Hongdae seafood rice bowl for solo dinner, uni add-on: Makise Hapjeong

Today I want to share my review of Makise Hapjeong for anyone looking for a good kaisendon spot near Hongdae. I went for solo dinner and had the kaisendon with uni added. If you're looking for a Hongdae-area kaisendon place where you can add uni, keep reading!

The name Makise apparently comes from the Korean pronunciation of 'matgise,' meaning 'I'll leave it to you' — like omakase in Korean style. That's why they named it Makise. The bowl is built around whatever seasonal seafood came in that day, so the sashimi lineup changes depending on the market!

Where Makise Hapjeong is and when it opens

• 📍 Address: 44 Poeun-ro 2na-gil, B01, Basement, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 🕥 Hours: Tue–Sun 11:30–21:00 (break time 15:00–17:00) / Closed every Monday
• ⏰ Last order: 20:30
• 🚶 About 5 minutes on foot from Exit 8 of Hapjeong Station (Lines 2, 6)
• 🚗 No dedicated parking lot
• 📦 Naver Reservation and Catch Table available, takeout possible

The address is actually in Hapjeong-dong, so Hapjeong Station is closer than Hongdae Station. If you searched for 'Hongdae kaisendon' to get here, just remember: Exit 8 of Hapjeong Station!

Makise Hapjeong menu and prices

The signature dish is the kaisendon at ₩20,000, and adding uni costs ₩5,000 more!! The mackerel sushi roll (bongchobap) is a limited item, so it can sell out by evening haha.

What comes in the 25,000 won kaisendon with extra uni

What I ordered was the kaisendon with uni added, for ₩25,000 total. It comes with a clear broth and seaweed to wrap bites in. The sashimi practically covers the rice — you can barely see it!!

That day it came with tuna, salmon, aburi (seared) salmon, mackerel, squid, soy-marinated shrimp, a couple types of white fish, egg roll and ankimo (monkfish liver). Every piece of sashimi was well aged. Full review below!

How to eat kaisendon, the sushi you scoop with a spoon

Instead of mixing wasabi into the soy sauce, you put it on top of the rice, then lay a piece of sashimi over it and scoop it up together — like sushi. That's why the restaurant calls this bowl 'spoonable sushi'!

Tasting the toppings one piece at a time

Uni (sea urchin)

Sweet and not fishy at all. Genuinely delicious. What you see in the photo is the amount of uni you get for the add-on. For just ₩5,000 more, that's a lot — if you like uni, I'd say order it without hesitation!!

Mackerel

The best piece of the day, honestly ㅠㅠ There's a minced seasoning on the skin side. Along with the uni, this was personally my top pick of the day..💗

Tuna

Cut thick, dark as if it had been marinated in soy sauce — when I put it on rice, it just melted in my mouth haha.

Salmon and aburi salmon

It came both as raw salmon and lightly torch-seared aburi. Aburi is only seared on the outside while staying raw inside, so it's basically the same salmon served two ways!! I usually prefer raw salmon, but the aburi was so well done that it became my favorite that day...

White fish

Makise really feels like a top-tier seafood spot.. Every piece of sashimi was so soft it dissolved the second it hit my mouth ㅠㅠ Zero fishy smell either, so highly recommend!!

Soy-marinated shrimp

Marinated just right in soy sauce — not too salty, perfect with rice. I love soy-marinated shrimp and have tried a lot of places, but this was the first time I had one with zero fishy smell and perfectly balanced seasoning..🦐

Squid

Finely scored with tight cross-cuts! They really know how to handle their seafood — the squid had absolutely no fishy smell and was sweet and easy to eat.

Egg roll

A nice palate-refresher between bites of sashimi. Eating only sashimi can get a bit much, but one piece of egg roll totally resets things!!🥚🥚

Ankimo (monkfish liver)

This is monkfish liver. I like it enough to order it separately at home, and eating it in small bits over rice makes it wonderfully savory..🤍 I never knew ankimo could be this smooth and savory until Makise..🤍

The rice, the soy sauce and the encore sushi

The rice is delicious even on its own, and it goes even better with sashimi on top. The soy sauce is great too — just a light dip on wasabi-topped sashimi is enough. It felt less like sashimi and rice separately and more like one cohesive dish haha.

They say if you tell them which piece was your favorite, they'll serve you one more piece of sushi as an 'encore sushi.' I didn't ask for one myself!

Plain kaisendon vs. kaisendon with uni: what changes?

The only difference between the two menus is the uni! And the price gap is ₩5,000. Since the uni is sweet and not fishy at all, I'd recommend adding it if you like uni!! It's genuinely delicious..

Parking near Makise Hapjeong

There's no dedicated parking lot, so if you drive, you'll need to find a paid lot nearby separately. It's about 5 minutes on foot from Exit 8 of Hapjeong Station, so taking the subway is easier.

Is solo dining easy? Inside Makise Hapjeong

There are bar seats facing the chef along with 2–4 person tables. I went alone in the evening and got seated right away at a 4-person table with no wait.

There are plenty of seats scattered around, so it looked good both for solo diners and for groups.

Who Makise Hapjeong suits best

• Anyone looking for Hongdae-area kaisendon who wants to try a bit of many kinds of sashimi in one bowl
• Uni lovers who wouldn't mind paying ₩5,000 extra for it
• Anyone looking for a place to eat solo in the evening
• Anyone who prefers reserving ahead with no wait (Naver Reservation, Catch Table)

Final verdict on kaisendon at Makise Hapjeong near Hongdae

The sashimi was well aged, and even the rice and soy sauce were delicious. The uni was sweet with no fishy taste, and the mackerel was the best bite of the day. I ate comfortably alone with no wait at all. If you're heading to Makise Hapjeong as a Hongdae-area kaisendon spot, just know it's ₩20,000 for the base bowl, ₩25,000 with uni added, and the composition changes daily. Closed on Mondays.

I still can't stop thinking about that piece of mackerel and the uni haha.