Jongno Japanese rice bowl spot: kaisendon & mango jelly dessert, Ilpum

Where is Ilpum Gwanghwamun and when is it open?

Ilpum Gwanghwamun is at 223 B2F, 19 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 249 m from Jonggak Station Exit 1. It's open Mon–Sat 11:00 to 21:30, with a break from 15:00 to 17:30, last order at 20:00, and closed on Sundays.

Today I visited Ilpum Gwanghwamun, famous as a Gwanghwamun office-worker favorite 🍣 The clean wooden exterior alone gave off a "this is going to be a proper meal" vibe.

How does the waiting at Ilpum Gwanghwamun work?

Ilpum Gwanghwamun was full when we arrived, so we wrote our names on the waiting list 📝 There are waiting seats beside the shop, so we didn't have to stand. Waiting is part of eating good food, right? My stomach had already gone in, only my body was still waiting outside 😂

The waiting seats beside the shop made the wait a bit more comfortable, but staring at the menu the whole time doubled my hunger 🤭

While waiting, I studied the menu closely 👀 From kaisendon to aburidon and plenty of other rice bowls, there were so many options. Having to pick just one was the hardest mission. In the end we decided on the premium kaisendon and the aburidon 🍣

What are the interior and seats at Ilpum Gwanghwamun like?

Ilpum Gwanghwamun has an open kitchen, so you can watch the food being prepared. When our turn finally came and we went in, seeing the staff busily prepping ingredients made me even more excited. Watching it made right in front of me raised my trust and my hunger at the same time 👍

Every table has a water purifier, which was really convenient 💧 No need to call a staff member whenever you want water, so there's no awkwardness. I poured a glass and got ready for the main event 😋

You can order by telling a staff member directly or by using Catch Table (a reservation and ordering app) 📱 We ordered the premium kaisendon and the aburidon. After ordering, all that was left was waiting for the food, and that time felt like the longest in the world 😂

There are also coat hangers on the wall 👔 You can hang up your coat or bag, so you have plenty of room while eating.

Inside, Ilpum Gwanghwamun has bar seats and table seats 🪑 There are bar spots where you can sit comfortably even alone, and tables that work well for groups. Overall it's clean and bright, a comfortable place to eat ✨

One side has a drink fridge too 🥤 It was stocked with a variety of drinks and alcohol, which looked like a good match for the rice bowls.

Ilpum Gwanghwamun's side dishes and steamed egg

Before the main dishes arrive, Ilpum Gwanghwamun sets out soup, pickled side dishes and steamed egg 🍽️ They were just right for keeping my mouth busy while waiting for the mains 😊

I tried the steamed egg first 🥚 The moment I scooped it with my spoon, I could feel how soft it was. There was shrimp inside too, so you get a plump bite as well. I got a proper warm-up with the steamed egg before the mains even came 😋

How are the premium kaisendon and aburidon different?

The premium kaisendon at Ilpum Gwanghwamun is generously topped with seafood including tuna, salmon, sea urchin roe and salmon roe, while the aburidon is piled with lightly seared sashimi that gives it a smoky aroma. The moment I saw the bowls full of sashimi and seafood, the wait didn't feel wasted at all.

The look was so spectacular that I took a bunch of photos before picking up my chopsticks 📸 The camera ate first, and I ate after 😂

First, the premium kaisendon ✨ It looked like the whole ocean had landed in one bowl 🌊 The happy dilemma of where to start began.

The aburidon has a subtle smoky, nutty aroma that made my mouth water before I even ate 🔥 It has a different charm from raw fish, and I think it suits people who love that smoky flavor 😍

I moved the sea urchin roe, tuna and fish from the kaisendon onto a plate 🍣 I tried to plate it nicely, and it turned out surprisingly decent. For today, I pretended to be a Gwanghwamun chef 👨‍🍳 Of course, the staff did all the actual cooking 😂

Thick sashimi, tuna and smoky salmon

When I picked up a piece of sashimi at Ilpum Gwanghwamun, I could really feel the thickness 😮 It wasn't thin and flimsy; the more I chewed, the more texture and richness came through. Even one piece fills your mouth, which was satisfying 👍

The tuna melted softly the moment it hit my mouth 🐟 The rich flavor spread, and together with the rice the combination was really good. It vanished without any chewing, and I almost wanted to check whether I had actually eaten it 😂

The salmon on the aburidon is lightly seared on the surface, so the richness came through even more 🔥 The salmon's soft texture plus a subtle smoky flavor kept my chopsticks going. If you love that smoky taste, you'll probably be quite happy 😋

Cuttlefish sashimi and scallop gim wraps

There was also cuttlefish sashimi (hanchi-hoe) in the bowl 🦑 Its chewy yet tender texture was appealing. With so many kinds of sashimi, there wasn't a dull moment while eating one bowl 😊

I wrapped the scallop in gim (dried seaweed) 🌿 The nuttiness of the lightly grilled scallop and the saltiness of the seaweed went well together. The moment it went into my mouth, I wondered who came up with this combo.

I dipped the salmon sashimi in soy sauce 🥢 It's good on its own, but a little soy sauce brings out the savory depth. Dip too long and it gets salty, so just a light touch worked best 😊

Kaisendon with rice

The sashimi is good on its own, but the kaisendon's real charm came out when eaten with rice 🍚 A spoonful of seasoned rice, sashimi and salmon roe made my mouth feel so full. The ratio of seafood to rice was well balanced, and I enjoyed it to the last bite 😋

Karaage cold udon as a side

Midway through the meal, Ilpum Gwanghwamun served cold udon as a side dish 🍜 It came in a chilled broth with springy udon noodles and hot karaage (Japanese fried chicken). The mix of cold broth and warm karaage was more fun than I expected.

The udon noodles were bouncy and chewy 🍜 The cool, clean broth was perfect for cutting through the rich flavors. With the hot karaage too, it was quite filling for a side 👍

Mango jelly dessert and celebrity autographs

After we finished eating, Ilpum Gwanghwamun served mango jelly for dessert 🥭 Rich mango sauce sat on top of soft, bouncy jelly. It was sweet and refreshing, a great way to end the meal. From the main dish to dessert, it was a perfectly complete meal 😊

One side of the shop was covered in autographs from celebrities who have visited ✍️ Seeing so many signatures, I thought, yes, this really is a Gwanghwamun spot that lots of people come to. I left an autograph in my heart too. It said, "Thank you, that was really delicious" 😂

Is Ilpum Gwanghwamun worth visiting?

At Ilpum Gwanghwamun we enjoyed fresh, thick sashimi in generous portions, and everything from the side dishes to the cold udon and dessert was well put together 🍣 It's a good place to visit when you're craving a special kaisendon or smoky aburidon in Gwanghwamun 😊