Japanese lunch set with soy egg rice in Gwangbok, Busan: Daidokoro

I was looking for somewhere to have lunch at Lotte Department Store Gwangbok branch and finally made it to Daidokoro, a place I'd been wanting to try haha. I was curious because they have all kinds of Japanese home-style dishes, and after eating there, it really was a great spot for lunch!

Where is Daidokoro Gwangbok and what are its hours?

• 🍚 Name: Daidokoro
• 📍 Location: 10th floor, 2 Jungang-daero, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea
• 🕑 Hours: Daily 10:00–21:00 / Last order 21:00
• 🅿️ Parking: Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch parking
• 📌 Please check Naver Map for details.

Since it's inside Lotte Department Store, it was easy to drop in for a meal while shopping. It's located on the 10th floor of Lotte Department Store Gwangbok branch.

Inside Daidokoro: atmosphere and seating

Daidokoro had that distinctly Japanese feel from the storefront itself, and there were character dolls at the entrance that made me stop and look even if I was just passing by haha.

Stepping inside, it was full of cute little items. Japanese-style posters and all sorts of character dolls and props were decorated all over the place, so it was fun just to look around.

There were both 4-person and 2-person tables, and the spacing between tables was decent enough that eating didn't feel cramped. It seemed like a comfortable place for anyone shopping at Lotte Department Store looking for a solo lunch spot too.

What is in Daidokoro's Set B for two?

Daidokoro had a wide range of dishes ready to go, from set meals to curry, udon, and karaage (Japanese fried chicken).

Two-person Set B (tonkatsu curry set, karaage set, menbosha, zero-calorie cola) plus 2 puddings.

Tonkatsu curry set at Daidokoro

First up, the tonkatsu curry set! There was cream mixed into the curry, so it tasted a bit softer and milder than a typical curry.

Even just mixing the curry into the rice was delicious, but eating it with the crispy fried tonkatsu (pork cutlet) made it that much better.

Eating the tonkatsu together with the curry meant every spoonful of rice came with a bite of tonkatsu too. If you're looking for a good lunch spot at Lotte Department Store Gwangbok, this is a recommendation!

Karaage set with the 2,000-won soy sauce egg rice swap

Next was the karaage set! The karaage was crispy on the outside and juicy inside. I swapped the rice for soy egg rice — that's an extra ₩2,000!

There were two sauces to go with it, and the chili sauce was really good — a perfect match!!

The side dishes included pickles, seasoned vegetables, danmuji (pickled radish), and braised egg, among others. Overall the sides weren't too strongly seasoned, so they paired well alongside the main dishes.

Menbosha (shrimp toast) and milk pudding

What I remember most about the menbosha (fried shrimp toast) was the crispy texture. The outside was fried crunchy, so dipping it in sauce made for a simple, tasty side.

Last was the pudding! It had a real milk flavor, and the texture was a bit firmer and bouncier than pudding I usually eat.

The crispy cookie on top was the highlight — having that crunch mixed in with the soft pudding made it more fun to eat.

Is Daidokoro Gwangbok worth it for lunch?

Daidokoro was where I ended up while looking for lunch at Lotte Department Store Gwangbok! With so many set meal options, you can pick according to your taste, and ordering the two-person set let us try several dishes at once — really nice.

There were also lots of cute little props inside the store, so it was fun to look around while eating, and with both 2-person and 4-person tables, it's a good spot to visit with friends or family too. Recommended haha.