Gwangalli Japanese diner: bear-egg katsu curry & free udon, Daidokoro

Today I'm sharing my visit to Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch, a place in Gwangalli where you can really enjoy Japanese home-style cooking. It always shows up when you search for good eats in Gwangalli, so I'd been curious for a long time. After going in person, I understood why it has been loved for so long.

Where is Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch, and how does the wait work?

Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch is at 27 Namcheondong-ro 108beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, on the 2nd floor, and it is open daily from 11:00 to 21:00. It's close to Gwangalli Beach.

You can also get there on foot from Geumnyeonsan Station, so access is pretty good.

Like a famous Gwangalli restaurant should, Daidokoro has a Catch Table waiting system at the entrance. On weekends and at mealtimes there may be a wait, so keep that in mind.

You can feel the care for guests right from the entrance.

Daidokoro's cat-themed interior and atmosphere

Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch is a small but neatly kept space. The moment I stepped inside it felt warm, and the tidiness left an impression.

There were so many cat items! You can feel the owner's taste in the space, and looking around was fun.

Thanks to the cute decor, I wasn't bored at all while waiting for the food.

Free hair ties, power banks and other amenities

Hair ties, hand cream, cotton swabs and more are provided, which is handy for women guests.

There's also a power bank service, which showed how thoughtful they are.

On one side of the restaurant, a Blue Ribbon and various certificates are displayed. It made me curious about why the place stays so popular.

Daidokoro menu: what's in the Dado 3-person set

Daidokoro specializes in Japanese home-style food such as chicken nanban (fried chicken with tartar sauce), karaage (Japanese fried chicken), tonkatsu (pork cutlet), curry and udon. If you order a set meal, rice, soup and side dishes come with it, making for a filling meal.

We ordered the Dado 3-person set, which includes menbosha (shrimp toast), a chicken nanban set, a karaage set and a katsu curry set.

How did each dish in the Dado 3-person set taste?

Menbosha (fried shrimp toast)

The menbosha was the first dish to arrive from the Dado 3-person set. Shrimp was packed between golden fried slices of bread, and it looked delicious just sitting there.

One bite and it was crispy outside and moist inside.

Dipped in sweet chili sauce it was even better. A perfect appetizer to get your appetite going before the meal.

Chicken nanban set

I heard the chicken nanban is a must-try signature dish at Daidokoro.

Big pieces of fried chicken were topped with plenty of tartar sauce.

The tartar sauce was full of egg, so it was nutty yet fresh. The chicken was juicy with a crispy coating, and I really enjoyed it. The more I ate, the more I kept thinking about it.

Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) set

The karaage set came out too.

The neatly laid-out tray looked lovely. One bite was full of juice, and the crispy texture was great.

The coating isn't thick, so it's easy to eat without feeling heavy.

Katsu curry with a bear-shaped fried egg

Personally, the katsu curry was the dish whose look I liked best.

The fried egg with a little bear face drawn on it was so cute that I ended up taking lots of photos.

The curry tasted deep and rich.

It wasn't harsh but had great flavor, and went really well with rice. The tonkatsu was thick and crispy too, which satisfied me. With every bite I could feel the charm of a Japanese home-style restaurant.

Complimentary udon from the owner

The owner gave us udon as a free service. I was already full, but the smell of the warm broth made my chopsticks reach for it again. The noodles were chewy and the broth was clean and mild.

Is Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch worth a return visit?

Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch isn't just a restaurant selling Japanese home-style food; care goes into every dish. The crispiness of the menbosha, the generous tartar sauce on the chicken nanban, the juicy karaage and the deeply flavored katsu curry: not one dish let us down.

If you're looking for a good restaurant in Gwangalli, a Japanese home-style spot in Gwangalli, or a date-night place in Gwangalli, I recommend Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch. I'd love to go back next time to try other dishes.