Yeonnam-dong Japanese restaurant with sake-don and tendon: Jongno

I wanted a hearty meal in Yeonnam-dong, so I visited Jongno Donburi Yeonnam.

Location and hours of Jongno Donburi Yeonnam

• Address: 서울 마포구 동교로46길 9 지하 1층 (9 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, B1)
• Hours: weekdays 11:30 - 21:30 (break time 16:00 - 17:00)
• Weekend: 11:30 - 21:00
• Parking: not available

Walking from Exit 3 of Hongdae Station through the Yeonnam-dong alleys, it took about 7 minutes to get there, so the access was pretty good. Yeonnam-dong has so many things to see and so many pretty cafés and restaurants that it was nice to wander the alleys before and after the meal.

A clean, Japanese-style atmosphere at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam

When I arrived, the exterior already had that clean Japanese feel. It fit right in with the Yeonnam-dong alley atmosphere and caught my eye even while walking by.

Inside, it was cozy yet tidy overall, with the neat feel typical of a Japanese rice bowl specialty restaurant. The tables were comfortably set up, so it looked good for a meal with a friend or even a date.

How varied is the menu?

Once I sat down and looked at the menu, it was more varied than I expected. There were all sorts of donburi (rice bowl) options plus tendon, so I spent a while deciding what to eat.

Sake-don, ordered because the salmon was apparently in great shape that day

When we visited, we asked the staff for a recommendation, and they told us the salmon was in especially good condition that day, so they suggested the sake-don. So we ordered one sake-don and one tendon.

Before the food arrived, a warm miso soup came out first. Having warm broth before the meal was comforting on the stomach. The basic side dish, danmuji (pickled radish), was also tasty — softer and fluffier than usual danmuji, with a nice texture that kept me reaching for more.

The sake-don was fresh

After a short wait, the food arrived, and the portions were more generous than expected, plated neatly too. I tried the sake-don first, and since the staff had recommended it for the fresh salmon that day, I could really tell — the salmon was soft and moist, and eating it with rice was delicious.

The clean, savory flavor unique to salmon came through well and paired nicely with the rice. Best of all, the portion was quite generous, making it a satisfying full meal. If you love salmon, I'd definitely recommend the sake-don at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam.

The crispy tendon is delicious too

The tendon we ordered alongside was also really good. The tempura was fried nice and crispy, which I loved from the first bite — it wasn't heavy or greasy, and the seasoning matched perfectly with the rice. Crispy tempura with well-seasoned rice — a combination you just keep eating! And the tendon portion was quite large too, so it was very filling.

Ordering one sake-don and one tendon to share meant each dish had a different flavor, which made the meal even better. If two of you are visiting, I'd recommend ordering one of each like we did and sharing.

Definitely recommend the onsen tamago too!

While looking at the menu, I noticed a note recommending adding an onsen tamago (soft-poached egg), so I added one. Bottom line: also highly recommended!

Dipping the softly cooked onsen tamago into the tendon's tempura was delicious, and dipping the salmon from the sake-don into it was also great. The egg's soft, savory richness made the tempura even smoother to eat, and the sake-don took on a whole different flavor once the salmon and egg mingled. It's a great add-on to pair with multiple dishes, so if you visit Jongno Donburi Yeonnam, I'd recommend ordering the onsen tamago as well!

And in the end, Asahi draft beer too!

As I kept enjoying the food, I suddenly really wanted a beer. So in the end, we ordered a glass of Asahi draft beer too. Especially after the crispy, savory tempura from the tendon, a sip of cold draft beer was such a great combination. It's the kind of meal that naturally makes you crave a beer!

In summary

Overall, Jongno Donburi Yeonnam had a varied menu and generous portions, making it a satisfying Yeonnam-dong restaurant for a hearty meal. The sake-don, recommended for the day's fresh salmon, was especially satisfying, and the tendon with its crispy tempura paired wonderfully with the well-seasoned rice.

A Yeonnam-dong restaurant great for enjoying fresh sake-don, crispy tendon, and onsen tamago all in one generous meal! If you're looking for a clean Japanese restaurant, or a sake-don and tendon spot in Yeonnam-dong, this is worth a visit.