Yeonnam-dong donburi with rice refills: salmon belly don, Jongno
In short
Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese rice bowl (donburi) restaurant on basement level 1 at 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul, about a 10-minute walk through the backstreets from Hongik University Station. On an early Sunday lunch in August, during the worst heatwave in 122 years, the blogger ordered salmon belly don for ₩20,000, aburi sake-don (seared salmon rice bowl) for ₩19,000 and handmade potato cream croquettes for ₩7,000, then had a rice refill for a filling meal. The salmon at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam was fatty enough that wasabi barely stung, while the croquettes had a nice texture but a forgettable flavor.
Good to know
- Salmon belly don
- ₩20,000
- Aburi sake-don (seared salmon rice bowl)
- ₩19,000
- Handmade potato cream croquettes (3 pcs)
- ₩7,000
- Rice refills
- Available (ask the staff)
- Seating
- Tables for four and two plus bar seating, with plenty of seats for solo diners
- Location
- About a 10-minute walk from Hongik University Station, basement level 1
- Weekday hours
- 11:30–21:30 / break 16:00–17:00 / last order 21:00
- Weekend hours
- 11:30–21:00 / no break time / last order 20:30
- Restroom
- Inside the restaurant
- Price reference
- ₩20,000 ≈ $15 · ₩19,000 ≈ $14 · ₩7,000 ≈ $5.2 (2026-10-01)
as written by the visitor on Aug 5, 2026
Let's get started! 👍
It's August 2, 2026... a summer day when Korea broke its highest temperature record in 122 years... Bomtaek, fresh from an early-morning screening of the newly released Spider-Man: Brand New Day (so much fun, you have to see it!!), fearlessly takes on the heat and begins hunting for a good restaurant... (dun dun dun)
Today's target: Jongno Donburi Yeonnam!!
Getting to Jongno Donburi Yeonnam from Hongik University Station, and the exterior
Jongno Donburi Yeonnam (종로돈부리 연남) is a Japanese rice bowl restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, about a 10-minute walk through the winding alleys from Hongik University Station. We finally made it to Jongno Donburi!
It looks like a little piece of Japan transplanted here, doesn't it??
Even the sign is adorable, and there's a menu for walk-in customers placed out front!!
I love this calm, quiet wood interior!!! >< (The weather, though, was anything but... very dynamic...) While taking exterior photos I felt like one more minute in the sun would turn me into a roast pig, so I hurried inside!!!
Inside the restaurant and solo dining seats
Stepping into Jongno Donburi Yeonnam, we were greeted first by cool air conditioning. Bomtaek was rescued just before heatstroke.
The interior is neatly done in dark wood, the same tone as the outside!! We came early on a Sunday, so I snapped these photos in a hurry before the customers arrived!!!
There's a variety of seating, with 4-person tables, 2-person tables and a bar table, so there were lots of spots for solo diners. In fact, by the time we finished eating, three solo diners were having their meals??
Here's the restroom. I was glad it's inside the restaurant, and seeing how neatly it matches the wood tone, I figured they put real thought into the interior!
What we ordered: salmon belly don, aburi sake-don and croquettes
At Jongno Donburi Yeonnam we ordered the salmon belly don (₩20,000), aburi sake-don (₩19,000; sake means salmon) and handmade potato cream croquettes (3 pcs, ₩7,000). We picked this combo after a staff member said the salmon was fresh that day and recommended the sake-don.
I couldn't photograph the whole menu, so here's the walk-in menu standing near the entrance instead...!!!
So that's our order! On top of the recommendation, hearing that we can get a rice refill if we run short started putting Taek in a good mood...
Basic table setting and miso soup
The basic table setting comes with miso soup, a soy sauce for dipping the salmon, a sauce for dipping the croquettes, and pickles including danmuji (yellow pickled radish).
This miso soup is quite strongly seasoned, so people who like their food mild might find it salty, but Taek thought it was delicious and said he wanted to pour it over his rice...
How the salmon tasted: fatty enough that wasabi barely stings
The salmon at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam was fresh, soft and rich, and even with lots of wasabi the nose-burn wasn't bad, so it felt like a high-fat salmon. The food has finally arrived! It looks exactly like the photos on the menu!!
It really looks identical, doesn't it..?
Maybe because the salmon was so fresh, it was soft with a strong rich flavor!? And since piling on wasabi didn't sting the nose much, I figured it must be a high-fat salmon!!
Taek polished off a bowl in no time, then got a rice refill and ate to his heart's content...!! 🐽🐽
Another wasabi bomb...! And still, it's a delicious spoonful...
You are now watching Bomtaek's signature salty-face GIF..
Honestly, the handmade potato cream croquettes
The croquettes had such a soft, crispy texture, like no fried food of this world, that my eyes went wide... but the flavor wasn't memorable... (Taek's personal opinion..!!) (Bom: Oh my!)
Jongno Donburi Yeonnam location and opening hours
Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is at 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, basement level 1, about a 10-minute walk from Hongik University Station.
- Weekdays 11:30–21:30 / break 16:00–17:00 / last order 21:00
- Weekends 11:30–21:00 / no break / last order 20:30
Lately I've been getting into Japanese food like sushi and okonomiyaki (savory pancake) and visiting lots of spots, and this meal reminded me once more of the charm of Japanese rice bowls that I'd forgotten about!! Bom, pack your bags... let's go to Japan....!!! 🇰🇷🛫🛬🇯🇵 (Bom: Yay~~ 🥰) That was Jongno Donburi Yeonnam!
Where it is
9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, B1, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 마포구 동교로46길 9 B1
