Gangseo Japanese restaurant kaisendon with gamtae: Ilpum Magok

I usually love Japanese rice bowls, and I heard there was a place in Magok famous for kaisendon, so I went to check it out.

Ilpum Magok after work

We arrived at Ilpum Magok after work. The parking lot is really spacious and convenient. It is close to Balsan Station, so walking would be easy too, but I had brought my car after work. The parking setup was so convenient.

Hours

Lunch 11:00–15:00 Dinner 17:30–21:30 (Break time 15:00–17:30)

Since there were two of us, we sat at the bar. It was around 7:30 after work, and the bar seats on our side were full, while about two groups occupied the four-person tables! There may be a wait on weekends, so I think it would be a good idea to reserve ahead.

When reserving, you can book the counter seats for up to two people, and tables for groups of three or more.

I wondered whether the counter might feel cramped, but there was plenty of room. Everything we needed, including wet wipes, sauces, and water glasses, was set out.

Ordering premium kaisendon and aburi-don

Menu

There were so many things I wanted to try. I love rice bowls such as kaisendon and unagi-don, as well as the many sushi options available as sets or à la carte, so I spent ages deciding 🥲 We ordered the premium kaisendon and aburi-don!

The food was placed right on the counter in front of us. Along with the mains, they served chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) and miso soup as standard. It felt a bit like having omakase 😊

Premium kaisendon topped with thick slices of fish

This is the spectacular-looking premium kaisendon. The moment I saw it, I understood why this place is famous for kaisendon. The fish looked thick, fresh, and varied, and I wanted to dig in right away.

What a generous spread, right? We only ordered one kaisendon, but it came with so many sides that it felt like a set meal.

The fish slices were huge too, so every big bite with rice was delicious. Another plus was having gim (roasted seaweed), gamtae (sweet seaweed), and shiso, so we could make all sorts of combinations however we liked! My husband and I tried one piece at a time. I especially loved wrapping ankimo (monkfish liver) in gamtae. Maybe because it was the premium kaisendon, but beyond the fish there were many more ingredients, including sea urchin roe, abalone, and monkfish liver, which I liked even more. There was a lot of rice underneath; I ate little by little, then found I had lots of rice left once I had finished all the fish 🫢 The rice portion is very generous, so enjoy it with big bites!

Aburi-don with a strong smoky aroma

This was the aburi-don my husband ordered. He debated between unagi-don, futomaki, and more for quite a while, then ordered it because he was curious. Aburi-don has a different selection from kaisendon, with fish that is smoked and seared just on the outside.

It had fewer varieties than the kaisendon, but the smoky aroma was incredibly strong. The aburi-don had its own distinct appeal, which was nice. I had a bite of my husband's too: while the kaisendon tasted like the seafood rice bowl we know, the aburi-don hit you with an intense smoky aroma the moment you ate it.

We had been eating for a while when they brought us cold udon. I loved that there were so many side dishes served along the way—it gave the meal an omakase-like feel! The cold udon was delicious too, with pleasantly chewy noodles. Personally, I preferred cold udon to regular udon as a palate cleanser.

There was even a final dessert. I was a little surprised that dessert was included, haha. Just by ordering mains, we received such a variety of dishes like a course meal, so I was very satisfied. It seemed to be cream cheese topped with kabocha squash mousse, and it made for a sweet ending. Ilpum Magok is famous for kaisendon in Magok! The kaisendon was delicious, and next time I want to try the futomaki, sushi, and other rice bowls too. For now, I recommend trying the kaisendon first!