Balsan Station kaisendon restaurant, late dinner for two: Ilpum Magok

There's a dish that stuck with me more than anything else I ate in Japan — kaisendon. After having it there, I spent months feeling kind of sick because everything else tasted like a different dimension. I put in a fair amount of effort trying to find that same flavor here in Korea, but honestly didn't have much luck...

Then! I heard there was a place in Magok known for its kaisendon, so I went in with hopes of finally having a proper one again after all this time. Cutting to the conclusion: it was even better than I expected, haha. The place I'm introducing today is 'Ilpum Magok.'

How to get to Ilpum Magok: location, hours and parking

Ilpum Magok is located at 228 Gonghang-daero, Unit 112, Gangseo-gu, Seoul. It's open 11:00 AM–9:30 PM, closed every Monday, with a break time of 3:00–5:30 PM and last order at 9:00 PM.

• Naver Reservation available
• Building parking available

What Ilpum Magok looks like inside and out

It's about a 3-minute walk from Balsan Station and about 5 minutes from Magok Station.

A lot of celebrities and well-known people have apparently stopped by! The kind of delicious-looking vibe that jumps right out of the photos...

The interior was really clean and pleasant! Even though it was hot outside, the AC was nice and cool, and staff kept busy wiping down tables and keeping the place tidy. Very satisfying on the cleanliness front.

On the way out I noticed a wall of autographs...

We came in a bit late in the evening so there was no wait, but apparently on weekends or during peak hours a wait is basically a given...

What's on the menu at Ilpum Magok

Besides kaisendon, the menu also has sushi, hitsumabushi, tendon, and more. We ordered two Premium Kaisendon.

Premium kaisendon review: uni, abalone, ankimo and tuna

This is the chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) that came out before the main dish.

It had gamtae (seasoned seaweed) and shrimp in it, so the umami was really nice, and the shrimp was plump and fun to eat too~

This is the clear broth and baek-kimchi (mild white kimchi) that came with the chawanmushi. Both were great to nibble on between bites. Especially the baek-kimchi — you know how it really shines after eating rich, oily raw fish? It totally delivers on that job, haha.

What I ordered was the Premium Kaisendon. All kinds of sashimi catch your eye right away. Especially the uni's freshness — it practically jumps out of the photo, right? Tuna, salmon, scallop, monkfish liver (ankimo), and more — with so many different things packed into one bowl, there's no way it could be anything but delicious. Guaranteed flavor!!!

Absolutely gorgeous... The abalone was really substantial and chewy, so good. I'd even consider adding more next time!!

Salmon — the most popular kind, which makes it hard to really impress. This one seemed really well-aged. The umami was excellent, and it was just the right amount of oily so it went great with the rice. As someone who's obsessed with salmon, this was a dream come true!

One of the stars, right? The tuna was genuinely delicious. Almost too much to put into words. It was really fresh, just the right amount of fatty, and melted away in my mouth in a fantastic way... makes me want to eat it again.

The ankimo was genuinely delicious too. I keep saying 'delicious' over and over but that's just because it really was that good, haha. Scoop up some rice with the ankimo and it's just game over.

There were so many types that listing each one would get boring, haha... but every single piece of sashimi had incredible texture. Chewy and springy while also melting away in my mouth — such a strange, wonderful experience, haha. It genuinely felt better than the original in Japan.

This one spoonful was almost too good to even share with my partner... a total art form. The rice itself was seasoned really well, so with a bit of wasabi and a light dip in soy sauce, one big bite was pure bliss..~

Can you tell my camera shook because it was so good? Chewy x100, umami x100, that pleasant sweetness x100

Of course we cleaned our plates. Didn't leave a single grain of rice, haha. My partner even wanted more rice — that's how good it was!!!

Mango pudding, the dessert that comes with the meal

Right when we were about finished, they brought out this dessert. Nice timing, right when you're about to finish your meal, haha. You know what they say — good-looking food tastes good too.

Just looking at it you can tell — bouncy, and can't possibly be bad!

There was a subtle mango flavor, soft, with a texture kind of like mochi tofu pudding. Not too sweet, so it went down easily, haha. Perfect as a dessert after eating rich, oily raw fish. Really well put-together meal!

Craving Japanese kaisendon near Balsan Station? Ilpum Magok delivers

I really got a proper taste of Japan while in Magok, haha. If you're craving a generous, delicious kaisendon made with fresh seafood, give 'Ilpum Magok' a try.