# Yeonnam-dong Japanese restaurant with Orion beer: Jongno Donburi

- By Saerok (https://superchart.com/en/@neighborhood-supper-map/)
- Written Sep 21, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written as a paid visit sponsorship.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@neighborhood-supper-map/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@neighborhood-supper-map/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/index.md)

## In short

Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese donburi (rice bowl) restaurant in a basement along a Yeonnam-dong alley in Seoul. Wanting salmon, the writer ordered one salmon belly sake tarako-don and one sake-don, and the staff's promise held up: the salmon was soft with no fishy smell. Jongno Donburi Yeonnam also pours Asahi and Orion beer, sold only in Japan, which makes it an easy pick for a rice bowl with a cold beer.

## Good to know

- **Ordered**: Salmon belly sake tarako-don, sake-don
- **Drinks**: Asahi beer, Orion beer (sold only in Japan)
- **Location**: 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil B1, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Hongik Univ. Station, Yeonnam-dong alley)
- **Menu**: English menu available

*as written by the visitor on Sep 21, 2026*

Hi, this is Sumin :)

I hadn't had Japanese food in Yeonnam-dong in a while, so I went out for donburi (Japanese rice bowl). I was craving salmon that day, and since there were several salmon options, I ended up ordering both salmon belly sake tarako-don and sake-don.

![Two salmon rice bowls ordered at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-01-121ra-1200.webp)

## Why Jongno Donburi Yeonnam, out of all the Yeonnam-dong restaurants?

I found this place while looking for good Yeonnam-dong restaurants, and I think it's a great pick if you like salmon. When I ordered, the staff specifically told me the salmon was in great condition that day. Hearing that kind of thing always raises your expectations a bit, haha.

But after eating it, the salmon really was that good. It was clean-tasting and looked so appetizing that I started photographing it the second it arrived.

![Close-up of donburi topped with vividly colored salmon](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-02-c9bgd-900.webp)

Yeonnam-dong has so many good restaurants tucked into its alleys that deciding where to go is honestly half the challenge.

![A Yeonnam-dong alley view](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-03-f5rzg-900.webp)

![A Yeonnam-dong street lined with restaurants](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-04-tpumj-900.webp)

That day I wanted something light with a beer on the side, so I came to Jongno Donburi Yeonnam. It has the kind of casual donburi-ordering atmosphere that felt easy to enjoy with a friend.

![Entrance to the basement location of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-05-h5b1x-900.webp)

![Interior of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam with a Japanese feel](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-06-bhwmv-900.webp)

![Seating good for a meal with a friend](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-07-1yhi3-900.webp)

## A Japan-style basement room that even stocks Orion beer

The exterior is really pretty, exactly the kind of hidden alley restaurant you'd expect to find in Yeonnam-dong — it genuinely feels like being in Japan. They even sell Orion beer that's normally only sold in Japan, which made the whole experience feel even more authentic.

![Exterior of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-08-5vvxl-900.webp)

![Display shelf showing the Japan-only Orion beer](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-09-l94e6-900.webp)

![Interior decor with a Japanese feel](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-10-13csq-900.webp)

With so many foreign tourists in Yeonnam-dong these days, they also had an English menu ready.

![Menu board with English translations at Jongno Donburi](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-11-7xrd3-900.webp)

![Menu board listing donburi dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-12-yotx1-900.webp)

## How fresh was the salmon at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam?

Looking back at the whole meal, what stayed with me most was the salmon quality. They told me upfront it was in great condition, and that turned out to be no exaggeration, haha.

When you go for a salmon dish, the condition of the salmon itself is what matters most in the end, and this part was very satisfying. Ordering both salmon belly sake tarako-don and sake-don together let me enjoy the same salmon in two slightly different ways, which was nice.

![Table set with both salmon belly sake tarako-don and sake-don](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-13-a8d7k-900.webp)

### Sake-don: clean, simple salmon over rice

I also ordered a sake-don. This felt like the dish to pick if you want to enjoy the salmon itself in a relatively clean, simple way. The salmon was piled generously over the rice, and eating a bite of salmon with rice together, the combination worked really well. Since they'd told me beforehand how good the salmon was, I kept examining it closely while eating.

The salmon that day was definitely satisfying. The color was pretty and the texture was good, so it felt worth coming for salmon, haha. Salmon belly sake tarako-don felt like a more varied flavor experience, while sake-don was about enjoying the salmon itself plainly — good reason to order one of each and share.

![Sake-don piled generously with salmon over rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-14-1ypnk-900.webp)

## An Asahi to go with the donburi

And of course, a glass of Asahi beer alongside the food! Having a beer with donburi always makes the meal feel that much better, doesn't it. Especially with a salmon rice bowl, the pairing worked better than I expected.

I wasn't out for a heavy drinking session that day — just good donburi with a glass of Asahi — and it was the perfect amount to leave in a good mood. If you want to eat and have a light drink in Yeonnam-dong, this combination is a solid choice.

![A glass of Asahi beer served alongside the donburi](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-15-1ybcj-900.webp)

### Salmon belly sake tarako-don: soft belly plus tarako (cod roe)

First up, the salmon belly sake tarako-don! The name alone had my favorite combo written all over it, so I picked it the moment I saw it on the menu. The soft texture unique to salmon belly, topped with tarako (seasoned cod roe), made for a pretty appetizing-looking dish. The salmon was piled thick, so eating it with rice gave the salmon a strong presence.

![Salmon belly sake tarako-don topped with salmon belly and tarako](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl-16-1w6g1-900.webp)

Above all, the salmon condition that day was genuinely great. It was soft without being mushy, and I didn't pick up much of a fishy taste at all, which was satisfying. Salmon lovers know how a dish like this gets your chopsticks moving faster, haha. Personally, the soft texture of the belly gave it a different feel from the sake-don, and I liked it.

## What to order next time at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam

If you're in the mood for Japanese food or donburi in Yeonnam-dong and you like salmon, this is worth stopping by at least once. If I go back, I think I'll order the salmon belly sake tarako-don again. If you're looking for a salmon-based Japanese dish among Yeonnam-dong restaurants, Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is worth checking out :)

## Where it is

- Jongno Donburi Yeonnam (종로돈부리 연남)
- 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, B1, South Korea
- 서울특별시 마포구 동교로46길 9 B1
- 37.562598, 126.925406
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%A2%85%EB%A1%9C%EB%8F%88%EB%B6%80%EB%A6%AC%20%EC%97%B0%EB%82%A8/@37.562598,126.925406,17z

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Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@neighborhood-supper-map/yeonnam-donburi-orion-beer-salmon-belly-bowl/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt