Geumnyeonsan Station Japanese diner: weekday set for two, Daidokoro

Why I came to Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch for lunch near Geumnyeonsan Station

Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch (다이도코로) is a Japanese home-style restaurant near Geumnyeonsan Station in Namcheon-dong, and it's famous for long waits even among Gwangalli's many rice spots. My partner and I were out near Geumnyeonsan Station running errands, and lunchtime rolled around. We figured we'd eat first and finish up after, so I finally ate at Daidokoro! ^^

What is the interior like?

The interior looks exactly like a Japanese restaurant lifted and set down here, so from the moment you walk in it feels like you're on a trip to Japan.

How long is the weekday lunch wait?

Even on a weekday, there was a wait, of course. I put our name down on Catch Table at the entrance, and the tables seem to turn over quickly, because it didn't take very long.

Best of all, from the waiting area outside the door, every little prop was so cute and delicately detailed that it stole my eyes the whole time, so the wait never got boring. Inside, too, adorable little items are tucked in everywhere, so lovely^^

Daidokoro menu and ordering

Daidokoro is a Japanese home-style restaurant, so the table looks just like the neat spread a Japanese mom puts out in the dramas you see on TV.^^ If you like Japanese food, this is a must-visit lunch spot near Geumnyeonsan Station, even among Gwangalli's rice places.

You can order right away while waiting on Catch Table, and it was great that the food came quickly once we sat down. They seem to be very efficient at turning tables over. We ordered the set for two and a plum soda (plum ade).

What does the set for two look like?

Even the cup the cola came in is so cute!! The same cola feels sweeter and more refreshing in a pretty, cute cup.^^ Since we'd pre-ordered while waiting, we didn't wait long, which was nice.

The set for two came as one plate with katsu curry as the main and one with karaage (Japanese fried chicken) as the main. The presentation is no joke, haha. A generous, mouth-watering plate, just what you'd expect from a Gwangalli rice spot.

The karaage comes with a mountain of shredded cabbage and lemon slices that balance the richness of the fried food. It also comes with two sauces, which is even better. The sides that come with it are generous too.

This is my partner's katsu and curry rice. The curry looks mild at a glance, doesn't it? Those hearty side dishes really are the strong point of Daidokoro's Japanese home-style meals. I love that a variety of mains and sides come out in such a balanced way.

• Fried tofu with sweet-salty sauce and bonito flakes
• My beloved Japanese potato croquette!
• Kimchi and seasoned pickled radish
• Egg rice with the karaage set, plus curry to go with it

Even the cute little friends showed up to wish us a good meal.^^ Such careful plating in the middle of a busy lunch is impressive. Now let's dig in. What's the very first thing to do?^^

How are the shredded cabbage and potato croquette?

First thing: pour the sauce on the cabbage, hehehe. It's the shredded cabbage that always shows up when you order Japanese home-style food. It's sliced so thin that it's soft and crunchy at the same time, and I like how clean it tastes, balancing out the fried dishes.

This is the Japanese potato croquette I adore. The textbook crispy outside, moist inside. The potato is almost mashed-potato level, so when you bite through the crisp shell the inside is full of softness. The seasoning is neither salty nor bland, just right, and it's delicious on its own.

The udon that comes with the set for two

The set for two comes with udon. The bonito flakes are dancing in the warm steam. Let the vegetable tempura soak in the hot udon broth and eat them together to get a range of deep flavors.

Plenty of scallions and seaweed add a clean taste too. Above all, the broth is rich and the udon noodles are chewy, so it's simply delicious.^^

How is the menbosha included in the set?

Menbosha (shrimp toast, a Chinese-style dish) is part of the Daidokoro set. At a Chinese restaurant it can be pricey, but at Daidokoro even ordered à la carte it's cheap.

Inside the crunchy shell, the shrimp is soft yet springy and bursts as you bite. It's good enough to stand up to an expensive Chinese restaurant's menbosha without any regrets. Now on to the mains.

Is the karaage main heavily seasoned?

Daidokoro's karaage uses soft, bouncy thigh meat, so it isn't dry, and it's lightly seasoned. The meat is thick, crispy outside and juicy inside, a textbook chicken karaage with no showing off, which I like.

Some places season heavily and serve it salty, but because this is lightly seasoned, you can pair it with whichever sauce you want. The two sauces are tasty too, so it's fun to dip it in this and that. Personally, I think the best way is to eat it plain together with cabbage drenched in sauce. The conclusion: it's delicious whichever way.^^ Now let's steal a bite of my partner's katsu.

How should you eat the katsu curry?

Daidokoro's katsu is a classic pork cutlet with a very crunchy breadcrumb coating. I like that nothing on the Japanese home-style menu here is overseasoned.

It's tasty dipped in the katsu sauce and eaten with cabbage, and just as good dunked in the generous portion of curry that comes alongside, as curry katsu.

Fried egg and curry: a detailed spread

Eggs are expensive these days (sudden housewife mode), yet at Daidokoro every bowl of rice comes topped with a prettily done sunny-side-up fried egg. Even a cute ketchup face. Impressive that they don't skip a touch like this even when busy. Haha.

Both sets come with curry, so there's no need to steal from each other. The curry is very mild and light, without too many chunks. Again it isn't too spicy or salty, a deeply flavored curry that goes perfectly with white rice. These days instant 3-minute curry is everywhere, so curry has become an everyday thing, but real curry takes a lot of care and time. This curry let you taste that, with exceptional depth.

Plum soda and milk pudding dessert

The plum soda we ordered is a plum ade, and its tartness whets the appetite, so good. You can bite into little bits of plum. And the sweetness is just right.

A lot of different dishes were laid out, but everything was delicious!! There was nothing unnecessary and nothing I didn't reach for. I savored everything, and the seasoning, balance and flavor were all excellent, so it felt like a perfect meal. But it's not over yet.^^

Even the sweet, soft milk pudding dessert was perfect!! I wondered if a better meal could exist; it was that satisfying.

Why I recommend Daidokoro for lunch near Geumnyeonsan Station

A neat spread made with real care, generous and varied yet delicious in every single item. If you want a Japanese home-style lunch near Geumnyeonsan Station in Namcheon-dong, I recommend Daidokoro Gwangalli Main Branch, one of the most popular rice spots in Gwangalli.^^