Hapjeong kaisendon restaurant, 11:30 opening lunch: Makise Hapjeong

I heard there was a spoon-eaten omakase, aka kaisendon (seafood rice bowl), restaurant in Seoul, so I went and checked it out. This is Makise, a Hapjeong date-spot favorite.

Makise Hapjeong: reservation or opening run?

Makise Hapjeong opens at 11:30, and we did the 11:30 opening run AND booked ahead. Normally there's a waiting list here. If you hate waiting in hot weather, I recommend booking ahead — but even if you walk in, definitely do the opening run!

True to its "entrusted" meaning, a sign noted that the sashimi in the kaisendon changes daily depending on the market.

This is the feel once you step inside. Despite having quite a few fried dishes on the menu, there was zero greasiness or oil smell. I really care about hygiene, and everything here was spotlessly organized!

Makise, the Hapjeong date-spot favorite — the name itself is fun. Omakase, meaning "I'll leave it to you," is read in the Korean style as "makise"!

Makise Hapjeong seating: 4-person tables and solo-dining bar seats

Near the entrance were two pretty spacious 4-person tables, each with instructions on how to eat the dish! There were also these bar seats, great for solo dining.

At the bar seats, instead of a smart menu, there was a cozy paper menu! I noticed regulars who already knew the basic menu very naturally sat at the bar.

The young owners were hard at work cooking! There were cute little props scattered around too, fun to look at.

The 4-person tables had a smart menu screen like this, plus cool barley tea, cups, soy sauce, small dishes, pickled radish, and a utensil holder.

We sat a bit further inside. There were about three more 4-person tables further back. Right in front of the AC, so the coolest spot!

Makise Hapjeong menu and prices

• Basic kaisendon / ₩20,000
• Uni kaisendon (with sea urchin) / ₩25,000
• Sake-don, salmon only / ₩16,000
• Ebi sake-don, shrimp tempura and salmon / ₩15,000
• Aburi sake-don, lightly torched surface / ₩16,000
• Maguro sake-don, tuna only / ₩18,000
• Amberjack sake-don / ₩18,000
• Mackerel stick sushi / ₩24,000
• Mackerel stick sushi 4pc / ₩12,000

For reference, the set menus came with a side and a drink. There were also sushi menu items besides these.

And the side dish menu!

• Ebi fry, fried shrimp / ₩5,000
• Cheese fry / ₩4,000
• Karaage / ₩7,000
• Crab cream croquette / ₩5,000
• Extra uni / ₩5,000
• Extra salmon (4pc) / ₩5,000

For drinks, there was draft beer, highballs, sake and more, plus Coke, Coke Zero, and tonic water. With these simple drink options, it also looked like a good spot for an evening get-together.

And here's what we ordered! A Set (uni kaisendon + crab cream croquette + drink) / ₩29,500, sake-don / ₩16,000, ebi fry / ₩5,000.

Oh, also, there's a Naver review event going on! Make sure you grab the free mozzarella cheese fry!

Barley tea, soup broth, pickled radish

It's been so hot lately, so I drank the cool barley tea as soon as we sat down. Soup broth was served right after. The seasoning wasn't too strong, which was perfect!

Then our ordered soda arrived!

The ice cup in midsummer is so precious... next to it was something like a pickled radish side.

We decided to just take a small portion. Poured some soy sauce into the small dish too.

Uni kaisendon, sake-don, crab cream croquette

In no time, the food finally arrived! The uni kaisendon made its entrance! My heart was racing from the first appearance. How is the sashimi this thick?! They really loaded it on generously!

And then my sake-don arrived! The salmon slices were also big and thick.

The crab cream croquette showed up right after. This one disappeared in the blink of an eye lol. The inside was super creamy.

Finally the ebi fry, the fried shrimp, arrived too! The tartar sauce has diced pickles in it, so if you have a cucumber allergy, be careful = it's me.

Our lunch, a table full of food! The most important thing for kaisendon and sushi is the rice, and Makise, the Hapjeong date-spot favorite, apparently only uses Koshihikari rice for that soft texture! No wonder even the rice alone tasted good..

How to eat Makise Hapjeong's kaisendon

Before the full menu arrived, I'd already checked the instructions on how to eat!! Recommended not to dissolve wasabi into the soy sauce — instead, put rice and wasabi on your spoon, then the sashimi, like sushi, all in one bite! And if there's a sashimi you remember and loved, you can apparently get 1 piece of sushi as a gift...?

On the back, it also said they'd prepare an encore sashimi depending on ingredient availability. The important thing is, we were so busy eating we forgot all about this lolllllllll. Just became the person who ate mindlessly...

As written, I lightly dipped the salmon in soy sauce and put it on top of the rice. Never skimp on the wasabi! The moment I ate it, this was HEAVEN, completely.. it melts, it just melts.

I'm a salmon fanatic, so wherever I go I'm usually disappointed by the basic portion size, but Makise's sake-don had absolutely no shortage!!

And then my husband's kaisendon. A fresh piece of sashimi topped with uni too — this is FLEX! He shared a few pieces of sashimi with me to try, so I traded him some salmon, and ended up regretting just ordering kaisendon myself!! Because.. the kaisendon also has salmon in it, and the sashimi was unbelievably delicious! I usually don't really enjoy white fish sashimi because I dislike that chewy texture, but whether it was the freshness or the way it was prepared, the sashimi here was all soft, chewy in the good way, and delicious.

Ebi fry and cheese fry

The fried shrimp, what can I say.. this place is genuinely a great spot for fried food. Crispy outside, oil fresh, and packed inside.

And this! Cheese fry / ₩4,000. You can also get it free from the review event, but you have to try it... seriously must... It comes with sweet honey, and the cheese inside stretches like this... seriously insane.. you can just devour the whole block of cheese.

Final verdict

If you're looking for delicious sushi in Hapjeong, or want to eat great kaisendon in Seoul, go to Makise Hapjeong. Worth recommending for dates, casual gatherings, or first meetings too. This place is a definite repeat visit for me!! Next time I'm getting the kaisendon myself...

• Hours: Daily 11:30–21:00
• Closed Mondays / other closures announced separately
• Address: 44 Poeun-ro 2na-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (basement, unit B01)