# Salmon belly sake-don date in Hongdae: Jongno Donburi Yeonnam

- By Yejin Cho (https://superchart.com/en/@haebangchon-steep-stairs/)
- Written Sep 18, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul
- Sponsored: This is a review after visiting with a meal provided by the restaurant.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@haebangchon-steep-stairs/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@haebangchon-steep-stairs/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/index.md)

## In short

Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese rice bowl restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, about a 7-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station. A salmon lover who returns whenever she craves sake-don (salmon rice bowl) came back with her boyfriend for the salmon belly sake-don, and the thick, fatty belly was soft with no fishy taste, working well with the lightly seasoned rice and wasabi. For salmon fans, Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is the kind of place you circle back to.

## Good to know

- **Location**: 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, B1, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- **Getting there**: About a 7-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station
- **Weekday hours**: 11:30–21:30 (break 16:00–17:00)
- **Weekend hours**: 11:30–21:00, no break
- **Parking**: No dedicated parking; subway recommended
- **Seating**: Bar seats, tables for two, tables for four
- **Ordered**: Salmon belly sake-don

*as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026*

I really love salmon, so there are days I suddenly, insanely crave sake-don (salmon rice bowl) haha. Whenever that happens, the place that naturally comes to mind is Jongno Donburi.

![Visit photo of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon-01-1r5n9-900.webp)

I've liked this place for a while, and this time I went to the Yeonnam branch with my boyfriend! There are plenty of good sake-don spots out there, but weirdly, whenever I think "I want salmon rice bowl!" Jongno Donburi is the first place that comes to mind... 🥹

This time I didn't just get the regular sake-don — I got my personal favorite, the salmon belly sake-don. Bottom line first: ah, the salmon here really is good. Even after finishing it, I was thinking about it again haha. For anyone looking for restaurants near Hongik Univ. Station or Japanese food in Yeonnam-dong, I wanted to write a detailed review!

## Where is Jongno Donburi Yeonnam, and what are its hours?

Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is on B1 at 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's about a 7-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station.

- Weekdays 11:30–21:30, break time 16:00–17:00
- Weekends 11:30–21:00, open without a break time
- No dedicated parking, so I personally recommend taking the subway!

## Inside Jongno Donburi Yeonnam: a clean wood-tone Yeonnam-dong interior

![Wood-tone interior of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon-02-150c5-900.webp)

The inside of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is decorated in warm wood tones overall, giving it a bit of the feel of stepping into a restaurant in Japan. 🌿

![Seating with bar seats and tables inside the restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon-03-1ggdq-900.webp)

It's not one of those overly styled, Instagram-ready restaurants(?) — it's just clean and comfortable, like a Japanese home-style diner, and I liked that.

There are bar seats plus 2-tops and 4-tops, so it seems like an easy place to come to alone, and also great for a Yeonnam-dong date like the one my boyfriend and I had!

## The review event at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam

![Review event notice posted in the restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon-04-1sry7-900.webp)

There was also a review event notice posted in the restaurant! I'm the type who can't quite pass these up haha. Since I was going to eat well and leave a review anyway, joining the event at the same time felt great. 🤍 If you visit, check the review event notice while you're waiting for your order!

## What does the salmon belly sake-don taste like?

![A bowl of salmon belly sake-don at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon-05-1njwy-900.webp)

Take one bite of the salmon belly sake-don at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam and the distinctive rich, savory flavor of salmon belly hits right away. It's fattier than regular salmon, so it's incredibly soft the moment you chew it — almost melts in your mouth, if I'm exaggerating a little... 🥹

Personally, I think salmon belly is risky — because it's fatty, if the salmon itself isn't fresh, that oiliness can turn into a heavy or fishy taste instead.

![Thick slices of raw salmon belly on top](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon-06-1np0d-1200.webp)

The salmon at Jongno Donburi had none of that — it was savory and soft with a clean finish, which I really liked.

## Side dishes and the clear soup that come with the rice bowl

![Miso soup and side dishes served with the sake-don](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon-07-1iit8-m-900.webp)

The sake-don comes with miso soup and side dishes, and when you're eating something like this, taking a sip of warm soup in between kind of resets your palate, you know? Haha!!

![Table setting with warm soup and the rice bowl](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon-08-neakg-900.webp)

Thanks to that, I finished the whole bowl without getting tired of it. And when the sake-don first arrived I thought, "I'll probably finish this pretty quickly?" but the salmon is thick and there's a good amount of rice, so it ends up being surprisingly filling.

As a college student, when I want to eat something good for a meal, ordering one proper rice bowl like this is way more satisfying than ordering two or three so-so menu items.

![A bite of rice topped with salmon belly and wasabi](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon-09-12fwo-900.webp)

### Seasoned rice and wasabi: the combination that makes the sake-don

Sake-don isn't a dish where only the salmon has to be good, right? If the rice is seasoned too strongly, it overpowers the salmon; too bland and it gets tiring to eat. Here, the seasoned rice + salmon belly + wasabi combo was just right.

Scoop up a spoonful of rice, put a piece of salmon belly on top, add just a tiny bit of wasabi, and eat it in one bite... pure happiness....... I think it's this combo that makes me unable to forget Jongno Donburi haha.

## Is Jongno Donburi Yeonnam worth a revisit? Final verdict

![Close-up of the salmon belly sake-don](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon-10-1hg2c-900.webp)

![Table at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam after finishing the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon-11-16n6d-900.webp)

Here's my overall review of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam, a Japanese restaurant near Hongik Univ. Station! The salmon belly sake-don I had this time was thick, soft, and savory, so if you usually love salmon, I think you'll be satisfied.

- Anyone who loves salmon sake-don
- Anyone looking for a clean Japanese restaurant near Hongik Univ. Station
- Anyone looking for a Yeonnam-dong date restaurant
- Anyone who likes salmon belly for being richer than regular salmon

If that's you, I think it's worth a visit. 🐟🤍 I'll probably keep coming back here whenever I crave salmon sake-don. Someone who searches around for great sake-don and always circles back to Jongno Donburi in the end = me haha.

If you've been looking for good Japanese food near Hongik Univ. Station, I recommend the salmon belly sake-don at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam! 🫶🏻

## Where it is

- Jongno Donburi Yeonnam (종로돈부리 연남)
- 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, B1, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 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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Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@haebangchon-steep-stairs/jongno-donburi-yeonnam-salmon-belly-sakedon/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt