Totoro-filled Namcheon-dong Japanese diner: plum set + ade, Daidokoro

Where Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch is, and what's on the menu

Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch (다이도코로 광안리본점) is at 27 Namcheondong-ro 108beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, on the 2nd floor (lot number Namcheon-dong 3-57, postal code 48304).

What kind of place is this Gwangalli Japanese home-style restaurant?

Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch has been serving Japanese home-style food since 2015, and this time I went for the generous plum set for two. If you're looking for a cozy, cute Japanese home-style meal in Gwangalli, it's worth a look.

From the entrance, cute cat characters and Japanese-style props welcome you.

I visited on a sponsored basis. The food was generous and there was fun stuff to look at all around the restaurant, so I had a great meal.

A restaurant packed with Totoro and No-Face props

Daidokoro is on the 2nd floor, and the inside is full of character props like Totoro, No-Face and cat figurines. The red door and cute characters stand out right at the entrance, and as you climb the stairs there are notices and little props everywhere, so the fun starts before you even step inside.

Inside, wood-toned tables and chairs create a relaxed mood. But what really caught my eye was the sheer number of character props.

Besides Totoro and No-Face, there were cat figurines, small dolls, photos and drawings left by customers, and colorful lights filling every corner.

It felt less like a place where you just eat and leave, and more like a space where it's fun to hunt down each little prop.

There are window seats and tables for larger groups, so it looks good for many occasions: eating solo in Gwangalli, a date, a meal with friends, or a family meal.

When the restaurant is full, you can join the waitlist through CatchTable at the front of the shop.

Is the plum ade worth ordering as an extra?

The plum ade that comes with the plum set for two was so good that we ordered one more glass. It has a plum base at the bottom with cool fizz on top.

Stirred well, it tasted sweet and tangy, the way plums do.

It also had colorful jelly in it, which looked cute, and a sip between bites of fried food freshened up my mouth, so the pairing worked well.

A thoughtful touch: phone power banks

Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch has power banks you can use to charge your phone. This was one of my personal favorites.

When you take lots of photos and use your phone a lot during a meal, the battery starts to nag at you, so it was convenient that they had them ready whenever you need a charge.

Little amenities like this quietly boost satisfaction, I think.

Plum set for two: price and what's in it

The Daidokoro plum set for two was ₩39,500 at the kiosk, and I added one more plum ade for ₩45,500 in total. Centered on karaage and pork cutlet curry, the table was filled with side dishes, banchan and soup.

The plum set for two lets you try a variety of Daidokoro's popular dishes. The first thing I thought when the food landed on the table was, wow, the whole table is full.

Besides the mains, there were lots of extras like kimchi, pickles, a croquette, a tofu side dish and salad, so it was fun to pick and choose.

Big, tasty karaage

The set's karaage (Japanese fried chicken) came as big pieces piled high on cabbage. Personally, the karaage was especially good this meal.

As you can tell from the photo, it looked appetizing from the start. The coating was crispy and the inside moist, and it's good on its own, but dipping it in the sauce on the side gave it a different flavor.

It also came with lemon, so you can freshen it up to your taste.

Side dishes and miso soup, too

The set came with kimchi and pickles, a croquette, and a side dish of tofu topped with katsuobushi (bonito flakes), among other things. They were served in small bowls, a little of each, so they were good to alternate with the mains.

Warm miso soup also came along. It was nice to take a spoonful between rice and fried food, and it fit the overall spread well.

It felt less like finishing a single dish and more like tasting several kinds of Japanese home-style food at once.

Pork cutlet curry with extra cuteness

On the Daidokoro pork cutlet curry (donkatsu curry), a cute picture was drawn in cream on top of the curry, and the fried egg had a face drawn on it in ketchup. This kind of plating was what I especially enjoyed.

The cozy, cute mood of Daidokoro carries right through to the food.

The crispy cutlet went well with the curry, and mixing rice and plenty of curry together was great too. The smooth curry soaked in between the grains of rice, and I kept going back for spoonful after spoonful.

Shredded cabbage came generously beside the cutlet. Salad dressing was also set out on the table, so you could pour on as much as you like.

Crunchy cabbage with dressing was nice to eat between the fried dishes, and I enjoyed it.

Fried fish cake bites I kept reaching for

The fried fish cake bites that came with the plum set were really good, better than I expected. They were easy to pick up in one bite, and being fried, the outside had a nice texture.

The mains like the karaage were tasty, but these little sides were each good too, which made eating the whole spread even more fun.

Homemade milk pudding to the very end

Daidokoro also serves homemade milk pudding. It was soft and sweet, a perfect dessert after the meal. A must not to skip.

With the crunchy topping on top, there was a texture contrast with the soft pudding, which made it even better.

Even after a full meal, the milk pudding was so good that I kept going back for more. Personally, I was happy to finish the meal with a proper dessert.

Looking for Japanese home-style food in Gwangalli? How about Daidokoro?

Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch had plenty to look at, not just the food but the restaurant itself. From the cute characters and charming interior to the generous Japanese home-style spread, crispy karaage and cutlet curry, fried fish cake, tangy plum ade and soft milk pudding, there was a lot to enjoy.

If you like trying a bit of many different dishes rather than just one, the set menus seem like a good fit.

With options from meals for one to sets for two and three, it also looks like a good choice when you're hunting for a lunch or dinner spot in Gwangalli.

On a day when you're craving Japanese home-style food in Gwangalli and want a generous meal in a cozy, cute setting, Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch is worth a visit.