Busan Japanese eatery: ₩43,000 beer set & 100-hour curry, Daidokoro

What is Daidokoro at Lotte Department Store Gwangbok?

Daidokoro Gwangbok is a Japanese home-cooking (Japanese-style comfort food) restaurant inside Lotte Department Store Gwangbok in Busan. When I want a proper Japan vibe in Busan, this is the place I keep thinking about lately, haha. Anyone back from a trip to Japan with that "ugh, I want Japanese food again..." hangover? 🤣

You get that same feeling right here in Busan, and I was genuinely happy with it, haha. This visit made it clear to me why people keep coming back to Daidokoro 👍

Atmosphere at Daidokoro Gwangbok: good for solo meals or dates?

Daidokoro Gwangbok has an authentic local-Japan feel, so it works for a solo meal or a date with no pressure. The moment I walked in, I felt Japan!!! There are so many cute little knick-knacks that it felt like stepping into a small home-style restaurant in Dotonbori, haha.

There are lots of photo spots and the mood is great for a date. Above all, the place is clean and there are plenty of solo diners, so it's easy to walk in 🙂 I immediately understood why so many office workers looking for a "Lotte Gwangbok lunch spot" come here, haha.

What's in the Daidokoro draft beer set, and how much is it?

The Daidokoro Gwangbok draft beer set comes with a karaage set meal, a tonkatsu set meal, 4 mini menbosha (shrimp toast) and 2 draft beers, for ₩43,000. Of everything I ordered, this set was personally my favorite, haha. The combo is crazy good 🍺✨

They have baby chairs too! And the draft beer set includes... 👀

• Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) set meal
• Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) set meal
• 4 mini menbosha
• 2 draft beers

All that for ₩43,000!!! The lineup was really generous 👍

If two of you go, one draft beer set alone feels like plenty, haha. Crispy tonkatsu, karaage that's crunchy outside and juicy inside, and a cold draft beer alongside: all my after-work stress just melted away 🍻

The mini menbosha are crispy outside with plump shrimp inside, the kind of bite you keep reaching for! It seems like a great combo for a date or a casual drink with a friend, haha.

How does Daidokoro's 100-hour aged curry taste?

Daidokoro's signature 100-hour aged curry isn't harsh or aggressive; it has a deep, smooth flavor that lingers. The 100-hour aged curry was seriously crazy good 🍛

From the first bite I thought, "Wow, this is the real deal..." lol. It's not a punchy, in-your-face flavor but a deep, smooth one that lingers!! You can really feel the time and care that went into it, and I never got tired of it, so my spoon just kept going, haha. Curry lovers, I'd recommend it without question.

If you're searching for a Lotte Gwangbok lunch spot and you like curry, you won't regret Daidokoro.

How was Daidokoro's tonkatsu?

The tonkatsu at Daidokoro Gwangbok is crispy outside and super moist inside, and the juiciness was no joke, haha. They say they only use meat prepared the same day, and the texture really did feel different 👀

The juices spread as you chew, yet it isn't greasy, just clean and mild 👍 The batter isn't overdone either, so you can enjoy it to the very end!! Eaten with the rice served alongside, it really feels like proper Japanese home cooking.

Service at Daidokoro Gwangbok and the Naver booking perk

The staff at Daidokoro Gwangbok were super kind and warm, so the meal felt great 😊 There are lots of good restaurants, but what sticks in your memory is the atmosphere and the kindness, I think, haha.

Also, if you book through Naver, you get a ₩1,000 discount coupon and a milk pudding for dessert 🍮 The milk pudding was so smooth that it wrapped up the meal perfectly, haha.

Location and what to do nearby

Daidokoro is inside Lotte Department Store Gwangbok, so it's perfect for a stop while shopping, and it's easy to continue on to Nampo-dong, Gwangbok-dong and Jagalchi 😊 Such a great location for a Gwangbok-dong restaurant in Busan 📍

Travelers especially can follow the meal with Jagalchi Market or a stroll around Nampo-dong for a really full itinerary, haha. It's close to Nampodong Station so it's easy to reach, and the relaxed mood for solo diners makes it a good office-worker lunch spot too.

If you want a real Japan vibe in Busan, I recommend trying Daidokoro as your "Lotte Gwangbok lunch spot" 🇯🇵🍛 Great atmosphere, great food quality and warm service, so it's a place I'd want to revisit, haha.