Korean Style Hamburger - Lotteria

These days, it is easy to try foreign food but in the past, it was hard to. 

So there was Refreshment Stand besides Korean food, Chinese food, Japanese food, and Western food from 1950 to 1953 after the Korean War. 

Refreshment Stand is not a whole Western dishes but a semi or lite one. 

But as always, food is changed in different country. 

It can't be 100% exactly same. Ingredients, appearance, or taste are modified. 

Refreshment Stand Restaurants are different in their interior, compared to regular ones; they are more classy from the entrance to the inside. 

 

Most popular menu is American-Style food which is slightly transformed into Korean-Style: Pork cutlet, hamburger steak, and beer. 

At that time, makgeolli (raw rice wine) and soju (Korean distilled spirits) were popular. 

So it was considered refined image to drink beer and spend time in a bar for socializing. 

When couples met, men could keep his appearances if he took his girl to one of Refreshment Stands and served steak. 

Pork cutlet was the best menu in those days. 

However, hamburger steak was considered more luxurious than pork cutlet. 

It was the most popular menu among couples. Restaurants served this food on iron plate, making sizzling sound. 

It was rather expensive, so ordinary people couldn't eat it at anytime. 

As its name suggests, it is a hamburger's patty and cooked in steak's style. It is similar to Dduckalbi. 

During hard times, Refreshment Stand was the only way to try foreign food. 

Its table setting is minimal; soup, lettuce salad with mayonnaise and ketchup, and main dish. 

It was really famous at that time.

Lotteria was the first fast food restaurant in Korea. 

It was weird for some Koreans to have a meal with just bread and patty. 

Therefore, in the beginning, hamburger was nosh rather than a meal. 

Now, Korean's meal portions have grown smaller, but at that time hamburger was too small for us as a meal. (reference to lotteria.com)

 

Unlike Da-bang (Korean teahouse), Lotteria was freewheeling and kind of deviation from everyday life. Popeye made a contribution to increase in sales by showing a image that eat a hamburger at a mouthful. 

Its only main rival is McDonald's. It is loved by all Koreans.   

After a long time, I dropped by Lotteria because my son told me that there was a shrimp burger-promotion. 

It hasn't changed at all. 

I can clearly remember that I met a girl here 30 years ago. 

The promotion was that shrimp burger was on sale from two to six in only for two days. 

There were lots of parents and their children, eating this burger. 

Unlike McDonald's french fries, Lotteria has a special powdery sauce on fries. 

In patty, there were small shrimps fried in oil. It was really aromatic. Lotz burger, which has been sold more than 20 million, is famous for its thick patty and meatness.

There is a play place for kids and transparent wall between children and their moms. 

This interior is good for parents who have a baby, so even though they promote sales by giving one for free if people buy one, they won't suffer a loss. 

There are various burgers. Although a burger sold in truck or stall is delicious, franchise's burger is also good because they have their strict standard regarding hygienic and distribution. 

Visit here to find stores and look at the menu!

http://www.lotteria.com