Jongno Japanese restaurant for uni ikura don: Ilpum Gwanghwamun

I had somewhere to be in Gwanghwamun yesterday evening, so I thought, shall I finally go for kaisendon in Korea again? That’s how I ended up at Ilpum Gwanghwamun (일품 광화문점), and there was a wait—and so many people were arriving with reservations.

The restaurant had both tables and counter seating! Haha. It also seemed like lots of celebrities had visited—there were so many signatures, haha.

I went after making a reservation, so I got in right away, ate so well, and left very! satisfied 🤎 Reservations are easy to make too, so if you’re planning to visit, definitely book ahead!

A menu with almost too many choices

When I opened the menu, there was quite a variety, from different kinds of kaisendon (seafood rice bowls) to sushi and sashimi.

I also loved that every seat had a water dispenser, and we could order straight from the QR code! We ordered the premium kaisendon and the uni ikura don (sea urchin and salmon roe rice bowl) that I’d been dying to try. The day had finally come for me to properly try uni don— I was so excited from the moment we ordered, haha.

And since it was Friday, we also had a Sapporo bottled beer to mark the start of the weekend~~

Lovely starters before the mains even arrived

First, they brought soup and baekgimchi (white kimchi), and even those were delicious.

Then there was chawanmushi, Japanese steamed egg custard, and it was seriously delicious. It was incredibly soft like pudding, with perfect seasoning. There was shrimp inside too, so it was such a nice thing to have before the meal!

I had only come for a meal, but as each dish came out one by one, it kind of felt like I was at omakase~ I was happy from the very start, haha.

Premium kaisendon with freshness on another level

And finally, the mains appeared~~~~ The bowl was packed with seafood from the looks alone. There was such a great variety, and every single piece was really fresh, so I was happy the whole time I ate.

The rice was lightly seasoned too, which made it even better with the sashimi.

Adding a little wasabi and wrapping it in the seaweed they gave us was seriously so delicious ㅠㅠ

My husband had sake don for lunch, you know? But he still polished this off completely, hahaha. Doesn’t that mean we have to admit this is a great kaisendon spot in Gwanghwamun? Haha.

Finally trying uni ikura don

And the uni ikura don I’d been looking forward to most!!! Honestly, I was a little worried that having this much uni might get too rich.

But after one bite, I realized it had been such an unnecessary worry, hahaha. The uni was nutty and smooth with none of that fishy taste, and I didn’t get tired of it at all, right to the end. The salmon roe popped in my mouth, and it was so delicious with the uni ㅠㅠㅠ

My husband gave me a sweet shrimp too, so I wrapped it with the uni—wow, this combination, honestly, what more is there to say... It was so good ❤️

I’d never properly tried uni don even in Japan, but after having it at Ilpum, I thought I absolutely have to try uni don on my next trip to Japan, haha.

Cold udon that didn’t end with the mains

I was already satisfied with the kaisendon alone, but then cold udon came out too. The noodles and broth went so well together.

And the chicken karaage that came with it was so delicious too ㅠㅠ It wasn’t just a bowl of kaisendon and done; dishes kept coming throughout, so it really felt like having a course meal.

It felt like I was being properly treated to a meal, so I could enjoy it in such a good mood :)

Milk pudding that kept the mood up until the end

For the final dessert, there was milk pudding with a mango purée-like sauce. I mean, what am I supposed to do when even the dessert is delicious? Hahaha. It was truly delicious right until the very end.

I had only come for a simple dinner, but I left feeling as though I’d enjoyed a special-occasion course meal.

There were still people waiting outside when we left after eating. Once I tried it, I understood why so many people make reservations. The menu composition and quality were so good that I didn’t feel it was lacking compared with food I’ve had in Japan.

The atmosphere was lovely, and the staff were kind, so I stayed in a good mood throughout the meal :) If you’re looking for kaisendon or unagi don around Gwanghwamun, I think Ilpum is worth a visit! Especially if you love uni, you really have to try the uni ikura don. I ate it so, so happily ❤️

At first, I was just going for delicious kaisendon, but after chawanmushi, kaisendon, cold udon, and dessert, it felt like I’d properly enjoyed a course meal, haha. The uni ikura don in particular is something I think I’ll crave again. I enjoyed it so much that I want to make sure I try it in Japan too ❤️