Yeouido seafood rice bowl restaurant with 15-neta kaisendon: Ilpum

Wanting a good lunch in Yeouido, I visited Ilpum Yeouido Branch, known for its kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) and sushi 😎 Ilpum runs locations at Magok (the main branch), Gwanghwamun, Gangnam, and Yeouido, and its signature menu spans kaisendon, sushi, and unagi don.

Where is Ilpum Yeouido Branch, and is there parking?

📍Location 25 Eunhaeng-ro, Anwon Building B1, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea ⏰Hours 11:00 ~ 21:30 Break time 15:00 ~ 17:00 Last order 20:00 (Closed Sundays) 🅿️Parking 2 hours free (same building, ground level and B2/B3)

Ilpum Yeouido Branch sits right next to Yeouido Park, so it was easy to get to. Rather than just eating and leaving, it's a great spot to pair with a leisurely stroll through the park afterward.

Parking can be a worry when driving, but there was plenty of space here, so I could enjoy the meal without stress.

Bar seats wrapped around a U-shaped kitchen

Walking in, the first thing that caught my eye was the unusual layout. Since the space used to be a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, a U-shaped kitchen sits in the middle with bar seating running around it.

There are also side table seats, so families or larger groups can dine comfortably.

I personally love this kind of layout — with the kitchen open on three sides, you naturally get to watch the food being made, and there's real fun in seeing everything prepared so cleanly right in front of you 😎

What we ordered: premium kaisendon and special ilpumdong

After sitting down, we ordered two dishes: the premium kaisendon and the special ilpumdong. Beyond kaisendon, the menu also covers sashimi, sushi, and other Ilpum specialties, so there are plenty of options.

After checking the menu board, we placed our order through the mobile QR code on the table.

Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) arrives first

Not long after ordering, chawanmushi (savory steamed egg custard) arrived along with the side dishes. It had shrimp and ginkgo nuts inside, which made it fun to eat. A nice light starter while waiting for the main dishes.

While enjoying the view of the garden visible from the restaurant, our ordered dishes arrived.

About 15 kinds of neta in the premium kaisendon

The premium kaisendon was visually striking at first glance. The colors were varied and so many types of sashimi sat in a single bowl that it was satisfying just to look at. As I ate, I counted: halibut, giant squid, red seabream, snow crab meat, ankimo (monkfish liver), salmon roe, salmon, seared salmon, tuna akami, tuna belly, uni, raw shrimp, abalone, scallop, and tamagoyaki — roughly 15 kinds of seafood in one truly lavish bowl 👍

Building your own bite: nori, shari and neta

What I think makes kaisendon so fun is that you're not locked into one fixed way of eating it. You get to lay shari (vinegared sushi rice) on a sheet of nori and pick whichever neta you like to build your own combination.

I tried a bunch of combinations that day, and it was interesting how the flavor changed depending on which neta I paired together, even though it was the same bowl. My favorite combination was raw shrimp + snow crab meat + ankimo + salmon roe. The sweetness of the raw shrimp, the umami of the crab meat, the rich, silky flavor of the ankimo, plus the salty umami burst of the salmon roe — it was a really memorable bite. I loved how each flavor layered and spread richly in the mouth 🥰

The tangy shari that tastes like red vinegar

I can't talk about the kaisendon without mentioning the shari — it had a tang and a color that suggested red vinegar was used. I happen to like shari with this kind of acidity, so it really won me over. With the neta being so rich and varied, the tanginess rising off the shari felt like it kept everything centered. If you care about how the sashimi and shari work together, this is the kind of detail you'll appreciate.

Special ilpumdong: negitoro with uni and salmon roe

We also ordered the special ilpumdong. This one had an equally striking look — negitoro (minced fatty tuna) piled up literally like a mountain, topped with uni and salmon roe.

The portion was substantial enough that at first I wasn't sure where to start. I laid shari on nori, added negitoro, uni, and salmon roe together, and took a bite — this combination was genuinely satisfying too. The savory, rich negitoro paired with the deep flavor of uni, and the salty pop of salmon roe rounded out the whole combination nicely.

Karaage cold udon and mango pudding at Ilpum

The karaage cold udon served alongside the main dishes was more impressive than I expected. I'd been focused on the kaisendon, but after trying the udon, the noodles were so springy I thought they could easily stand as their own dish. The chewy texture of the cold noodles was very satisfying.

The meal ended with a dessert — soft milk-flavored pudding topped with mango purée.

Is Ilpum worth it for kaisendon in Yeouido?

Ilpum Yeouido Branch impresses from the visuals alone, and the premium kaisendon in particular lets you taste many kinds of neta at once, giving you the happy problem of deciding what to eat first. The special ilpumdong, with its mountain of negitoro topped with uni and salmon roe, was just as satisfying a meal. If you're looking for kaisendon or sushi in Yeouido, I'd recommend giving Ilpum Yeouido Branch a try — you get to enjoy a wide variety of neta all in one sitting.