Balsan Station Japanese restaurant, kelp-aged kaisendon date: Ilpum

I went to Magok on a weekend date with my wife. She loves kaisendon, so I booked ahead at Ilpum Magok (일품 마곡점), known as a go-to Magok sushi spot. Whether you're searching for a Magok kaisendon restaurant or a Balsan sushi place, I've put the location, booking, parking and menu all in one post.

The kaisendon and today's sushi set we ate at Ilpum Magok, a full Magok sushi spread.

Where is Ilpum Magok, and how is parking?

Ilpum Magok is at Unit 112, Leaders Tower Magok, 228 Gonghang-daero, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's about a 4-minute walk from Balsan Station Exit 8 and about 8 minutes from Magok Station Exit 4, so it's walkable from either station. It's on the ground floor of the building, so it's easy to find from Balsan Station too.

You can use the Leaders Tower Magok underground car park, and a meal at Ilpum Magok gets you up to 2 hours free. We booked for Sunday lunch and were seated right away with no wait.

Counter seat atmosphere and how to book

The counter seats at Ilpum Magok let you watch the chefs work up close, which made it perfect for a date meal in Magok.

The moment we walked in, the walls covered in celebrity autographs caught my eye. The menu says that Lee Young-ja and Hwang Jung-min have been here.

We sat at our reserved counter seats, and watching the chefs slice sashimi and shape sushi right in front of us meant the wait was never boring. The staff were friendly too, so we started off in a good mood. Counter seats can be booked from 1 person; for 3 or more, book a table.

Ilpum Magok menu

The menu at Ilpum Magok covers kaisendon, sushi, sashimi, fried dishes and alcohol. It says every main comes with chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), noodles or a fried dish, and dessert.

What did the two of us order?

We ordered one kaisendon and one today's sushi set, and added ankimo (monkfish liver). Each main comes with chawanmushi, udon and dessert, so those two dishes alone filled the table. Kaisendon, today's sushi set and udon, all in one spread.

How does the kelp-aged kaisendon taste?

The kaisendon at Ilpum Magok is a rice bowl topped with kelp-aged sashimi and several kinds of seafood. The menu says it was the number one most-searched dish on a national restaurant search in 2024.

When the bowl arrived, the sashimi was piled on generously and the colors were vivid. The first bite was cold and springy, and the aging seemed to bring out a deep savory flavor.

Wrapped in seaweed, one bite at a time

My wife's favorite way was to put rice and sashimi on a sheet of seaweed and wrap it up. The nutty seaweed aroma goes so well with the fish that I ate it that way several times too. The freshness was better than I expected, so I understood why people call it a top Magok kaisendon spot.

Today's sushi set and the ankimo add-on

As the name suggests, the today's sushi set at Ilpum Magok can change depending on what ingredients came in that day.

The sushi came on one plate, nicely balanced.

The fish was fresh, and the rice was pressed just right so it loosened softly in the mouth. We added ankimo, and it was rich and smooth, so I was glad we did.

Each piece of sushi was seasoned lightly, so just a little wasabi and soy sauce was plenty. Cleansing the palate with udon after the sushi made for a clean finish.

How was it as a Magok or Balsan date meal?

Ilpum Magok, our weekend date spot, satisfied us on both food and service. The kaisendon and the sushi were both fresh, and watching the chefs work from the counter seats made the meal even more fun.

Next time I want to try the unagi don (eel rice bowl), the premium kaisendon and the seasonal yellowtail bowl. If you're looking for a date meal in Magok or Balsan, give it a try.