Gangnam Station kaisendon with tender abalone and uni: Ilpum Gangnam
In short
Ilpum Gangnam Branch is a kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) restaurant in the underground arcade at Gangnam Station in Seocho, Seoul. The 37,000-won premium kaisendon comes with salmon, uni, ankimo, squid, abalone, salmon roe and grilled scallop, eaten plain or wrapped in gim and gamtae seaweed, and the course runs from chawanmushi (steamed egg) to cold udon and mango pudding, with an umeshu highball on the side. Of all the seafood at Ilpum Gangnam Branch, the abalone stood out most: tender rather than chewy.
Good to know
- Menu
- Premium kaisendon 37,000 won
- Course
- Baek-kimchi, chawanmushi, broth → kaisendon → cold udon (with karaage) → mango pudding
- Also ordered
- Umeshu (plum wine) highball
- Seating
- Mostly bar tables, a few regular tables, space for bags and coat hooks
- Hours
- Lunch 11:00–15:00 (last order 14:00), break 15:00–17:30, dinner 17:30–21:30 (last order 20:00)
- Closed
- Sundays (open Mon–Sat)
- Reservations
- Available through Naver Place
- Parking
- Free for up to 1 hour
as written by the visitor on Sep 16, 2026
What comes in the premium kaisendon at Ilpum Gangnam Branch?
I had the premium kaisendon (37,000 won) at Ilpum Gangnam Branch near Gangnam Station. Here's my review from a kaisendon run in Gangnam :)
I'm usually a big seafood person, so I really love kaisendon — you get to eat a bunch of different sashimi at once!
This time I tried the premium kaisendon, topped with everything from salmon to uni, ankimo (monkfish liver), abalone, salmon roe and scallop.
If you've been looking for kaisendon near Gangnam Station, take note!
Inside Ilpum Gangnam Branch: clean, calm and quiet
The inside of Ilpum Gangnam Branch felt tidy and well put together overall. Seating is mostly bar tables, with a few regular tables too.
It looked like a good spot to eat solo at the bar table, and also a nice atmosphere for two people to enjoy kaisendon together :) What I personally liked was that there's a separate space to set your bags down!
There are also coat hooks, so you can hang up your bag or jacket comfortably while you eat.
Premium kaisendon, 37,000 won: how much seafood is on it?
What I had that day was Ilpum Gangnam Branch's premium kaisendon. Before the kaisendon arrives, you first get baek-kimchi (white kimchi), chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) and a light soup.
Salmon, uni, ankimo, squid, abalone, salmon roe and grilled scallop — all in one bowl!
With so much different seafood piled into one bowl, it was fun picking through them one by one haha. I'd been curious about this place ever since I heard that Lee Young-ja, the famous mukbang personality, had visited and had the kaisendon too.
What I liked most was not just eating one type of sashimi, but getting to try a range of seafood with different flavors and textures.
If you're looking for good sushi near Gangnam Station and you love sashimi or seafood, this could really suit your taste!
Partway through, cold udon topped with karaage (fried chicken) also comes out! The noodles were nice and chewy. Everything at Ilpum was good, honestly!
The best bite at Ilpum: tender abalone
Out of all the seafood on the premium kaisendon, the abalone was what stuck with me most. It was so tender, TT — no chewiness at all, easy to bite into, with a nutty flavor that made it really enjoyable.
It was also fun switching between the soft salmon, the pop of the salmon roe, and the rich uni and ankimo.
With squid and grilled scallop in the mix too, this was a Gangnam Station kaisendon that let me enjoy all kinds of flavors and textures in one bowl.
Wrapping the seafood in gamtae and gim seaweed
You can just eat the kaisendon straight with rice, but I'd also recommend wrapping it in gamtae (fine dried seaweed) or gim (roasted seaweed)! I tried putting rice and whatever seafood I wanted on a sheet of gamtae and eating it all in one bite.
The distinct aroma of the gamtae paired really well with the seafood. On the gim, I put well-seasoned rice and picked whichever seafood I felt like — salmon or abalone — to wrap up together.
Making my own combinations like this felt a bit like eating sushi, which was fun haha. If you came here searching for good sushi near Gangnam Station, try wrapping your bites in gim or gamtae like this too!
Pairing the kaisendon with an umeshu highball
That day at Ilpum Gangnam Branch, I also had an umeshu (plum wine) highball alongside the kaisendon.
Sipping a highball between bites of seafood made for a great dinner :) Kaisendon is plenty on its own, but if you're in the mood for a light drink, ordering an umeshu highball alongside it is a great call too.
Finished it all off with mango pudding for dessert — this is basically heaven...
Is Ilpum Gangnam Branch worth 37,000 won?
Being able to enjoy so much variety of seafood in one bowl made this a great meal for a seafood lover like me! The course also came with chawanmushi, cold udon and dessert at the end, so it was quite filling.
The interior was clean too, and with mostly bar-table seating, it had a nice atmosphere for enjoying kaisendon with a highball.
If you're looking for kaisendon or good sushi near Gangnam Station and want to try a bunch of seafood at once — salmon, uni, ankimo, abalone — this place is worth a visit :)
Ilpum Gangnam Branch location, hours and parking
Ilpum Gangnam Branch is located at 서울 서초구 서초대로74길 23 지하1층 106호, and reservations can be made through Naver Place. It's open Monday through Saturday, and currently closed on Sundays.
- Lunch 11:00 – 15:00 (last order 14:00)
- Break time 15:00 – 17:30
- Dinner 17:30 – 21:30 (last order 20:00)
If you're driving, note that you can get up to 1 hour of free parking!
Where it is
23 Seochodae-ro 74-gil, B1 Unit 106, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 서초구 서초대로74길 23 지하1층 106호
