Yeonnam-dong solo lunch: salmon belly don with onsen tamago, Jongno
In short
Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese rice bowl (donburi) restaurant on the basement level, a 7-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. A regular of the original Jongno shop for 5-6 years visited the Yeonnam branch for the first time and ate alone, ordering the salmon belly rice bowl with onsen tamago (soft-poached egg) added for 1,500 won. Thick salmon belly over firm, lightly soy-seasoned rice with the runny yolk stirred through is the combination worth ordering here.
Good to know
- Location
- Basement level, 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- Getting there
- About a 7-minute walk from Exit 3, Hongik Univ. Station
- Hours
- Weekdays 11:30-21:30 / Weekends 11:30-21:00
- Break time
- Weekdays 16:00-17:00; no break on weekends
- Parking
- No dedicated parking lot; public transit recommended
- Ordered
- Salmon belly rice bowl + onsen tamago
- Onsen tamago add-on
- 1,500 won
- Good to know
- Solo dining welcome / takeout available
- Price reference
- ₩1,500 ≈ $1.1 (2026-09-23)
as written by the visitor on Sep 23, 2026
Why a 5-6 year regular came to the new Jongno Donburi in Yeonnam-dong
Everyone,, do you all like donburi?! I'm obsessed with donburi and sake-don. I've been going to Jongno Donburi for quite a while now — probably 5-6 years? I went out to Hongdae for a nail appointment recently and noticed a Jongno Donburi branch had opened in Yeonnam-dong! So of course I had to go check it out.
I happened to need to eat alone anyway, so this time I went solo dining at the Jongno Donburi Yeonnam branch! As expected, my trusted Jongno Donburi... didn't disappoint. If you're looking for a nice-atmosphere Japanese restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, I fully recommend it!
Jongno Donburi Yeonnam: address, hours and parking
- 📍 Location: Basement level, 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- 🚇 About 7 minutes on foot from Exit 3, Hongik Univ. Station
- ⏰ Hours: Weekdays 11:30 - 21:30 / Weekends 11:30 - 21:00
- 🍴 Break time: Weekdays 16:00 - 17:00 (no break time on weekends)
- 🚗 Parking: No dedicated parking at the restaurant. Given Yeonnam-dong's layout, public transit is recommended
- 🥢 Order: Salmon belly rice bowl + onsen tamago
- 👤 Notes: Solo dining okay / takeout available
Eating alone at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam, a shop that started in Jongno in 2010
I heard Jongno Donburi started in Jongno back in 2010? I've been going for almost 5-6 years myself, which is already a pretty long time, and it was kind of surreal to realize how much time has passed.
So this time I confidently picked Jongno Donburi as my Yeonnam-dong spot!! There's a clean menu board out front too, which makes it easy to check the menu before going in.
Donburi isn't really about flashy menus — it comes down to ingredient freshness and how well the rice and sauce come together, right? Jongno Donburi nails exactly that!! Every time I've had their donburi or sake-don, the tempura, meat, and sashimi have all felt fresh and carefully prepared. That's why, even when a place I've gone to for years opens a new branch, I get curious and just trust it enough to go!
Yeonnam-dong has so many great restaurants that it's actually a good place to find solo dining spots, but I walked into Jongno Donburi without a second thought. Since I've been eating here since the original location, even just looking at the menu felt kind of nostalgic haha. The dish I picked that day was the salmon belly rice bowl! I added onsen tamago on top. I really want to recommend this combination. It's an absolutely insane flavor pairing.
What the salmon belly rice bowl with onsen tamago tastes like
Both the staff and the owner at the Yeonnam branch were so friendly. They gave great recommendations for side dishes to pair with my order, and the banchan (side dishes) were neat and well-arranged!
Since I've been going to Jongno Donburi for so long, I tend to like their salmon dishes, and the salmon belly rice bowl I had that day was satisfying as always. It looked incredible even before I took a bite.
That day, since I usually just get sake-don, I decided to treat myself to a bit of an upgrade with the salmon belly rice bowl haha
The salmon was soft and had a nice savory richness, so it went really well with the rice, and it was loaded with thick, generous cuts of salmon belly. The rice had a well-balanced savory soy sauce seasoning too, with each grain still firm and separate — it was delicious even on its own..
And when you add onsen tamago on top and gently break the yolk over it... this combination is genuinely so good.. savory... soft... I could cry..
I really loved the salmon belly rice bowl + onsen tamago combo I had that day at the Jongno Donburi Yeonnam branch, so next time I come back to Yeonnam-dong, I'm definitely ordering this combo again!! Ugh, writing this post is making me hungry again...
The soft, savory taste of the salmon combined with the moist richness of the egg made everything go down so much smoother with the rice. Please, this is my one wish... add the ₩1,500 and get onsen tamago on your sake-don, I beg you...
A Yeonnam-dong rice bowl restaurant that works for solo meals and dates
Jongno Donburi has such a great atmosphere for a date spot in Yeonnam-dong too, and if you're currently looking for somewhere to eat solo in Yeonnam-dong, I recommend it especially! A hearty meal for lunch, and a cozy space for a beer in the evening — it worked well either way.
If you're looking for a good restaurant near Hongdae or Yeonnam-dong to eat alone, or want a clean, satisfying Japanese rice bowl for a date in Yeonnam-dong, I fully recommend the Jongno Donburi Yeonnam branch!
Where it is
9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, B1, South Korea서울특별시 마포구 동교로46길 9 B1
