7-piece today's sushi set and ilpum-don at Ilpum, Gangnam Station

After an eye checkup, I got hungry and dragged my sister to a Gangnam Station sushi spot famous for kaisendon (Japanese seafood rice bowl) — Ilpum. Great atmosphere, gorgeous plating, and it actually tastes good too, so I'd recommend it as a date-course restaurant near Gangnam Station. Honestly this is one of the best meals I've had lately, so fair warning, this review is very biased haha🤭

Where is Ilpum Gangnam Branch, and what are the hours?

Ilpum Gangnam Branch sits in a small basement food court just 1 minute from Gangnam Station, and known for its kaisendon. The food court itself isn't big, so it's easy to find.

Even the photos displayed at the entrance looked mouthwatering — pass! A Gangnam Station sushi spot, recommended kaisendon restaurant: Ilpum.

• Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–21:30
• Closed: Every Sunday

Inside Ilpum Gangnam Branch: bar seats and table seating

The inside of Ilpum Gangnam Branch felt clean and elegant. The vibe would work well for a blind date or a gathering, and even for treating someone on an important occasion. Being right in Gangnam means great location and easy access too — if you've got an important meal coming up, I'd recommend Ilpum Gangnam Branch!

There are bar seats near the front and tables further inside. I sat at the bar seats where you can watch the chef prepare everything right in front of you. Having the table set like that felt clean and made me feel well taken care of, haha.

You order by QR code right at your seat. There was a pop-up menu item, herring isobemaki — ah, I really love herring, I wanted to try it🥲 but we're both light eaters and were already stuffed with just one dish each.

What we ordered at Ilpum Gangnam Branch

Ilpum is famous for its kaisendon, but the signature bowl looked huge, so I went with the ilpum-don instead, which looked like a smaller portion. The uni-ikura-don also looked amazing, so I'm definitely getting that next time! My sister ordered today's sushi set!

What surprised me was that every table has its own water dispenser, so you can pour cold water straight away! Super convenient whether you want cold or filtered water🫶 Not sure if hot water came out too... I'm an ice-cold-drinks-even-in-winter kind of person anyway!

Once you order, they bring out banchan (side dishes) first — miso soup, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), and kimchi. The soup and kimchi were good, but this chawanmushi was something else! So smooth and jiggly it melted in my mouth softer than pudding, yet clean-tasting with no fishy notes at all — perfect as an appetizer.

What comes in the 7-piece today's sushi set

First out was today's sushi set — 7 pieces total, plus tamagoyaki (rolled omelet) and norimaki (seaweed roll). The visuals: pass. The lineup: pass! A really solid set that made for a perfect lunch. A recommended Gangnam Station sushi spot: Ilpum Gangnam Branch.

Today's sushi set includes 5 popular types of nigiri, 2 pieces of shrimp sushi, a maguromaki (tuna roll) with generous chunks of tuna, and 2 pieces of tamagoyaki. The fish slices were thick and hefty, showing off genuinely high-quality sushi.

While ordering, I told myself I'd get uni-ikura-don next time, but after seeing my sister's sushi set, I decided I need to come twice — once for uni-ikura-don and once for today's sushi set again🤭

The fish was thick and well-cut, so each bite was chewy and springy, and the rice was seasoned just right so everything blended together nicely. A recommended Gangnam Station sushi spot: Ilpum Gangnam Branch.

Especially this piece...! Still not entirely sure what cut it was. The scallion on top added a clean flavor and crunchy texture that worked perfectly with it👍 There's a reason Ilpum Gangnam Branch is known as a Gangnam Station sushi spot. Famous places are famous for a reason~!

With tuna included in this sushi set, the quality was truly impressive! The tuna melted in my mouth, soft and rich — it carried the whole set on its own🥹 Tuna is always delicious, no matter how many times I eat it.

Order today's sushi set and you also get a futomaki (thick seaweed roll), and udon (noodle soup) comes as a finishing course with any main order. The sides were more generous than I expected, and we left properly stuffed — a Gangnam Station sushi and kaisendon spot, Ilpum!

Ilpum-don: tuna negitoro and salmon roe

While we were still enjoying the sushi, the ilpum-don arrived! But seriously... is this portion for real?! Finely chopped tuna piled up like a mountain, and salmon roe — my favorite — heaped on top😍 A recommended Gangnam Station kaisendon spot: Ilpum Gangnam Branch.

The visuals alone won me over first with this ilpum-don at Ilpum, a Gangnam Station kaisendon spot! Fresh negitoro tuna topped with thinly sliced scallion, and gamtae (seaweed flakes) stylishly placed on top.

The rice underneath is lightly seasoned already, so there's no need to add soy sauce yourself. There's savory furikake mixed throughout, making even plain rice delicious on its own🥹 The finely chopped negitoro was rich and savory, and the scallion cut through any heaviness cleanly while adding crunch — loved it.

There was so much tuna that they served some onto a small side plate for us haha. The salmon roe popped with every bite, giving a refreshing feel, and with a touch of wasabi it added even more depth — every spoonful made me genuinely happy🤤

Seaweed sheets come alongside too, and wrapping bites in them was amazing — Ilpum, a Gangnam Station kaisendon spot. Delicious and generous portions left us stuffed — I can't believe a place like this was hiding near Gangnam Station this whole time and I never knew. A recommended Gangnam Station kaisendon spot: Ilpum.

Mango pudding to finish the meal

We were patting our full bellies on the way out when the owner stopped us and insisted we stay for dessert... We'd already eaten so much, and there's more?!?! I think Ilpum offers great value for the quality — the quality is genuinely good, portions are generous, and it's not just a single dish, so the service feels really thoughtful too.

The finale was mango pudding that melted in the mouth. A gentle mango flavor on top with a soft, mousse-like whipped cream base underneath. Full as we were, we scraped the whole thing clean haha. If you're looking for a Japanese restaurant, sushi spot, or kaisendon spot near Gangnam Station, I'd recommend Ilpum — the place I wanted to keep to myself. Definitely coming back — next time I'll bring my boyfriend.