Gwanghwamun solo dining: shrimp sushi trio and sashimi platter, Ilpum

Ilpum Gwanghwamun: a solo dinner after work in Jongno

I really wanted a quiet, delicious meal after work, so I stopped by Ilpum Gwanghwamun. It sits right in the middle of Gwanghwamun's usual bustle, but the moment I stepped through the door, the whole mood of the space shifted. Ilpum Gwanghwamun is a five-minute walk from Jonggak Station Exit 1 or Gwanghwamun Station Exit 4.

Is Ilpum Gwanghwamun good for eating alone? Group tables too

Soft lighting, a calm mood, and neatly arranged seating made it feel completely natural to eat alone — actually the perfect setting for a solo meal. It wasn't noisy, so I could focus more on the food, and it felt like a space made for a slow, unhurried meal. Toward the back there are tables for four and six, which looked clean and great for things like wedding invitation gatherings too. I also noticed a wall covered in celebrity autographs, which made it feel all the more like a proper local favorite.

The menu at Ilpum Gwanghwamun and what I ordered

Ilpum menu

The signature menu includes kaisendon, premium kaisendon, seasonal yellowtail don, homaguro tsukedon, salmon sake-don, special sashimi don, unagi don, ilpum don, uni-doro don, aburi don, chicken karaage, and a whole range of sushi options too — so many choices! After going back and forth, I decided on the shrimp sushi trio and the sashimi moriawase.

Served first: jangguk soup, chawanmushi and aged white kimchi

Before the main dishes arrive, jangguk soup, chawanmushi, and aged white kimchi (백묵은지) come out first. The soup and chawanmushi cleared my palate, and the warm udon-style broth was such a nice way to warm up before the meal.

Sashimi moriawase: abalone, uni, halibut and tuna belly on one plate

The sashimi moriawase I ordered first came out generously loaded with abalone, tuna, halibut and more — satisfying just to look at. There was such a variety that it was fun picking through piece by piece, and overall the sashimi felt fresh and clean-tasting.

How the uni tasted

The uni was the first thing I tried, and it practically melted in my mouth from the first bite. It had that distinctive rich, nutty flavor with a subtle sweetness rising up, giving it a different charm from the salty sashimi around it. It wasn't very fishy and had a creamy texture, so anyone who likes uni would be satisfied with this.

Halibut and tuna belly

The halibut had a chewy, springy texture that came through clearly. The more I chewed, the more a clean, subtle sweetness came out, and it was mild enough to eat without any strong flavors getting in the way. The halibut's firm texture really stood out, and dipping it in soy sauce and wasabi brought out even more flavor. The tuna belly had a clearly different, softer texture from the halibut — it seemed to dissolve in my mouth, with the rich, nutty flavor typical of tuna, plus a subtle fattiness that gave it real depth. Eating the lighter halibut first made the tuna belly's soft, savory flavor stand out even more afterward.

Halibut wrapped in seaweed

This time I tried wrapping the halibut in seaweed. The chewy, springy halibut combined with the crisp roasted seaweed gave the whole bite a totally different texture. The halibut's light, subtle sweetness paired surprisingly well with the salty, nutty flavor of the seaweed. Compared to eating it as plain sashimi, the added aroma of the seaweed made the flavor richer overall, and the more I chewed, the more the nutty taste came through — a combination I kept reaching for.

Shrimp sushi trio: three styles compared

Next up was the shrimp sushi trio. Getting to try three different styles of shrimp sushi at once made for a fun side-by-side comparison.

First, the sweet shrimp sushi had, true to its name, a subtle natural sweetness from the shrimp itself. The texture was springy yet soft, and the more I chewed, the more the shrimp's sweet, nutty flavor spread through my mouth. It blended well with the sushi rice too, making it easy and light to eat.

The sweet shrimp sushi wrapped in seaweed brought a different flavor — the soft sweetness of the shrimp combined with the salty, nutty aroma of the seaweed. The seaweed rounded out the shrimp's subtle sweetness and added extra savoriness, so personally I found it had its own appeal separate from the plain sweet shrimp sushi. Eaten in one bite, the seaweed's aroma and the shrimp's flavor spread together, and the combination worked really well. The last shrimp sushi had a springy, bouncy texture that came through first, with a mild, clean flavor that made a nice contrast after the sweet shrimp. The shrimp's characteristic nutty flavor blended naturally with the sushi rice, finishing everything off cleanly.

Is Ilpum Gwanghwamun worth a solo visit?

Overall, Ilpum Gwanghwamun was a great place to enjoy everything from sashimi to sushi in one visit. The sashimi moriawase in particular came generously loaded with uni, halibut, tuna belly, abalone and more, letting me taste a wide range of flavors and textures all at once. The shrimp sushi trio also had its own distinct charm in each piece, making it fun to try one by one. It's a great spot in Gwanghwamun for enjoying sashimi and sushi together in a clean, pleasant setting — I'd highly recommend Ilpum Gwanghwamun for a date, a gathering with friends, or even a work dinner!

• Address: B2, Unit 223, 19 Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Ilpum Gwanghwamun)
• Hours: 11:00 – 21:30
• Break time: 15:00 – 17:30