# Hongdae Japanese restaurant with staff-pick sake tarako-don: Jongno

- By Boram (https://superchart.com/en/@drinks-list/)
- Written Sep 19, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written as a paid in-store sponsorship.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@drinks-list/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@drinks-list/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/index.md)

## In short

Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese rice bowl restaurant on the basement level of a Yeonnam-dong alley in Mapo, Seoul, about 589m from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3. A staff member said the salmon had aged especially well that day, so the order was sake tarako-don (salmon and cod roe rice bowl) with jumbo shrimp tempura, and salmon topped with white cod roe and wasabi was the most memorable bite. Soft rice bowl and crisp tempura alternating made for a filling meal.

## Good to know

- **Location**: 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, B1
- **Getting there**: About 589m from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3
- **Hours**: Mon–Fri 11:30–21:30 (break 16:00–17:00) / Sat–Sun 11:30–21:00
- **Reservations**: Available through Naver Reservation
- **Ordered**: Sake tarako-don, jumbo shrimp tempura
- **Seating**: Wooden tables and bar seats

*as written by the visitor on Sep 19, 2026*

## How do you get to Jongno Donburi Yeonnam from Hongik Univ. Station?

Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese donburi (rice bowl) restaurant in a basement level at 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, about 589m from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3. I found it while looking for somewhere to eat in Yeonnam-dong.

Walking from Hongik Univ. Station into the Yeonnam-dong alleys, you'll find the restaurant tucked in a basement. The entrance is wood-toned from the start, which fit the vibe of the Yeonnam-dong alley pretty well.

![Entrance of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam in a Yeonnam-dong alley](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-01-1uopl-966.webp)

![Passage leading down to the basement level of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-02-94bea-915.webp)

![Front of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam with its wood-toned exterior](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-03-1gp9s-m-966.webp)

## Inside Jongno Donburi Yeonnam: seating and solo dining

Jongno Donburi Yeonnam has wood tables, warm lighting, and even bar-style seating, so it looked good for couples but also not intimidating for someone eating donburi alone. Once inside, the atmosphere was calmer than I expected.

Overall it felt cozy, which made it a nice place to eat slowly.

![Interior with wood tables and warm lighting](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-04-i27k9-966.webp)

![Bar-style seating at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-05-1vobk-966.webp)

![Calm basement dining hall](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-06-1etkv-966.webp)

![Wide view of the interior with table settings](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-07-h3onf-966.webp)

![Seating and lighting at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-08-1vbyw-966.webp)

## Sake tarako-don, the staff pick on a day the salmon aged well

I decided on the sake tarako-don on the staff's recommendation. I was still deciding what to order when the staff member told me the salmon had aged especially well that day and recommended the sake tarako-don. I went with it right away, and after tasting it, I was glad I listened haha.

It came with generously cut salmon, white pollock roe (myeongran), perilla leaf, scallion, and wasabi. The salmon wasn't sliced thin either — it had good thickness for picking up piece by piece.

Instead of mixing everything from the start, I tried placing a little salmon, white pollock roe, and wasabi on the rice bit by bit. Salmon + white pollock roe + wasabi + rice, all in one spoonful — pure bliss ♡

![Sake tarako-don topped with generously cut salmon and white pollock roe](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-09-17z3z-966.webp)

![Sake tarako-don served with perilla leaf, scallion, and wasabi](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-10-1ymut-966.webp)

![A spoonful of rice topped with salmon and white pollock roe](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-11-1v79w-966.webp)

The soft texture of the salmon paired with the salty punch of the white pollock roe, and the wasabi cleaned it all up in the middle — the combination really worked.

The salmon was fine on its own, but personally I preferred it with both the white pollock roe and wasabi piled on. Once I ate it this way, I kept scooping up the same combination for the rest of the bowl. I understood why the staff specifically recommended the salmon that day.

![Close-up of a bowl of sake tarako-don](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-12-dp9gt-966.webp)

## Adding jumbo shrimp tempura to the order

Along with the sake tarako-don, I also ordered Jongno Donburi Yeonnam's jumbo shrimp tempura, since rice alone felt like it might not be enough. The moment it arrived, the long shrimp tempura pieces caught my eye first. The batter was still crispy, and it came with cabbage and sauce, which made a nice side to go with it.

Since the sake tarako-don was overall soft in texture, having a crispy piece of jumbo shrimp tempura in between worked well. A bite of salmon, then shrimp tempura, then back to a spoonful of rice with white pollock roe and wasabi — alternating between the two dishes I ordered made for a pretty filling meal.

![Jumbo shrimp tempura served with cabbage and sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-13-17yfm-966.webp)

## Worth it for a salmon rice bowl in Yeonnam-dong?

If you're looking for a salmon rice bowl in Yeonnam-dong, I'd recommend the sake tarako-don at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam. Thanks to the staff's recommendation this time, my menu choice turned out very satisfying.

What stuck with me most was the combination of white pollock roe and wasabi with the salmon, rather than just eating it plain. If you like both salmon and myeongran, this combination will probably suit you well. Adding the jumbo shrimp tempura let me alternate between soft and crispy, so I was glad I ordered it alongside.

![Table set with sake tarako-don and jumbo shrimp tempura together](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-14-1k9m5-1200.webp)

![A meal alternating between rice bowl and shrimp tempura](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-staff-pick-sake-tarako-15-16m3p-966.webp)

A good spot to try when you want a proper meal on a Yeonnam-dong date, or when you're near Hongik Univ. Station and craving a salmon donburi. If I visit again and hear the salmon is good that day, I'll probably pick the sake tarako-don again :)

## Where it is

- Jongno Donburi Yeonnam (종로돈부리 연남)
- 9 Donggyo-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

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