Perilla oil buckwheat noodles at a Bucheon food court: Haehwagaban

Today I wanted to go shopping at Lotte Department Store Jungdong branch in Bucheon and grab a tasty lunch, so I visited Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch, a well-known Japanese restaurant near Sinjungdong Station. The food comes out beautifully plated overall, so if you're looking for a good restaurant at Lotte Department Store Jungdong branch, this place is worth a visit.

Where is Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch, and what are its hours?

• 📍Location: B1, 300 Gilju-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• ⏰Mon–Fri 10:30–20:00 / Sat–Sun 10:30–20:30
• 🚇Sinjungdong Station Exit 3
• 🅿Free parking available

Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch sits in the basement 1 food court of Lotte Department Store, so it's easy to visit before you shop and convenient to grab a filling meal afterward too.

There are plenty of tables to eat at, so you don't need to worry about seating.

Ordering at the Haehwagaban kiosk: what's on the menu?

Lots of places use kiosks these days, and Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch has big photos on theirs, which helps with picking a menu item and should make ordering easy for older guests too.

Allergens are also listed, so you can eat with peace of mind. The menu includes mentaiko (pollack roe) ochazuke rice bowl, salmon ochazuke rice bowl, abalone porridge, lemon naengsoba (cold buckwheat noodles), abalone perilla oil buckwheat noodles, and bibim buckwheat noodles. I was curious about the best-selling grilled eel rice bowl set, but since I had a hospital appointment the next day, I went with the lighter abalone porridge instead.

You can get a free drink through the review event.

Abalone porridge (₩17,000) / Abalone perilla oil buckwheat noodles (₩15,000) / Assorted tempura (₩9,000)

Abalone porridge, 17,000 won: egg yolk and julienned abalone

The abalone porridge at Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch comes topped with julienned abalone, egg yolk, and gim (seaweed) flakes, served neatly alongside cabbage salad and baek-kimchi (white, non-spicy kimchi).

Up close it looks so glossy and rich, right? >_< This was my first time having abalone porridge with egg yolk in it, so I mixed it in thoroughly.

I was worried whether the abalone porridge and egg yolk would pair well, but the nutty richness of the yolk worked really nicely, and the julienned abalone was tender with great texture! There was a generous amount of abalone too, so it felt like a proper tonic meal?!

Topping it with the baek-kimchi served alongside made each bite even cleaner and fresher.

Abalone perilla oil buckwheat noodles, 15,000 won, with a set upgrade

The abalone perilla oil buckwheat noodles at Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch can be upgraded to the chili tempura set for just ₩3,000 more! I ordered the assorted tempura separately, so I got the noodles as a single dish, which comes with a warm doenjang (soybean paste) soup.

It's loaded with nutty ground perilla seeds, mushrooms, and scallions, and I liked that you could drizzle on as much perilla oil as you like to suit your taste.

The noodles were cooked just right, and the fragrant perilla oil aroma gave it great depth! With mushrooms and abalone mixed in, the umami got even better — overall the menu felt more like healthy home cooking than anything artificial, so it was easy to eat without feeling heavy ღ

What comes in the 9,000 won assorted tempura at Haehwagaban?

The assorted tempura at Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch comes with three kinds — shrimp, shiitake mushroom, and chili — served with soy sauce and tartar sauce for dipping.

I tried the shiitake mushroom tempura dipped in soy sauce, and it was packed inside with juicy filling the moment I bit in — so good..ෆ

The shrimp tempura had a whole shrimp inside, which made it really big, and it tasted even better dipped in tartar sauce — make sure to try it with the sauce >_<

The chili tempura had glass noodles inside too, and the whole assorted tempura plate was fried in oil so clean you couldn't detect any greasy off-smell — it was delicious.

The food comes out neatly plated and it's a filling meal, so it's a great spot to visit before or after shopping! I recommend Haehwagaban Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch to anyone looking for a good restaurant at Lotte Department Store Jungdong branch, or a Japanese restaurant near Sinjungdong Station :)