Seared scallop aburidon at Ilpum, a Gangnam Japanese restaurant

I'd heard so much about this kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) spot in Magok, Yeouido, and Gwanghwamun — turns out there's a branch near Gangnam Station too, so I couldn't resist checking it out! Apparently the comedian Lee Young-ja has been here too, so I went to Ilpum Gangnam Branch with high expectations •ᴗ•

Where is Ilpum Gangnam Branch, and what are its hours and parking?

Ilpum Gangnam Branch is a 5-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 6, located on the basement level of Seocho Town Trapalace. It's open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, closed every Sunday, and offers 1 hour of free parking, so it's easy to visit by car too.

• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30 / Closed every Sunday
• Parking: 1 hour free parking available
• Premium kaisendon ₩37,000
• Aburidon ₩30,000

As you'd expect from a famous restaurant, autographs greeted me the moment I walked in. And among them — Lee Young-ja's signature, someone who really knows good food..! My expectations for the taste were already rising.

Inside Ilpum Gangnam Branch: counter seats and atmosphere

The interior at Ilpum Gangnam Branch is spotless — there are counter (dachi) seats where you can watch fresh sashimi being prepared.

There are also table seats in the back, which looked good for family gatherings or a proper office dinner.

Along the wall there are coat hooks too, so it's convenient to hang up your coat in winter.

At the counter tables there was even a mini water dispenser, and the trays and dishware were all neatly set.

How to order at Ilpum and use the Naver reservation coupon

You order via the QR code on the table. Ilpum specializes not just in kaisendon but also sushi, unadon (eel rice bowl), and more — they even have a sushi omakase in the ₩50,000 range!

If you book through Naver, you can get various coupons like a birthday nigiri sushi, a free corkage coupon, or a maternity support sushi. If you're planning to visit, I'd recommend checking what coupons are available before you book, haha.

Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) to start

Before the main dishes came out, they served chawanmushi (savory steamed egg custard) first. It was soft and jiggly, a light appetizer to start with. If you dig in, you'll find a cute mini shrimp hiding inside 🦐

Premium kaisendon at 37,000 won: how thick is the sashimi?

Today's stars are the kaisendon and the aburidon.

✔️Premium kaisendon — piled high with fresh sashimi and seafood aged on kelp. What I liked most was that the sashimi wasn't sliced thin, but cut thick and generous ఇ

Popping a piece into your mouth, it fills your whole mouth — so good ㅠㅠ There's a reason famous places are famous,,

It was also fun portioning the fresh pieces onto my small plate one by one and picking what to eat. With so many varieties, trying a bit of everything was genuinely enjoyable haha.

Started off crunchy with the lotus root tempura.

I put tuna and uni on the provided seaweed and wrapped it up, then wrapped up some ankimo (monkfish liver) too — such a happy moment for my mouth 🤍

Of everything I tried, the herring and the tuna were the best ㅠㅠ The herring had absolutely no fishy taste and was so clean, and the tuna, when placed on rice like sushi, just melted in my mouth.

Karaage cold udon on the side

✔️Karaage cold udon — cold udon topped with refreshing shaved ice, great to eat alongside kaisendon.

The crispy, well-fried karaage and the springy udon noodles were exactly my style :) Chewy noodles plus cool broth — perfect.

Aburidon at 30,000 won: torch-seared scallop and salmon

✔️Aburidon — scallop, salmon, squid, and more come out lightly seared with a torch! Because the sashimi comes slightly cooked, it has a totally different charm from a regular kaisendon ..♥

Once again, I nicely portioned some onto my small plate before eating.

Even the rice here is perfectly seasoned — good enough to eat on its own. It's the kind of place where you'd say the rice alone is delicious, that's how solid the fundamentals are.

The seared scallop and sashimi had a lightly browned surface with a chewy texture still intact, and the more you chewed, the nuttier it tasted.

The salmon was also lightly seared on the surface for a subtle smoky note, while staying moist and soft inside — it was almost a shame there were only four pieces (˵ ›⩊‹ ˵)❤

I wrapped some sashimi and rice in seaweed and gamtae (sea lettuce), added a bit of baek-kimchi (white kimchi) and a touch of wasabi! The subtle ocean scent of the gamtae blending with the nutty sashimi was fantastic,,ദ്ദിᐢ._.ᐢ₎ I used pretty much every method possible and thoroughly enjoyed it haha.

Review-event shrimp croquette and mango panna cotta

✔️Shrimp croquette — I got this as a review event item, and wow... it's on a totally different level from a regular croquette... I'd never had a croquette this good before;

Bite through the crispy coating and inside there's a soft, moist shrimp cream? filling. Crispy outside, creamy inside — genuinely delicious ㅠㅠ My partner and I locked eyes the moment we both took a bite lol. Everyone should do the receipt review event.

✔️Mango panna cotta — after the meal, they even give you a mango panna cotta for dessert. It had a strong mango aroma and a texture that was both jiggly and soft — perfect for cleansing the palate.

Is Ilpum Gangnam Branch worth it for kaisendon near Gangnam Station?

It wasn't just the main dish — the full spread from chawanmushi to noodles, tempura, and dessert made for a really filling course-style meal! Overall the ingredients were fresh with almost no fishy taste, and the sashimi was cut thick and generous — very satisfying, haha.

This is going to be the first place I think of whenever I want kaisendon near Gangnam Station *.* If you're looking for a great sushi or kaisendon restaurant near Gangnam Station, I recommend Ilpum Gangnam Branch for both quality and a well-rounded course!