Lotteria
KAIST has a Lotteria (fast food chain in South Korea) located right outside the Undergraduate Library, near the main North cafeteria and Sports Complex. I really wanted to try the shrimp burger since we don't have anything similar (that I know of) in America.
I ordered the set (comes with a side and soda) which costed about 5,900 KRW ($5.21 USD). I was quite disappointed with the shrimp patty which was completely opposite to what I had imagined. I thought the patty would have a firmer texture from the chew you get in a muscular shrimpy but it was soft. The shrimp flavor was there but it wasn't strong. The exterior is a crispy lightly battered with panko (breadcrumbs).
The burger was balanced well with a good amount of iceberg lettuce and a spread of a mayonnaise based sauce.
Overall, the burger was good but it was different than what I had expected.
It was interesting to see the soda in a sturdy plastic cup which is what you get if you dine in. The fries taste and look like McDonald's fries but they were very plain and not salted.
On another occasion, I tried the bulgogi burger which I enjoyed more than the shrimp one. The beef patty was soft with a sweet honey-like sauce. The rich patty paired with the creamy mayonnaise based sauce and the veggies worked really well together.
didn't get a chance to take my own picture | designerdoyanmakan
Instead of fries, I got the fried squid rings (I ordered them because I thought they were onion rings). The texture threw me off at first since I expected a crunch from an onion ring. However, when I realized it was squid, the texture threw me off again. Apparently, it was dried squid! There wasn't much flavor on it but it didn't taste bad.
Lotteria is good but because of my expectations, certain things made me confused but overall they have quality and delicious food. But I am really disappointed by the fries.
Until next time, happy eatings!
All photos (unless otherwise stated) are taken by Kaity Chen. Please credit if using.