Gangnam Station kaisendon restaurant for a solo Friday dinner: Ilpum

Why I went solo to Ilpum Gangnam Branch after work on a Friday

After work on a Friday, I went to eat dinner alone at Ilpum Gangnam Branch, known as a great sushi spot near Gangnam Station. My body has been aching lately and was basically begging me to save it, and it was Friday evening too!!! But I had no energy to make plans, so I decided to just treat myself to dinner.

Ilpum Gangnam Branch hours and location

Ilpum Gangnam Branch is open Mon–Sat 11:00–21:30, with a break from 15:00 to 17:30, last order at 20:00, and closed on Sundays. It's not far from Gangnam Station, so it was easy to reach by public transport, and it's well known among office workers as a Japanese spot that's convenient after work.

Ilpum Gangnam Branch is on the first basement floor of a building. It's not on the crowded drinking-street side, which made me so happy. It's in the alley with Dunkin' and Godiva!

Atmosphere and seating at Ilpum Gangnam Branch

Seating at Ilpum Gangnam Branch is mostly bar seats, with about three tables as well. Ilpum has branches in Gwanghwamun, Yeouido, Gangnam and Magok, and you can feel it's a restaurant aimed at office workers! It's a Japanese restaurant that takes quality seriously. You can also make a reservation before visiting~~~

When you walk in, the bar seats catch your eye first. The wood-tone interior feels casual and comfortable to sit in. Signatures from celebrities who have visited hang on the walls, which is fun to look at, hehe. The customers seemed to be mostly nearby office workers, with lots of solo diners, dates and groups of two!

What I ordered at Ilpum Gangnam Branch and the prices

• Special kaisendon ₩37,000
• Crab cream croquette ₩6,000
• Sake, 2 glasses

The kaisendon came with chawanmushi, clear soup, and cold udon topped with karaage as standard. The chawanmushi even had shrimp in it, and the karaage on the cold udon wasn't there just to fill out the set — it really felt like a proper full meal! I'll remember this as a great Japanese spot near Gangnam Station,,,,,♡

What toppings come on the special kaisendon?

The special kaisendon at Ilpum Gangnam Branch was topped with a wide range of things: sea urchin (uni), amberjack-type gizzard-free fish (samchi, Spanish mackerel), sea bream, salmon, two kinds of tuna, abalone, scallop, salmon roe, minced tuna, ankimo (monkfish liver) and more!! Since Ilpum is famous for kaisendon, I went for the special one, and when it arrived with a ta-da, the look of it alone put me in a good mood, hehe

The toppings are so generous that eating them piece by piece, I was suddenly full. The sashimi slices themselves were thick too, and the flavor was truly top-notch (ilpum, 일품, means exactly that),,,,, no wonder it's famous as a sushi spot near Gangnam Station

Doesn't the sashimi look like a different dish once I set it aside?

Kaisendon rice sprinkled with furikake

The rice in the kaisendon wasn't plain vinegared rice; it was sprinkled with furikake (rice seasoning). The vinegar wasn't sharp, so it was easy to eat, and that made it taste even better! The rice wasn't mushy either, just the way I like it!! I thought the shari (sushi rice) would probably be good too. There are lots of sushi spots near Gangnam Station, but it's nice when the shari suits your taste too! 🤤

Yellowtail, gamtae, and the ankimo and salmon roe combo

It looked like yellowtail, and it kept that summer yellowtail texture nicely, with a pleasant crisp-and-chewy bite.

The combo of gamtae (seaweed) with ankimo and salmon roe is,,,,, happiness. I ordered ankimo to make ankimo maki tomorrow, but now I think I need to order gamtae too.

This is minced tuna, and honestly this is real tuna gimbap (seaweed rice roll)!!!!!!!

Omakase-level uni

I want to go back to the time before I knew what uni tasted like,,,,,,,, when my wallet was safe ,,,,,,,,, The uni at Ilpum Gangnam Branch was in omakase-level condition. I'd wondered whether to get the uni-don instead, and I think that would have been a good choice too.

Spanish mackerel sashimi and thick-cut tuna

Samchi (Spanish mackerel)!! I love samchi sashimi, and its clean, mild flavor is ilpum (top-notch). I'm not doing this on purpose, but the word ilpum just keeps coming out,,

Tuna plus white kimchi is the golden rule!! The tuna was cut so thick T_T You can also eat it as aburi (torched) sushi. Can you see the thickness?? ,,,, I was so moved......

When I go for omakase, my favorite sushi is the sweet shrimp and uni combo!! I made it myself with the Ilpum Gangnam kaisendon, haha

How does the crab cream croquette go with sake?

The crab cream croquette (₩6,000) at Ilpum Gangnam Branch wasn't an overwhelming size, so it was nice alongside the kaisendon! It has a good crab aroma, and you can also get it through the review event, so give it a try~

It paired well with sake, and I think it would go nicely with beer too.

Mango pudding for dessert and free corkage

The mango pudding that came as the final dessert at Ilpum Gangnam Branch was a milk-based pudding topped with mango purée,,, and I love milk pudding so much that I wanted a second one. I liked this place from start to finish!! And corkage is free for one bottle!! Next time I'll bring a bottle of sake.

Ilpum Gangnam Branch: overall verdict

• Recommended if you're looking for a Japanese spot near Gangnam Station
• Also recommended as a date spot near Gangnam Station
• Recommended for anyone looking for a free-corkage restaurant
• Very fresh sashimi and very high meal quality
• A great place to eat alone