Yeouido Japanese spot: kaisendon for two with chawanmushi, Ilpum

Today it's a spot in Yeouido where both the sushi and the kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) are great! It's Ilpum Yeouido Branch, a kaisendon place where you get thick-cut sashimi in one bowl.

Where is Ilpum Yeouido Branch, and is there parking?

Ilpum Yeouido Branch is 300 meters from National Assembly Station Exit 3! You can also park in the building, so it's easy to get to!

It's on the first basement floor of the Anwon Building, so just follow the stairs down! It's even rated excellent in the Yeongdeungpo-gu Japanese rice bowl category.. 🖤 I'm so excited!!

Inside Ilpum Yeouido Branch: atmosphere and single seats

The interior is warm, with wood tones! The hall is huge, and since Yeouido is full of office workers, there were tons of single seats for eating solo!!

What's on the menu at Ilpum Yeouido Branch?

Ilpum's signature dishes are kaisendon, unagidon (eel rice bowl) and sushi '-' A seafood paradise, that's what I'm saying~~

They also have the ankimo (monkfish liver) hosomaki that was a hot item for a while thanks to a YouTube video '-' Order this with drinks and it's a total hit..!!

QR ordering and the Naver receipt review perk

You order at Ilpum Yeouido Branch by scanning the QR code on the table and using your phone!! If you join the Naver receipt review event, you get 2 croquettes, so you can't miss that either!! You can also get various coupons when you book through Naver, so don't skip it 👍

They also have shime saba (vinegared mackerel) sashimi and bong-sushi (stick-style sushi), so it seems perfect for a quick drink after work :)

Basic kaisendon (₩26,000): what's in the bowl and how it tastes

The basic kaisendon at Ilpum Yeouido Branch is ₩26,000 and came out as a very neat full table setting. Besides the kaisendon, it comes with seaweed, soup, white kimchi and more.

Wow, even the basic kaisendon is great. It's topped with all kinds of fish: salmon, tuna, shrimp, Spanish mackerel and more!

Chawanmushi served before the kaisendon

Like at an omakase, a chawanmushi (savory steamed egg custard) comes out before the meal!!? Getting a course-meal feeling at this price..!! The chawanmushi was good quality too. It had a shrimp in it and was super silky.

Bouncy~ pudding-like texture! Perfect as an appetizer 👍🏻

Unseasoned seaweed and soy sauce! The wasabi at Ilpum is good too! If you serve raw fish, bad wasabi would be such a letdown, right!?

Kaisendon piled high with seafood and rice

Back to the kaisendon!! The seafood is piled up like a mountain, and the amount of rice underneath is even more insane!! haha The rice has furikake (rice seasoning) on it too, so it's nicely salty and so good 👍🏻

You all know raw shrimp is delicious, right..!? Just slurp it and a rich flavor spreads in your mouth, it melts, it really melts..!!

Even the fried lotus root is good.. nutty and crispy.

Something I rarely see in other kaisendon: ankimo and crab meat!! Wrapped in seaweed with rice, they were full of flavor too! Ankimo wrapped in gamtae (seaweed strands) in one bite-! 🖤 The scent of the sea fills your mouth!!

I think this is squid, and the texture is crazy!! Tender but chewy...(?) haha It doesn't feel too raw, and it was totally my taste.

Basic vs. premium kaisendon: the difference in tuna cuts

Do I even need to say the tuna is good? ㅠㅠ One is the cut in the basic kaisendon! The other is the tuna in the premium kaisendon! You can feel the difference in cuts, right!? Both are fresh, fatty and really delicious.

Scallop and flounder! The scallop was cooked just right.. 🖤 And the flounder is crazy thick too. So thick it fills your whole mouth!!

This one.. is it Spanish mackerel..? haha Big and thick, and it was really delicious too. It was even better than the flounder!!

My favorite cut: herring or greater amberjack?

I'm not sure whether it's herring or greater amberjack, but it was my number one pick!! Super oily, with a strong herring-like aroma, and so delicious ㅠㅠ

There are two pieces of salmon too, fatty and fresh as can be-!

What's different about the premium kaisendon (₩37,000)?

The premium kaisendon at Ilpum Yeouido Branch is ₩37,000, and it's the basic kaisendon with extras like uni (sea urchin), salmon roe and more tuna cuts. This is what my partner ordered-!

Given the price difference, the cuts and ingredients are a little fancier, right!? haha Ordering one basic and one premium and sharing seems just perfect!!

The uni is in the premium kaisendon-! Wrap the uni in unseasoned seaweed and the umami explodes.. 🧡

To finish: tempura udon and mango panna cotta

At Ilpum Yeouido Branch, tempura udon came out as the follow-up dish! Wait, even the follow-up is included in the price? What a kind price..!? The fried fish cake in the middle was soft and so tasty '-'

For the final dessert, mango panna cotta 🥭 came out. Just sweet enough and just tangy enough, a perfect finish. My partner fell head over heels for this panna cotta.

When to choose Ilpum Yeouido Branch

• When you want both sashimi and rice
• When you want a fancy meal
• When you want fresh seafood and a drink after work