Lotte Department Store Main Branch Opens 'Nampagotak' 2nd Location... "Expanding Traditional Restaurants"

Nampagotak Branch 2 Introduces New Menu Including Nakji Yeonpotang Sotbap Set
'Hanguk-ui Jip' and 'Gohojae' Operated by Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation at Lotte World Mall

Lotte Department Store Nampagotak Guest Table.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] Lotte Shopping presents premium Korean cuisine that embodies traditional flavors and elegance.

Lotte Department Store announced on the 29th that it will open the second branch of the Korean restaurant 'Nampagotak,' which neatly showcases the 'Naerim Eumsik' (hereditary dishes) of the Namdo noble family, at its main store on the 31st.

Nampagotak is a historic old house in Naju, Jeollanam-do, with a 200-year history, where descendants of the Miryang Park clan reside and continue the traditional hereditary dishes of the head family. After three years of consultation, the head lady of the house (Kang Jeong-sook) and the deputy head lady (Kim Sun-kyung) created the Korean restaurant 'Nampagotak' to allow the public to easily enjoy these hereditary dishes. The first branch opened last July at the Gangnam store.

Before opening the second branch, Nampagotak developed new menu items over three months, reinterpreting hereditary dishes with a home-cooked meal concept to capture the tastes of office workers in Euljiro. The menu includes 'Nakji Yeonpotang Sotbap Jeongsik' (octopus broth hot pot with rice set meal) with a refreshing and mild broth, 'Aehobak Jjigae' (spicy zucchini stew), a local Namdo dish, 'Dak Sanjeok Gui' (grilled chicken skewers) with Nampagotak’s special sauce, as well as 'Cheonggukjang Jjigae and Kodari Yangnyeom Gui Jeongsik' (fermented soybean stew and seasoned pollack grilled set meal), and 'Tong Nakji Bokkeum Jeongsik' (whole octopus stir-fry set meal). The store also significantly expanded its grocery offerings, presenting over 30 products including crispy kimchi, bugak (fried seaweed snacks), Nampagotak doenjang (soybean paste), Korean soybean cheonggukjang, and barley dried yellow corvina.

Meanwhile, Lotte Mall will open 'Hanguk-ui Jip,' a traditional royal Korean cuisine restaurant operated by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, and 'Gohojae,' a premium royal tea cafe, at Lotte World Mall on April 1st. Hanguk-ui Jip is a Korean restaurant that inherits traditional royal court cuisine dating back to the Joseon Dynasty. The location was used as a state guesthouse for VIPs since 1957, and its first external branch will open at Lotte World Mall to introduce customers to Korea’s traditional food culture.

At Hanguk-ui Jip, popular menu items include 'Hyojonggaeng,' a hangover soup enjoyed by Joseon-era aristocrats, and traditional Korean course meals. The space is elegantly designed by reinterpreting the charm of traditional hanok architecture in a modern style, complemented by tableware made by intangible cultural heritage metal craftsmen and interior accessories crafted by umbrella artisans. Gohojae, operated by Hanguk-ui Jip, is a royal tea cafe offering Korean-style desserts such as gabei (traditional Korean tea enjoyed by Emperor Gojong) and seasonal Korean fruit-based confections.

A Lotte Department Store official said, "We are now able to deliver the hereditary dishes of the head family, which were difficult to taste easily, to our customers," adding, "We will continue to strive to develop related products so that the 200-year-old traditional flavors can be easily enjoyed at home."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.