Magok eel restaurant, whole-eel don Hwang Jung-min praised: Ilpum
In short
Ilpum Magok is a Japanese rice bowl restaurant on Gonghang-daero near Magok Station in Gangseo, Seoul. Arriving just after the lunch rush and taking the last open seat, the writer ordered the Premium Kaisendon (37,000 won) and the Whole Eel Unagidon (40,000 won) that actor Hwang Jung-min reportedly praised, and a mini udon and mango panna cotta were also served. At about 80,000 won for two, Ilpum Magok isn't cheap, but its quality, portions, flavor, atmosphere and service were all satisfying enough to warrant a return visit.
Good to know
- Getting there
- Balsan Station Exit 8 · 7-min walk (store listing, Oct 6, 2026)
- Address
- 112, 228 Gonghang-daero, Gangseo-gu, Seoul
- Hours
- Tue–Sun 11:00–21:30 (break 15:00–17:30, last order 20:00)
- Closed
- Mondays
- Parking
- Available (2 hours free)
- Premium Kaisendon
- 37,000 won
- Whole Eel Unagidon
- 40,000 won
- Seating
- Counter seats and 4-person tables, floor-to-ceiling windows on one side
- Ordering and payment
- Order by QR code, pay after your meal
- Reservations
- Bookable on Naver (expect a possible wait at mealtimes)
- Price reference
- ₩37,000 ≈ $28 · ₩40,000 ≈ $30 · ₩80,000 ≈ $60 (2026-10-20)
as written by the visitor on Jun 10, 2026
What is Ilpum Magok?
Ilpum Magok (일품 마곡점) is a Japanese rice bowl (donburi) restaurant near Magok Station, at 228 Gonghang-daero, Unit 112, Gangseo-gu, Seoul. It is closed on Mondays and open Tuesday to Sunday 11:00–21:30 (break time 15:00–17:30, last order 20:00), and parking is covered for 2 hours.
A real Japanese-style donburi shop in Magok! Even the name, Ilpum (meaning "first-class"), sounds so trustworthy, like it must be packed with luxury, haha.
It was featured on the TV show Baedal Wassusuda, where Lee Young-ja and Hwang Jung-min raved about it, which made me even more curious. How good can it be?!!!!!!
Is there a wait at Ilpum Magok? Should you book ahead?
There can be a wait at Ilpum Magok at mealtimes, so I recommend booking ahead through Naver reservations. I visited a little after lunchtime and luckily got the very last seat.
Seating and how to order at Ilpum Magok
This Magok eel restaurant has counter seats and 4-person tables, and one whole wall is a big window, so the room feels open while you eat.
You order by QR code! You pay after the meal.
No exaggeration, there were so many things I wanted to eat that choosing took quite a while, haha. In the end I decided to come back another time and placed my order...
- Premium Kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) ₩37,000
- Whole Eel Unagidon (eel rice bowl) ₩40,000
- Total ₩77,000
Japanese steamed egg and rice bowls made in front of you
As soon as you order, Ilpum Magok brings out Japanese-style steamed egg (chawanmushi) as a starter. It's super jiggly like pudding and melts in your mouth, T_T and there's a piece of shrimp hiding inside, haha.
Watching the dishes being made one by one right in front of you is a lot of fun. They slice the fresh seafood thick before your eyes, and the colors are so varied that it all looks incredibly appetizing T_T
I held out and didn't eat anything until the eel bowl arrived, just to take this photo... T_T
Premium Kaisendon at 37,000 won: what seafood is on top?
The Premium Kaisendon (₩37,000) at Ilpum Magok comes topped with sea urchin (uni), tuna, abalone, salmon, deep-sea shrimp and salmon roe, among others. It's said to be the kaisendon that Lee Young-ja ate herself and approved, and apparently it ranked number one in nationwide restaurant search views in 2024.
I agonized and finally picked it because so many kinds of seafood on one bowl means you get lots of flavors from a single dish.
Wow, it's so fresh and thick, and you can almost taste the sea itself. Every bite tastes new, so I polished off the whole bowl of rice in no time. The bowl looked small, but as I ate I realized the portion is actually quite big.
Whole Eel Unagidon at 40,000 won: is it worth the price?
The Whole Eel Unagidon (₩40,000) at Ilpum Magok is the eel bowl Hwang Jung-min raved about, topped with one whole Ilpum eel, tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), seasoned rice and scallions. Eat a bit of everything together and it just vanishes in your mouth...
Before it arrived I thought, eel is expensive, but ₩40,000 is still pretty steep... But......! Once the bowl came out, that thought vanished completely. It looks that good.
Complimentary mini udon and mango panna cotta dessert
Mini udon
Ilpum Magok served mini udon as a complimentary side. Was that fish cake tempura..? It had a springy fried piece in it, and after eating rich dishes, the slightly spicy udon broth cleansed my palate. I was full, but it was so good!
Mango panna cotta
Dessert was mango panna cotta. My stomach was about to burst and I was silently shouting "no more!!!", but the staff saw that we were finishing up and brought it out as dessert, haha.
Wow.. I couldn't eat any more, but thought I'd try just one bite, and then I inhaled the rest in about 3 seconds. A perfect dessert, truly delicious. The smooth mango spread is the kicker T_T
Ilpum Magok cost for two and final verdict
The prices at Ilpum Magok are as impressive as the looks, so a meal for two comes to about ₩80,000. Still.. still! The quality, portions, taste, atmosphere and service were all so good that I definitely want to come back.
It wasn't for nothing that it was on TV. If you want a taste of Japan close by, I highly recommend it. Re.al.ly!
Where it is
228 Gonghang-daero, Unit 112, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 강서구 공항대로 228 112호 일품 마곡점
Ilpum Magok: hours, menu and prices →
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