Nampo Station Japanese restaurant, ketchup fried egg set: Daidokoro

I have a pretty small appetite, so when I eat I care more about taste and visuals than quantity haha. Pretty, cute food just tastes better to me somehow?! If you're also someone who cares about a restaurant's visuals, today's post should be pretty fun. A place that's great to visit with a baby and also fine for solo lunch — let me introduce Daidokoro, a Nampo-dong favorite.

Where is Daidokoro Gwangbok Branch, and where do you park?

Daidokoro sits in the 10th floor food court of Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch in Nampo-dong. You can use the department store parking, which made things super convenient haha.

Why Daidokoro works with a baby: anime props and a photo zone

When I searched for this Nampo-dong restaurant, I noticed a lot of people visiting with kids, and once I got inside it made total sense. I thought only the food would be cute, but the store was full of anime props!

Especially this Shin-chan figure I saw at the checkout counter — total favorite of mine haha. Shin-chan proposing with a cute character ring!

Outside the Daidokoro storefront there's also a photo zone, so I think babies would love it.

It's also famous as a solo-dining spot in Nampo-dong, and when I visited at lunchtime there were plenty of people eating alone. There were also two elderly folks who seemed to be regulars, ordering so naturally — there was some kind of unplaceable coolness about them haha. They looked so stylish.

Daidokoro menu: one-person set, family set and draft beer set

The popular items at Daidokoro near Nampo Station are these Japanese home-style spreads. There are 2-3 person sets and a family set too, so it seemed great for trying a variety together.

And there's the solo set, perfect for eating alone, plus a draft beer set that includes a beer! If I hadn't had my car I would've grabbed a draft beer right then, ugh.

Besides that, there were plenty of options to pick to your taste — karaage set, kkanpunggi set, nanban set, aji fry set, and more.

The solo set I ordered came with karaage set, menbosha, udon, and a drink — a perfectly complete spread.

There's a review event offering milk pudding, and I definitely recommend grabbing that for dessert haha.

You can also order fried items like karaage or kkanpunggi separately as à la carte add-ons, so even without the set menu you could mix and match extras. The rice could be swapped for soy egg rice, and the set drink wasn't just soda — there was also a Pororo drink for the little customers, so babies would love it too haha.

You can get a ₩4,000 milk pudding through the review event, so don't forget to grab it! Now let's actually look at what I ordered haha.

What comes on the one-person set: karaage, mini udon, curry, menbosha

Can a solo set really be this hearty?! Look at the adorable fried egg centered around the freshly fried, crispy karaage.

Cute things deserve a second close-up haha. Thinking about the chef writing this out with ketchup one stroke at a time made it even cuter haha.

Daidokoro, famous as a solo-dining spot in Nampo-dong, has a lineup that basically demands beer — the crispy karaage was incredibly delicious. Eating it hot right away was pure bliss.

I thought the set composition was so smart — instead of a plain basic broth, you get a mini udon.

I'm known to be a huge noodle fanatic haha. I wasn't sure what the topping on it was, but it had this crisp-yet-chewy texture that got better the more I chewed.

There's also a full plate of curry, and whether you dip the fried items in it or pour it over rice, it really felt like proper Japanese food.

The batter wasn't thick either — crispy on the outside, and the meat inside was so tender. A crowd-pleasing flavor kids would love too.

It was so cute I couldn't help but post it on Instagram. There was also a generous portion of cabbage salad, so I could eat the whole thing without getting tired of it.

The menbosha (fried shrimp toast) included in the set was crispy too, with plump shrimp inside — can a set composition really be this perfect? There must be a fry master working back there haha.

Was the review-event milk pudding worth it?

Milk pudding for dessert, of course! The milk pudding comes in a to-go container, so you could even take it with you.

The rich milk aroma was amazing. Eaten together with the crunchy topping, nothing beats it for dessert. It wasn't too sweet either, which I liked even more.

Going back to Daidokoro: order the set, not à la carte

There are plenty of good restaurants in Nampo-dong, but Daidokoro, located in Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch, let me enjoy a proper clean, tidy Japanese spread.

The set composition was so good that if I visit again, I'd pick a set menu over à la carte! If you're looking for a Nampo-dong restaurant to visit with a baby, I'd definitely recommend Daidokoro haha. Next time I'll come back for a cold draft beer haha.