pieces, a free corkage coupon, 2 selected sushi pieces for expecting mothers, and more)

Hours Closed every Sunday Monday–Saturday 11:00–21:30

I visited around 6 p.m. on a weekday. It was a slightly early dinner hour, so I loved that it was not too crowded :) By the time I was leaving after eating, it was almost full ❗️

Near National Assembly Station, with free parking

✔️ It is 354 m from Exit 3 of National Assembly Station, on B1 of Anwon Building across from Korea Development Bank.

✔️ Free parking available Free parking is available for up to 2 hours on the ground level and B2 and B3.

A spacious interior and counter seats

The interior was incredibly clean and spacious 😮 There are lots of tables too, so I think it would be great for a group gathering :)

The atmosphere is equally fitting for a family gathering, a date, or a work dinner ✨

There are also well-set-up counter seats, so it looked like it would be nice to eat alone without feeling self-conscious.

Because the sashimi quality is good, the prices are slightly on the higher side overall. But the portions are so generous that it did not feel expensive 🐷 (There are noodles and dessert served with the meal too.)

What we ordered and what comes with the mains

• Premium kaisendon (₩37,000)
• Chicken karaage don (₩22,000)
• Crab cream croquettes, 2 pieces (₩5,000)

⭐️ Every main dish comes with chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), a noodle/fried dish, and dessert ⭐️ (I will add photos below and go over them again in detail.)

How was the premium kaisendon?

1️⃣ Premium kaisendon (₩37,000)

It brought back the delicious impression of my Sapporo trip after such a long time. I could feel how much effort went into recreating the freshest possible local flavors 🍣

A generously portioned chicken karaage don

2️⃣ Chicken karaage don (₩22,000)

First of all, the portion is very, very generous. It almost seemed like there was a whole chicken in there hahaha. It paired so well with wasabi, and it was nicely seasoned—just right to eat with rice 🍗

Crab cream croquettes for a receipt review

3️⃣ Crab cream croquettes, 2 pieces (₩5,000)

These are the two croquettes you can get by writing a Naver Place receipt review ❗️ They were even tastier dipped in the smooth, creamy crab sauce 🦀

Noodles, fried dishes, and dessert served with a main

4️⃣ Noodle/fried dish and dessert

Scored one more piece of chicken karaage++1 Hahahaha The noodles were nicely seasoned and plump, making them refreshing to eat.

They told me its name, but what is my memory 😂 It was a Japanese-style pudding dessert with mango and yogurt. The concentrated yogurt was not sour, and the refreshing mango on top made it even more balanced and delicious 👍🏻

Dani's overall verdict

If you are looking around Yeouido for a restaurant that does its very best at kaisendon, sushi, and unagi don (grilled eel rice bowl)! I recommend the popular spot “Ilpum Yeouido Branch,” which Lee Young-ja and Hwang Jung-min have visited too〰️

Oh, attorney Han Moon-cheol visited too! How fascinating hahaha