Yeonnam-dong sake-don vs salmon belly don on a holiday: Jongno Donburi
In short
Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese rice bowl (donburi) restaurant on the basement level of Donggyo-ro 46-gil in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul. On a public holiday at 1pm, the sake-don at 18,000 won and the salmon belly rice bowl at 20,000 won were ordered side by side to compare the thickness and fattiness of the salmon, and the restaurant was full by 1:30pm. For thickly sliced salmon, the sake-don at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is the one to order.
Good to know
- Address
- 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (B1)
- Hours
- 11:30 - 21:30
- Break time
- 16:00 - 17:00
- Parking
- No on-site parking; use the public lot next to Mimi Lamb Skewers (900 won per 10 minutes)
- Sake-don
- 18,000 won
- Salmon belly rice bowl
- 20,000 won
- Seating
- Solo seats, tables for four, group seating
- Other
- Takeout available, indoor restroom, group-friendly, reservations accepted
- Busiest times
- After 1pm on weekends and holidays; full by 1:30pm
- Price reference
- ₩18,000 ≈ $13 · ₩20,000 ≈ $14.5 (2026-09-25)
as written by the visitor on Aug 17, 2026
A sake-don (salmon rice bowl) and salmon belly comparison review from Jongno Donburi, a salmon rice bowl spot in Yeonnam-dong.
- Recommended for thick-cut sake-don in Yeonnam-dong
- Wood-tone interior with spacious seating
- Parking is closest at the public lot next to Mimiraem Lamb Skewers
I was craving sake-don in Yeonnam-dong, so I went to Jongno Donburi! When I visited around 1pm on a public holiday there was still room to sit, but about 30 minutes later the place was nearly full. Here's my review of the sake-don, parking, and wait times at the Jongno Donburi Yeonnam branch, packed with everyone from solo diners to foreign customers.
Jongno Donburi Yeonnam: location, hours and parking
Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is on the basement level at 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, and it's open from 11:30 to 21:30. There's a break time from 16:00 to 17:00.
- 📍Location: 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, B1
- ⏰Hours: 11:30 - 21:30 / Break time 16:00 - 17:00
- 🅿️No parking on-site; use the public parking lot next to Mimiraem Lamb Skewers (₩900 per 10 minutes)
- ☑️Details: takeout available, clean indoor restroom, group-friendly, reservations accepted
What are the signature dishes at Jongno Donburi?
As the name suggests, Jongno Donburi specializes in donburi (Japanese rice bowls)! With ebi-don, katsu-don, tendon, gyudon and more, it looked like a solid option for lunch in Yeonnam-dong too.
Holiday waiting times: when should you arrive?
When I visited Jongno Donburi Yeonnam at 1pm on a public holiday there were seats available, but by 1:30pm it was completely full. On weekends and holidays, crowds pick up after 1pm. Just so you know, it was full by 1:30pm. Reservations are also possible.
A tidy dining room that works for solo diners
Jongno Donburi Yeonnam's space is more spacious than I expected! From solo seats to 4-person tables to seating for larger groups, it was a good fit for solo dining, dates, or gatherings.
The overall vibe was warm with wood used throughout, and the indoor restroom was clean too!
What we ordered and the side dishes that came with it
At Jongno Donburi Yeonnam we ordered the sake-don for ₩18,000 and the salmon belly rice bowl for ₩20,000.
When you order, you get danmuji (pickled radish), garlic scapes, and jalapeños tossed in chili flakes, plus a bowl of soup. These are good side dishes to pair with the salmon, which can get a bit rich, so it was nice to mix them in throughout the meal.
Sake-don, 18,000 won
The salmon was noticeably thicker than I expected! Instead of long, thin slices, each piece was cut nice and thick, giving it a good chew, and there was a slightly sweet soy sauce seasoning under the rice, so the seasoning was just right even without dipping it in extra soy sauce.
Salmon belly rice bowl, 20,000 won
The salmon felt a bit thicker than in the regular sake-don, and there were about 3 extra pieces of the belly cut. The color was also slightly paler than regular salmon, and tasting it, it definitely had more fattiness, which made it noticeably softer and richer.
✔️ There's sweet soy sauce hidden under the rice like this. The portion is pretty generous too, so after finishing all the salmon I actually had rice left over.
Sake-don vs salmon belly don: what's the difference?
If you like clean, light salmon, the regular sake-don is plenty delicious, but if you love the soft, fatty side of salmon, the belly version will be more satisfying. That said, since the belly has more fat, if you prefer lighter salmon the regular sake-don might suit you better!
How to eat the sake-don at its best
Jongno Donburi's sake-don comes with pretty thick salmon, so I'd recommend eating it whole rather than cutting it up. Place a thick piece of salmon on the rice, add a little wasabi, and eat it in one bite — the soft texture of the salmon and the sweetly seasoned rice come together and fill your mouth completely!
What I liked most was the thickness of the salmon. It's not just that there's a lot of salmon piled on — each piece itself is thick, so eating it with the rice, you really get the full texture of the salmon.
Who Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is for
- Anyone looking for sake-don in Yeonnam-dong
- Anyone who prefers thick-cut salmon over thin slices
- Anyone who especially loves salmon belly
- Anyone looking for a solo-dining-friendly lunch spot in Yeonnam-dong
- Note: it gets busy after 1pm on weekends and holidays
If you're looking for a thick-cut sake-don, I recommend this place! If you love salmon, try the belly menu too.
Where it is
9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, B1서울특별시 마포구 동교로46길 9 B1
