Gangnam Station donburi restaurant, ankimo wraps and beer: Ilpum
In short
Ilpum Gangnam Branch is a Japanese donburi (rice bowl) restaurant on the basement level of Seocho Town Trapalace in Seocho, Seoul, a five-minute walk from Exit 6 of Gangnam Station. Kaisendon at 26,000 won and aburidon at 30,000 won were ordered together to alternate between raw sashimi and lightly seared seafood, and the ankimo (monkfish liver) served with the meal was wrapped in gim-tae seaweed and laver to go with a draft beer. With a personal water dispenser and a coat hanger at every bar seat, Ilpum works just as well for a solo lunch as for a meal with coworkers.
Good to know
- Location
- 23 Seocho-daero 74-gil, B1 Unit 106, Seocho-gu, Seoul (basement level, Seocho Town Trapalace)
- Getting there
- 5-minute walk from Exit 6, Gangnam Station
- Hours
- Mon–Sat 11:00–21:00, break 15:00–17:30
- Closed
- Sundays
- Parking
- Available
- Signature menu prices
- Kaisendon 26,000 won / Ilpum-don 30,000 won / Aburidon 30,000 won / Honmaguro tsukedon 33,000 won / Seasonal yellowtail don 33,000 won / Premium kaisendon 37,000 won / Sashimi-don 38,000 won / Whole-eel unagi-don 40,000 won / Sushi omakase board 50,000 won / Uni-toro-don 55,000 won
- Seating
- Bar seating around the open kitchen at the center of the restaurant, with a personal water dispenser at each bar table and a coat hanger at every seat
as written by the visitor on Sep 16, 2026
Where is Ilpum Gangnam Branch, and what are its hours?
I went to check out a kaisendon (sashimi rice bowl) spot near Gangnam Station. Ilpum Gangnam Branch sits in the basement level of Seocho Town Trapalace, about a five-minute walk from Exit 6 of Gangnam Station. Parking is available too, so it's convenient if you're driving over.
- 📍 Location: 23 Seocho-daero 74-gil, B1 Unit 106, Seocho-gu, Seoul
- 🕖 Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–17:30), closed Sundays
- 🅿️ Parking available
Ilpum menu and prices
- Kaisendon ₩26,000
- Ilpum-don ₩30,000
- Aburidon ₩30,000
- Honmaguro tsukedon ₩33,000
- Seasonal buri-don (yellowtail) ₩33,000
- Premium kaisendon ₩37,000
- Sashimi-don ₩38,000
- Whole unagi-don (eel) ₩40,000
- Sushi omakase set ₩50,000
- Uni-doro-don (sea urchin) ₩55,000
Proof this place is legit — there's even a signed autograph from a celebrity on the wall. Ilpum Gangnam was famous as one of Lee Young-ja's go-to spots.
Bar seats with personal water dispensers: easy for solo dining
The inside of Ilpum Gangnam Branch has that Japanese restaurant feel but with a clean wood-tone finish, so it's a comfortable place to eat. They even installed coat hangers at every seat. (Nice touch!)
The bar seating is set up right in the center of the restaurant, so a lot of solo diners come here, and since there are plenty of offices nearby, quite a few office workers stop in too.
I was seated at the bar counter, and since it's an open kitchen, you can watch the food being prepared.
Each bar table has its own personal water dispenser, which is so convenient. I don't think I've ever seen a place with a water dispenser at every single seat before.
Chawanmushi and white kimchi to start the meal
Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) that looks like pudding. It's warm yet moist and soft, melting away in your mouth — not too strong in flavor, so it's nice to eat before the main course.
Baek-kimchi (white, non-spicy kimchi) served as a side dish.
Kaisendon 26,000 won vs aburidon 30,000 won: what's the difference?
The kaisendon. It looked appetizing from the start, with generous, thick slices of sashimi piled on top. Salmon, tuna, shrimp, scallop, white fish — I loved being able to try so many kinds of sashimi at once. (More filling than I expected!)
The aburidon comes with the surface of the seafood lightly seared, so you get a subtle smoky, charred aroma — richer and more savory than the raw kaisendon. The kaisendon lets you taste the fresh sashimi as it is, while the aburidon gives you the savory char of seared seafood. Two different kinds of appeal, and switching back and forth between them was so good.
I also had a cold draft beer alongside. A sip of cold, crisp beer followed by a piece of fresh sashimi — pure happiness.
Gim-tae seaweed wraps, scallop, and vinegared rice
Placing a piece of sashimi with a dab of wasabi onto the gim-tae (seasoned seaweed sheet) that comes with the meal and eating it that way is so savory and delicious. The distinctive aroma of the gim-tae seems to deepen the flavor of the sashimi even more.
The scallop was fresh with no fishy smell at all. It was chewy yet tender, and eating it topped with flying fish roe was really delicious.
The rice in the kaisendon is subtly seasoned. They got the sushi vinegar seasoning just right — a piece of sashimi with a spoonful of rice, and the balance was perfect.
The tuna gets cleaner and more savory the more you chew — you really feel the deep flavor of tuna.
Ankimo (monkfish liver) and sweet shrimp with draft beer
The ankimo (monkfish liver) that came with the kaisendon. Wow, it's so rich and savory!! It felt like eating a fancy cream cheese. I wrapped it in both gim-tae and laver, and both ways were delicious.
Sweet shrimp, true to its name, is sweet. Fresh sweet shrimp that melts away in your mouth — I ate it together with the ankimo.
Cold udon topped with karaage, and panna cotta
Cold udon topped with karaage (fried chicken). The karaage, made from chicken thigh, was fried with no gamey smell and stayed soft, while the udon noodles were chewy and delicious. The broth had a deep flavor too, so I kept going back for more.
A cold mango pudding came out as dessert after the meal. Soft and sweet, this panna cotta was the perfect way to end things — it really felt like a proper, full meal.
Is Ilpum Gangnam Branch worth it? Final verdict
If you want to try proper Japanese cuisine, Ilpum Gangnam Branch is a great place to visit. Getting to taste such fresh sashimi left me 200% satisfied!!
- ✔️ Recommended for solo dining, family gatherings, dates, and work dinners
Where it is
23 Seocho-daero 74-gil, B1 Unit 106, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 서초구 서초대로74길 23 지하1층 106호
