Yeouido sushi restaurant: today's sushi set and tuna tsukedon at Ilpum

Ilpum Yeouido Branch: the basics

• Address: 25 Eunhaeng-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, B1F Anwon Building (Yeouido-dong 14-15), South Korea
• Reservations: Naver Reservations or by phone
• Hours: Lunch 11:00–15:00 (last order 14:00) / Break 15:00–17:30 / Dinner 17:30–21:30 (last order 20:00)
• Closed: Every Sunday
• Parking: Anwon Building parking, up to 2 hours free with purchase at Ilpum
• Amenities: Counter seats, bar table, solo seats, couple seats, group seating up to 62, reservations, takeout, high chairs, Wi-Fi
• Location: 5-min walk from Exit 3, National Assembly Station (Line 9), B1F Anwon Building across from KDB Bank

What comes with the today's sushi set and honmaguro tsukedon?

The Today's Sushi Set comes with 5 pieces of sushi, 2 shrimp pieces, and one piece each of maguro maki and futomaki, all on one plate. Salmon, white fish, tuna and yellowtail are evenly represented, so it's one of those Yeouido sushi spots where you get a lot of variety in a single plate.

The Honmaguro Tsukedon comes with tuna brushed in tsuke soy sauce, and eaten with rice, the savory tuna and salty sauce work really well together. Wrapping it in gim (dried seaweed) adds even more umami.

With just one main dish, chawanmushi, udon, karaage and dessert all came along too, so I left completely full. With counter seats, table seats and booth seats all available, it's a Yeouido kaisendon spot that works whether you come alone or with a group.

How to find the basement floor of the Anwon Building

Head down to the basement floor of the Anwon Building and Ilpum comes right into view on the right. A broadcast poster is also hanging by the entrance.

In the hallway, standing signs line up showing the signature menus — Today's Sushi, sushi omakase, ilpumdong, unagi don and premium kaisendon. Seeing the photos first makes it easier to pick what to order before you go in.

What are the counter and table seats like?

The counter seats face the open kitchen directly, so you can watch the sushi being made right in front of you.

Table seats are laid out generously for groups of 4. There's plenty of space between tables, which also makes it a good fit for a Yeouido work dinner.

High chairs are available too, so it's comfortable to bring along kids.

Since it's an open kitchen, it's fun to watch the chef make the sushi in person.

The menu and how to order

Here's the menu. Alongside signature dishes like kaisendon, unagi don and sushi omakase plate, there's a wide range of other kaisendon, sushi and à la carte dishes, plus sashimi and fried items. Drinks are well covered too, with sake, highballs, beer and soju to go with the food. We ordered the Today's Sushi Set and the Honmaguro Tsukedon.

Once you sit down, there's a sign at the table letting you order by QR code.

Next to it is info on a Naver receipt review event.

Starting with chawanmushi and miso soup

Order a main dish and chawanmushi, miso soup and pickles come out first.

The miso soup comes out piping hot, perfect for the first spoonful, and the napa cabbage pickles have a nice crunch.

The chawanmushi is topped with parae (green laver). The surface is steamed silky smooth, so the spoon slides in easily.

Inside are shrimp and ginkgo nuts. The egg is mild and the fillings have a nice bite, making this a great way to start the meal.

Today's sushi set, 28,000 won

Here's the full Today's Sushi Set for ₩28,000. Overall it comes generously loaded with sushi, miso soup, pickled cabbage, one piece of futomaki, and chawanmushi.

Salmon, white fish, tuna, kuromaki, yellowtail, tamago, plus cooked shrimp and sweet shrimp are all included, so you can pick through every kind.

The fish slices are thick and fully covering the rice. I liked that they weren't thinly sliced but cut into substantial, satisfying pieces.

I started with the white fish sushi. It's topped with shiitake wasabi, and it's mild but gets sweeter the more you chew.

The tuna akami is deep in color and has good chewiness. A little wasabi on top brings out even more savory depth.

The yellowtail sushi is well-aged, so it's both chewy and mild.

One piece of futomaki comes with it too. Tamago, fried shrimp, tuna, cucumber and avocado are all packed in, so you get several flavors in a single bite.

The futomaki piece is genuinely huge — big enough that it's fine to eat it in two bites.

Honmaguro tsukedon, 33,000 won

Here's the Honmaguro Tsukedon for ₩33,000. This is a kaisendon piled high with thick-cut tuna over rice.

Each piece is large enough that the rice underneath is barely visible, and the portion is generous.

It's brushed with tsuke soy sauce, so the seasoning is spot on. Perilla leaf, parae gim, chives and radish sprouts are all layered on top.

Each piece of tuna is thick, so it has a good bite and you can really taste the tuna flavor — very enjoyable to eat.

Adding chives and fresh wasabi makes the tuna flavor come through even stronger.

Wrapping the tuna in gim adds even more umami — really tasty.

It's so good that before you know it, piece by piece, the bowl is almost empty.

Cold udon, karaage and mango pudding

Cold udon comes along with the main dish too. It's topped with a piece of karaage and tenkasu (tempura bits). The broth base is like cold soba broth, and the udon noodles are chewy and delicious.

The karaage's batter stays nice and crisp.

It's served warm rather than cold, and the meat inside is juicy with the first bite.

Dessert came out as mango pudding.

The mango pudding is just sweet and creamy enough, leaving your mouth refreshed at the end of the meal.

Is Ilpum Yeouido worth a visit?

The sushi was fun to pick through by type, and the tsukedon let me eat my fill of tuna — both were satisfying. Ordering just one main brought along chawanmushi, udon, karaage and dessert too, making for a well-rounded meal. It's a National Assembly Station sushi restaurant that's an easy 5-minute walk from Exit 3, convenient for lunch or dinner alike.

• The Today's Sushi Set lets you pick through a variety of sushi, while the Honmaguro Tsukedon covers you on tuna
• Sake and highballs are on hand, good for pairing a drink with a plate of sushi
• With counter seats up to group seating for 62, it works well for a Yeouido work dinner or a family meal out