Hapjeong kaisendon and sake-don dinner for two: Makise Hapjeong

Back again with another Hapjeong food recommendation — a Seoul kaisendon spot!!!! Let me tell you about Makise, perfect for a Hapjeong date. One look at the visuals, one bite of the taste... I was floored. This place is honestly too good to keep to myself...

Where Makise Hapjeong is, plus hours and parking

Makise Hapjeong (마키세 합정) is a kaisendon specialty restaurant at 44 Poeun-ro 2na-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (basement, B01), close to Exit 8 of Hapjeong Station. It's open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:30 to 21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last order at 20:30, and it's closed every Monday.

• Address: 44 Poeun-ro 2na-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (basement, B01), South Korea
• Hours: Tue–Sun 11:30–21:00
• Break time 15:00–17:00 / Last order 20:30
• Closed every Monday
• No parking available

There's no dedicated parking, so you'll need to use a nearby public parking lot. It's closed every Monday, and according to Naver it's also closed on Aug 25 and Sep 8, so keep that in mind when you plan your visit :)

Even the exterior gives off a good vibe

How do you eat a kaisendon, the spoon-it-up sushi bowl?

Spoon-eaten sushi, sometimes called an omakase in a single bowl — that's Makise Hapjeong's kaisendon! You pile rice, wasabi, and sashimi onto a spoon and pop it all in one bite, like sushi you scoop up.

Was there a wait at 7:30pm on a weekday? Bar seats at Makise Hapjeong

We came on a weekday at 7:30pm and there was no wait at all! It seems like the kind of place that does get a wait on weekends.

Here's the interior — there are table seats as well as bar seats, and the decor is soft and full of Japanese-style charm.

We sat at the bar seats facing the wall! We picked the wall-facing side so we could eat without worrying about anyone watching haha

What two people ordered at Makise Hapjeong, and what it cost

There were two of us, and we ordered the 20,000-won kaisendon, the 16,000-won sake-don, and the 5,000-won crab cream croquette (2 pieces)! I got the kaisendon, Makise Hapjeong's signature dish, and my boyfriend, who really loves salmon, went for the sake-don!

How to enjoy Makise Hapjeong properly! The sushi illustration is so cute... Apparently if there's a memorable sashimi you really loved, they'll give you a piece of sushi with it as a little extra service?! That's amazing. And the kaisendon isn't meant to be mixed up — you scoop a spoonful of rice and top it with sashimi piece by piece!

The soup came out first — sipping it between bites of rice helps everything go down smoothly~

Pickled radish and soy sauce!

Inside the 20,000-won kaisendon: thick-cut sashimi lineup

You guys, just look at this insane kaisendon visual. Are you telling me you wouldn't go eat this after seeing it? The sashimi cuts are unbelievably thick!?!?!?!? The fish selection apparently changes depending on the market — there was tuna, salmon, shrimp and more. I'm honestly not sure of all the exact names haha, I just dug in without asking.

How was the salmon in the 16,000-won sake-don?

Apparently the sake-don is a signature dish too, and the salmon was genuinely amazing. I've never seen salmon sliced this thick before. And it wasn't the mushy kind of salmon either — it was plump, with a texture you could really feel, so fresh.

A kaisendon visual that brings tears to your eyes — I officially crown it visual #1!

With every spoonful, my happiness level just kept climbing. I couldn't stop smiling ㅠㅠ This feeling — only people who've eaten Makise Hapjeong's kaisendon would understand... To think you can get such fresh, thick-cut kaisendon right in your own neighborhood! My chances of coming back here aren't just 100%, it's more like a million-hundred-thousand-quintillion percent.

The side order: crab cream croquettes, 2 pieces for 5,000 won

The crab cream croquette — one bite and I was surprised again. So soft! Crispy outside, melty inside — crunchy on the outside but the cream filling inside is incredibly smooth. If you go to Makise Hapjeong, definitely order this as a side.

Why Makise Hapjeong works as a Hapjeong date dinner

I now fully understand what people mean when they call this a bowl as generous as omakase. Spoon-eaten omakase! Spoon-eaten sushi! If you want to enjoy something omakase-like at a good price, definitely try the kaisendon at Makise Hapjeong. It's a shame to keep this all to myself — highly recommended as a Seoul kaisendon restaurant and a Hapjeong date spot: Makise Hapjeong!