Friday teppanyaki with Mom, Seomyeon: short rib & top blade at Karen

Where is Karen Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch?

Karen is a teppanyaki (iron griddle cooking) restaurant in the B1 food court of Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch in Seomyeon. I went on a Friday evening with my mom.

Karen is a 40-year-old teppanyaki brand that started in Taiwan, and in Korea it's a chain with branches in Lotte and Hyundai department stores and more. In Busan, it sits in the B1 food court of Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch in Seomyeon.

It's next to Samjin Eomuk (fish cake), so if you walk along the food court you'll find it quickly. Being inside the department store makes it really easy to get to, and you can move around comfortably even on a hot summer day, so it fits perfectly into a shopping trip.

The counter seats around the griddle

Inside, the seats are counter-style (dachi-seok) and wrap around the griddle. If you sit right in front of it, you can watch the chef cook live in front of you, and that's one of Karen's biggest charms.

It's fun enough to watch that passersby stop to look. The interior was clean and tidy overall, comfortable the way a department store food court should be.

Karen menu and prices

Set meals at Karen run from ₩13,900 to ₩16,900, and the 2-person sets are discounted to between ₩36,900 and ₩46,700. If you're eating alone, there's also a 1-person premium set (₩22,900).

Single menu items

• Chicken steak set ₩13,900 (extra teppan egg ₩2,000 / chicken alone ₩10,000)
• Emperor short rib steak set ₩15,900 (BEST) (extra teppan egg ₩2,000 / emperor short rib alone ₩12,000)
• Top blade steak set ₩16,900 (extra teppan egg ₩2,000 / top blade alone ₩13,000)
• Teppan pork neck set ₩14,900 (extra teppan egg ₩2,000 / pork neck alone ₩11,000)
• Kimchi pork belly set ₩13,900 (extra teppan egg ₩2,000 / kimchi pork belly alone ₩10,000)
• Grilled mackerel set ₩13,900 (mackerel alone ₩10,000)
• White fish steak set ₩13,900 (extra teppan egg ₩2,000 / fish alone ₩10,000)
• Salmon steak set ₩15,900 (extra teppan egg ₩2,000 / salmon alone ₩12,000)
• King prawn and scallop set ₩15,900 (scallops alone 200g ₩4,000/₩7,000 / king prawn alone 100g ₩4,000/₩7,000)
• Hairtail steak set ₩16,900 (hairtail alone ₩14,000)

Set menus

• 2-person Set A ₩39,900 → ₩36,900 (BEST): 1 emperor short rib set + 1 teppan pork neck set + 70g fish + 2 teppan eggs
• 2-person Set B ₩40,800 → ₩37,900: 1 top blade set + 1 teppan pork neck set + 70g fish + 2 teppan eggs
• 2-person seafood set ₩41,000 → ₩38,900: 1 king prawn and scallop set + 1 salmon set + 60g cuttlefish + 2 teppan eggs
• 2-person premium set ₩49,700 → ₩46,700 (BEST): 1 emperor short rib set + 1 top blade set + 4 scallops + 80g cuttlefish + 1 tomato egg
• 1-person premium set ₩25,900 → ₩22,900: 1 emperor short rib + 2 scallops + 1 king prawn + 1 teppan egg

Side menu

• Teppan egg ₩2,000
• Fried egg ₩1,500
• Enoki mushrooms ₩3,000
• Tomato egg ₩3,900
• Cuttlefish 60g ₩6,000
• Cola / Sprite / Coke Zero ₩2,500
• Terra beer 500ml ₩6,000

How many hours of free parking do you get at Lotte Department Store Busan's Karen?

Karen at Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch comes with 30 minutes of free parking, and depending on how much you pay, up to 4 hours free. The parking registration instructions are clear too, for anyone coming by car.

• 30 minutes free as standard
• 1 hour for ₩10,000 or more
• 2 hours for ₩30,000 or more
• 3 hours for ₩50,000 or more
• 4 hours for ₩100,000 or more

Four hours at most is plenty of time. Just note that you need to tell them your plate number before you pay to register your parking, so keep that in mind.

Ordering the 2-person premium set with Mom

Mom and I ordered the Karen 2-person premium set without a second thought. It's ₩49,700 normally, ₩46,700 at the discounted price, and it packs in emperor short rib, top blade, scallops, cuttlefish and tomato egg all in one. After ordering, we sat down and waited, and soon the chef right in front of us started putting the ingredients on the griddle one by one.

It was our first visit and I wasn't sure what to pick, so getting to try so many different dishes with just one premium set felt like a good choice.

Watching the teppanyaki being cooked in front of you

When the meat first hit the griddle and started sizzling, the sound alone made my mouth water. Watching the chef pour oil and layer on salt and pepper as it cooked looked so professional and skilled that my anticipation just kept building.

I also liked how they covered the meat with a lid to cook it evenly through to the center. That signature griddle smoky aroma rose up and really got my appetite going.

How did Karen's emperor short rib and top blade taste?

Living up to its status as a best-seller, Karen's emperor short rib looked really tempting when it came out. The surface was nicely seared on the griddle and it arrived on the plate with the juices still in, and the moment I took a bite, the juices flooded my mouth and the tender texture really impressed me.

With the sauce and wasabi, it was clean and not greasy, so I never got tired of it and enjoyed it to the end.

The top blade had a different appeal from the emperor short rib. The grainy meat came straight off the griddle, slightly crisp outside and moist inside. The deep flavor of the meat came through the more I chewed, and it was fun to alternate between the two cuts.

Tomato egg that resets your palate

The tomato egg in the premium set looked simple at first, but when I actually tried it, it was much tastier than I expected. They scramble the egg on the griddle and stir-fry it with tomato, and eaten between bites of meat, the sweet-sour tomato and soft egg refreshed my mouth like a reset. Having it in between made the meat even more enjoyable.

Scallops and cuttlefish

The scallops and cuttlefish come off the griddle golden outside and moist inside, with a really nice chew. The texture is completely different from the meat, which changed things up in my mouth and made the whole meal feel richer.

Enoki mushrooms, bean sprouts and the basic spread

The enoki mushrooms are a ₩3,000 side, lightly dipped in egg wash and grilled, and they were nicely salty and went well with rice.

The bean sprouts grilled together on the griddle were crunchy and nutty, and even better with the meat. Every dish came on its own clean plate, and the plating was neat enough to enjoy with your eyes too.

Rice, soup and basic side dishes come with it as well, so it works as a hearty full meal.

Verdict: Karen in Lotte Seomyeon was a great place to eat out with Mom

Going out for a meal with Mom after a long while, we had a really nice time. Between the fun of having the food grilled right in front of us and the variety on the menu, it was a satisfying visit overall.

If you're looking for a special meal in Seomyeon or a filling bite after shopping, I recommend giving Karen a visit at least once.