Nampo Station Japanese lunch with draft beer and aji fry: Daidokoro

Where is Daidokoro Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch?

Daidokoro Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch is a Japanese home-style restaurant on the 10th floor food court of Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch, 2 Jungang-daero, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea. You can walk straight into the department store from inside Nampo Station.

I heard that Daidokoro, the famous Japanese home-style restaurant from Gwangalli, also has a branch at Lotte Department Store Gwangbok. I had an appointment that day and some errands near Golf Zon and Haengbok-dong, and since Daidokoro — a place I was so happy to see — was right there, I went for lunch.

• Address: 10th floor, Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch, 2 Jungang-daero, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: 10:30 - 21:00
• Department store restaurant / parking available / kids menu / high chairs / Japanese home-style food

Outside there were menu boards, even a sign about being featured on a Korean 'Master of Life' TV segment. The menu seems identical to the Gwangalli branch, except this one doesn't have Kirin draft beer.

What we ordered at Daidokoro, and a tip on choosing your rice

We ordered the chicken nanban set, the kkanpunggi set (with soy sauce egg rice), shrimp tempura, aji fry, and a draft beer. The set meals let you choose between regular rice or soy sauce egg rice, and I highly recommend the soy sauce egg rice — especially if you order the kkanpunggi!

Starting with a draft beer at lunch as a palate cleanser was such a happy way to begin the meal. It was also lovely that they gave us a simple side snack with it.

Shrimp tempura and aji fry (fried horse mackerel) à la carte

Shrimp tempura and aji fry, both ordered as single items. There was also an aji fry set, and I went back and forth before finally ordering the kkanpunggi set and getting the aji fry separately. It was so good — no fishy smell from the horse mackerel at all, and so crispy — that I'm sure I wouldn't have regretted ordering the aji fry set either.

Kkanpunggi set with soy sauce egg rice

The kkanpunggi set with soy sauce egg rice. First off, the kkanpunggi sauce was really appealing. Since it's meant as a side dish for rice, it wasn't overly spicy or salty but nicely balanced sweet-and-salty, making it easy to keep eating. I also loved that the set came with a small side of curry. The soy sauce egg rice in particular had butter mixed in, so good it could stand alone as a dish.

The ratio of meat to batter was great, and even soaked in sauce, the batter stayed wonderfully crispy.

Chicken nanban set: why nanban beats the karaage set

The chicken nanban was really delicious karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken) combined with a special soy sauce and a generous tartar sauce. The soy sauce in particular was fantastic, and the tartar sauce was loaded with egg, giving it a savory flavor and a different texture from the fried chicken itself. It seems the regular rice version comes topped with a soft-boiled egg. Since the price difference between the regular karaage set and the nanban is only ₩600, I'd strongly recommend going with the chicken nanban over plain karaage.

They're clearly excellent at frying. Even after eating four different fried dishes, I didn't leave feeling overly greasy.

The milk pudding that comes with every set

The milk pudding included with the set. Last time I visited the Gwangalli branch, I liked this milk pudding so much I bought some to take home, and this time it was just as good. It's a thick, dense milk pudding that tastes like it's been fully concentrated, and it has that addictive quality where one bite isn't enough to make it last long.

When is the best time to visit Daidokoro Gwangbok Branch?

Daidokoro has been one of my favorite places since the original Gwangalli branch, so I visited this time expecting a sure win — and it delivered exactly as expected, a really delicious lunch. These days the streets of Nampo-dong are so packed with tourists that it's hard to eat comfortably, so I'd recommend Daidokoro for a simple, pleasant meal inside the department store!