Mapo Japanese restaurant for crispy tendon: Jongno Donburi Yeonnam

The tendon I remembered from the Euljiro flagship, now in Yeonnam

When I worked in Euljiro, I used to stop by the Jongno Donburi flagship fairly often. Even then, I thought they did the best tendon in the area, but I only found out this time that there was a Yeonnam branch. Turns out it sits quietly behind the Gyeongui Line Forest Park.

Jongno Donburi Yeonnam visitor information

It is at B1, 9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 585 m from Hongik University Station Exit 3. It is open Monday through Friday from 11:30 to 21:30, with a break from 16:00 to 17:00, and Saturday through Sunday from 11:30 to 21:00. Last orders are at 20:30, and the notice said it would be closed for Chuseok on 09/25.

A lovely spot for a quiet early dinner

It was early evening, but I loved the peaceful atmosphere even before stepping inside. Rather than feeling like it was right in the middle of bustling Yeonnam-dong, it felt a little removed—a nice place for a quiet meal, and I thought it would be good for a date too.

Classic tendon and a few extras

More than anything, I wanted a really good rice meal that day, so I ordered the classic tendon. It came with soup, danmuji (yellow pickled radish), and garlic scapes. The water tasted like it had roasted cassia seeds in it, and honestly, even the water was amazing haha.

• Tendon ₩14,500
• Salmon sashimi ₩16,000
• Tori karaage ₩7,000
• Drinks ₩2,000

The crispiest tendon ever

The tendon comes piled generously with seasonal fresh vegetables and shrimp tempura, so I think the vegetables change a little by season. I liked the look of it right away, but once I tried it, the crunch was honestly on another level! The batter was crisp while the ingredients inside still tasted distinct; with the rice, it was exactly the “good meal” I had been craving. It was not overly salty either, so I finished every last bite.

The shrimp was sooo good, with the kind of crunch where you need to protect the roof of your mouth 🍤🍤

Salmon sashimi that tasted wonderfully fresh

They said the salmon was especially fresh that day, so my boyfriend considered sake-don (salmon rice bowl) before deciding he wanted to enjoy the salmon itself and ordering the salmon sashimi. They say it is trimmed and aged in-house every dawn, and even I, someone who is not that into salmon, found it incredibly fresh and delicious after one piece. If you love salmon, I really hope you try the sake-don too 🍣 Wrapped with wasabi and radish sprouts, it really woke up my appetite, you know? Haha.

You could hear the frying the moment an order went in, and the atmosphere was just so nice. It felt like a Ghibli animation. Haha.

The tori karaage I unexpectedly remembered most

The surprise find was the tori karaage (Japanese fried chicken) we ordered as a side. We ordered it without much expectation, but it was memorable enough to stand out among everything we ate that day. And it is only ₩7,000—such a good deal, right?〰️

They said the chicken is brined in-house every morning and fried Japanese-style, and it felt completely different from frozen karaage from the first bite. Maybe that is why it tasted like the karaage I used to have at Japanese izakayas. Crispy outside and moist inside, it was also great alongside the salmon.

I have been drinking a lot lately, so that day I did not want to muddy the flavors of the food and just had a drink. Thanks to that, I think I got to taste each dish properly. Next time, I’m having a beer. Haha.

An easygoing setting for solo meals or dates

It was a weekday evening, and there were about two people dining alone, along with couples and groups of friends. There is counter seating too, so it felt easygoing whether you want a quiet meal by yourself or a Yeonnam-dong restaurant date. If you are looking for Japanese food in Yeonnam-dong, I especially want to recommend the tendon!

A meal made even better by kind service

More than anything, what kept me feeling good until the end was how professionally kind both the owner and server were. They were friendly but also had that capable, on-top-of-it feeling, so I think you could have a pleasant meal here with anyone. The food was delicious overall, but the warm service made me want to come back even more.

I left hoping they would stay in Yeonnam-dong for a long, long time. Next time, I decided I would go back for tendon again, while my boyfriend would properly dig into the sake-don!

It sounds delicious before you even taste it. This tendon.