Solo dining teppanyaki in Seomyeon, Busan: ₩22,900 set at Karen Lotte

I was looking for somewhere to eat alone in Seomyeon and ended up at Karen, on the B1 floor of Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch. Being inside the department store made it easy to get to, and I was curious about the Taiwanese-style teppanyaki cooked right in front of you.

It's a great fit especially for anyone hunting through Seomyeon Lotte department store restaurants for a place that's comfortable for solo dining while still letting you enjoy meat and seafood together.

Where is Karen in Seomyeon, and what are the hours?

Karen is on the B1 dining floor of Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch, right next to Samjin Fish Cake. It's about 148m from Exit 7 of Seomyeon Station, so it's easy to swing by while shopping.

• 📍 Address: 772 Gayadae-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan, B1 dining floor, Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch
• 🚇 Transit: About 148m from Exit 7 of Seomyeon Station
• 🗺 Location: B1 floor, Lotte Department Store Busan branch, next to Samjin Fish Cake
• ⏰ Hours: Mon–Fri 10:30–20:00 / Sat–Sun 10:30–20:30
• ※ Closed on department store holidays ❌❌
• 🚗 Parking available · 📶 Wi-Fi available

Karen is a place that cooks up authentic Taiwanese-style teppanyaki right in front of you.

Looking at the menu, sets range from 1-person up to 2-person, so ordering solo didn't feel awkward at all.

Watching the meat and seafood cook right on the teppan while I waited was fun in itself, and getting to eat everything hot off the grill was a real plus. That's why I'll remember Karen as a go-to for solo dining whenever I'm looking for Seomyeon Lotte department store restaurants.

What comes in the 22,900 won 1-person premium set

What I ordered at Karen was the 1-person Premium Set for ₩22,900. It comes with one wang-galbisal (thick short rib) steak, one king prawn, two scallops, one teppan egg, plus rice, soup, and bean sprout and vegetable side dishes.

It's not just one main item — with meat, seafood, and egg all included, the set turned out to be more filling than I expected. I liked that even as a solo meal, I could eat a bit of everything.

How does the wang-galbisal short rib steak taste?

The first thing I reached for in Karen's 1-person Premium Set was, of course, the wang-galbisal. It came pre-cut into bite-sized pieces, easy to eat, browned nicely on the outside while staying moist inside.

Paired with garlic chips and sauce, the savory flavor really came through, and it was quite filling eaten with rice. If you're a meat lover, this dish at Karen — one of the Seomyeon Lotte department store restaurants — should satisfy you.

King prawn and scallops on the hot plate

The king prawn was a good size with a springy texture. Being cooked right on the teppan, it came out warm and moist.

The scallops weren't too chewy either, nice and tender, good to eat alongside the meat. Getting to have meat and seafood in one meal kept the whole set from feeling monotonous.

Teppan egg, rice, soup and side dishes

The teppan egg was soft and moist, a nice thing to eat between bites of the main dishes. With bean sprouts, vegetable sides, and soup rounding things out, the overall balance was pretty good.

What eating alone at Karen in Seomyeon is like

Since Karen's seating faces the teppan, eating alone didn't feel awkward at all. Getting to try several dishes in smaller portions made it feel like more of a proper meal than just eating solo to fill up.

The most important thing when eating alone is a comfortable atmosphere, and on that front, Karen passed.

It's a good option for a quick bite while shopping, and I was satisfied that even solo, I could properly enjoy both meat and seafood. That's why I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a solo dining spot among Seomyeon Lotte department store restaurants.

What I liked most about Karen was being able to enjoy wang-galbisal, king prawn, scallops, and teppan egg all in one sitting. It's especially well suited to people who prefer a little of everything over just one dish.

If you're shopping at Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch and craving hearty teppanyaki, the 1-person Premium Set at Karen, a Seomyeon Lotte department store restaurant, is worth checking out !! 💗