Hapjeong kaisendon restaurant with rice refills: Makise Hapjeong

For the weekend, my wife and I went on a date to Hapjeong for the first time in a while! 🏃‍♂️ While debating what to eat for lunch, I got completely drawn in by how pretty the main photo on Naver Map looked, and ended up at Makise, a kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) spot.

Unlike my wife, who absolutely loves seafood, I'm sensitive to that distinctive fishy smell, so I usually only enjoy sushi occasionally. I used to think of kaisendon as just "fish piled on rice," but this place completely shattered that bias.

It's already satisfying just watching my seafood-loving wife eat happily, but this time even I fell head over heels for the real charm of kaisendon. Here's my detailed write-up of this Hapjeong date spot! ✈️

Where is Makise Hapjeong, and what are its hours?

• Address: 44 Poeun-ro 2na-gil, B1 Floor, Unit b01, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (5-minute walk from Hapjeong Station Exit 8)
• Hours: 11:30–21:00 (closed every Monday)
• Break time: 15:00–17:00

How clean is this Hapjeong seafood restaurant?

Makise sits in the restaurant alley just behind Hapjeong Station Exit 8. (It's a 5-minute walk, so access is really convenient.) There's no dedicated parking, so I'd recommend taking public transit.

Walking in, you're greeted by a small, cozy space with 5 tables and room for about 3 parties at the bar seating. Cute One Piece figure wanted-posters were stuck up here and there, giving off a charming vibe like you'd stepped into a local Japanese restaurant.

Honestly, for me the most important thing at any seafood restaurant is cleanliness. There wasn't a hint of stickiness on the tables at Makise, and the restaurant had absolutely no fishy odor. I even went and checked the bathroom deliberately, and it was kept so spotless that I felt deep trust in the place before I'd even eaten. The Makise logo and cute cat drawing printed on the tissue case were a nice touch too.

What comes in the basic kaisendon bowl at Makise Hapjeong?

Their slogan — a playful Korean twist on "omakase" turned into "Makise" — is "a bowl of spoonable sushi omakase."

We ordered two basic kaisendon bowls and added uni (sea urchin roe) to one of them. While waiting for the food, we picked at the pickled radish on the side, and that's where the impressions of the place already started to shine.

Instead of the usual bright yellow pickled radish, they'd mixed in shio kombu (salted kelp) and some green vegetables (felt like gungchae) and seasoned it themselves. It wasn't just simply salty-sweet — a satisfying umami exploded in the mouth, and I couldn't put my chopsticks down even before the main dish arrived. Managing even a side dish this carefully really raised my expectations.

Ask for the free sashimi piece at Makise Hapjeong

The table had a cute illustrated guide on how to best enjoy kaisendon, which I read carefully. The last item, number 4, said: "we'll give you one more piece of the sashimi you remember most." It's a service where, after your meal, you ask a staff member for whichever piece was your favorite and they give you an extra piece... but honestly I felt too awkward and shy to ask, so I just left without doing it.

And ever since I got home, up until now, I've been kicking myself thinking "I should have just worked up the courage to ask for one more piece!" If you go, please don't feel embarrassed at all — confidently ask for your favorite piece of sashimi! 😭

Which sashimi pieces stood out in the kaisendon?

The gleaming kaisendon finally arrived! The lineup was seriously extravagant: 2 kinds of whitefish (flounder, sea bass), salmon, red tuna, 2 seasonal fish (mackerel, aged mackerel pike), shrimp, squid, ankimo (monkfish liver), and more.

First, I tried the whitefish on rice with a dab of wasabi and soy sauce. It had that distinctive chewy, springy texture, and there wasn't a single percent of off-putting smell, even to my sensitive nose. (The wasabi is stronger than you'd expect, so I'd recommend adding just a little on top of the rice at a time!)

The squid, which I've disliked at other sushi restaurants because of its occasionally slippery texture, was very clean here. The red tuna had a slight seasoning of its own, so even with less soy sauce it melted smoothly in my mouth. There was only one piece, which was such a shame! The salmon had a different kind of softness from the tuna — a good amount of fat melted in the mouth, giving off a rich aroma.

And if I had to pick the single best piece, I'd choose the aged mackerel pike topped with ankimo without hesitation. The clean, mild flavor of the mackerel pike combined with the intense savory richness of the ankimo made for a taste that had me involuntarily scrunching my face up. The bite with extra uni piled with ankimo was also amazing. (It would have been perfect wrapped in seaweed, but I lost all reason at the sight of the uni and just went straight for it with my mouth. 🤣) The mackerel had a bit of ginger tucked in the middle, and its light tanginess cut through any heaviness perfectly, letting the fish's natural aroma really shine.

The shrimp, marinated in soy sauce — which I'd normally avoid because I dislike the slippery texture of marinated crustaceans — was so good I decided to be brave and try it, since the other fish had been so excellent. It had no sliminess at all, just an intense, springy texture, and I would have really regretted skipping it.

They also gave us a complimentary grilled fish! It was mostly chewy flesh without skin, and the surface had been lightly torched, leaving a pleasant, subtle smoky aroma lingering in the mouth. The flesh was so savory and springy that I thought it would sell out instantly if they put it on the regular menu.

The real star of kaisendon: Makise Hapjeong's shari rice

The flashy seafood lineup was excellent, but honestly, the real hidden star of Makise's kaisendon was the rice. It had just the right seasoning and a pleasant tang, playing its role as shari at 200%! My wife normally eats her side dishes well but never finishes a full bowl of rice... but at Makise, she cleaned her bowl completely, and even asked for a refill and scraped that one clean too. We both refilled our rice and ate until we were stuffed. haha

Is Makise Hapjeong worth it for seafood beginners?

Finishing our meal at Makise, I realized all over again just how appealing kaisendon really is. Instead of eating a set piece of sushi, you control your own rice portion and combine the toppings however you like — a menu that gives you both flavor and fun at once!

The cleanliness and freshness here were good enough that even seafood beginners could dig in without worrying about any fishy smell. The atmosphere was cozy too, so I'd wholeheartedly recommend it to any couple looking for a good date restaurant in Hapjeong. From now on, whenever I'm craving good sushi, I think I'll be running straight to Makise. 🥐

When you eat kaisendon, do you stack the fish neatly on the rice, or enjoy the sashimi and rice separately? If you have your own favorite combo tip, let me know in the comments! 😊