"After Mala Tang, Is Solo Hot Pot Next?" ... 1,000 Flock to Busan as 'Culinary Class Wars' Chef Jung Jiseon Draws Crowds

Jointly Developed by Lotte Department Store, Food Service Company FG, and Chef Jung Jiseon
Beyond Popular Restaurants: Differentiating F&B Offerings with New Brands
Betting on Solo Hot Pot Amid the Chinese Food Boom... First Location Opens in Busan

After mala tang and mala xiang guo, could solo hot pot be the next dining trend?

Chef Jung Ji-seon, who rose to fame on the Netflix variety show "Culinary Class Wars," has joined forces with food service company FG to enter the solo hot pot market. The first location opened in Seomyeon, Busan, rather than Seoul's Gangnam or Seongsu neighborhoods.

Fans hoping to see Chef Jung Ji-sun and customers eager to try the new menu have been flocking to Tentenrai, a Chinese restaurant that opened at Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch on the 28th of last month. Photo courtesy of FG.

According to the food service industry on November 9, fans hoping to see Chef Jung and customers eager to try the new menu have been flocking to Tentenrai, a Chinese restaurant brand that opened at Lotte Department Store's Busan Main Branch on October 28. FG estimated that about 1,000 people visited the opening event that day.

As Chinese dishes such as mala tang and mala xiang guo have become everyday dining options for young consumers, Chef Jung's choice of hot pot as her next offering has drawn attention.

The launch of Tentenrai combines Lotte Department Store's retail expertise, FG's brand-planning capabilities, and Chef Jung's expertise in Chinese cuisine.

Fans hoping to see Chef Jung Jisun and customers eager to try the new menu have continued to visit Tentennai, a Chinese restaurant brand that opened at Lotte Department Store's Busan Main Branch on the 28th of last month. Photo provided by FG.

◇ Hot pot after mala tang? ... A new move by Jung Ji-seon = Tentenrai is a "shabu-shabu & hot pot" brand that combines Chinese-style hot pot with Korean-style shabu-shabu.

Its distinctive feature is that hot pot, traditionally seen as a dish to be shared by a group, is prepared so that it can be enjoyed conveniently by one person.

The broths were also developed with Korean tastes in mind. Familiar ingredients feature in options such as mild anchovy, spicy minari, and spicy mushroom, lowering the barrier to trying Chinese-style hot pot.

The menu also includes dishes that showcase Chef Jung's expertise in Chinese cuisine, such as mapo tofu rice, mapo tofu noodles, chongyu noodles, and mala xiang guo.

The industry is watching to see whether consumers who have grown accustomed to Chinese spices and spicy flavors through mala tang will broaden their interest to hot pot.

Haidilao, a well-known Chinese hot pot brand in South Korea, has also entered the solo hot pot market. The key question is whether Tentenrai can stand out with a menu that combines Korean-style shabu-shabu.

Fans eager to see Chef Jung Ji-sun and customers looking to try the new menu continued to visit Tentenlai, a Chinese restaurant brand that opened at Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch on the 28th of last month. Provided by FG.

◇ "We create brands ourselves rather than bring in popular restaurants" ... Lotte's changing strategy = One notable aspect of this launch is how the brand came about.

Lotte Department Store jointly developed Tentenrai with food service company FG. Departing from its traditional approach of bringing already popular restaurants into its department stores, Lotte took a direct role in developing a new dining brand.

FG operates the K-dessert brand Buchang Bakery, the solo shabu-shabu restaurant Ganghoyeonpa, and the Korean-style Western food brand Taepyeongyang Donkkaseu, among others. Tentenrai also incorporates FG's experience operating a solo shabu-shabu restaurant, gained through Ganghoyeonpa.

As major retailers, including Hyundai Department Store and Shinsegae Department Store, compete to attract popular restaurants, Lotte Department Store is seeking to differentiate its food and beverage offerings by developing new brands directly.

◇ Choosing Seomyeon in Busan over Gangnam and Seongsu ... 1,000 visitors on opening day = Tentenrai's choice of Busan for its first location has also drawn attention.

While many new dining brands launch in key Seoul-area commercial districts such as Gangnam and Seongsu, Lotte Department Store and FG chose Seomyeon, one of Busan's largest commercial districts, as their first location.

According to Lotte Department Store's Busan Main Branch, sales to consumers in their 20s and 30s rose by about 15% from January to September this year compared with the same period last year. The analysis is that growing numbers of young consumers have created favorable conditions for introducing new dining concepts.

About 1,000 visitors attended the opening event, confirming strong initial interest. However, some visitors came to see Chef Jung, so their numbers should be distinguished from those of actual diners and sales.

The food service industry is watching to see whether Tentenrai can build lasting competitiveness beyond the buzz around its star chef. There is growing interest in whether Tentenrai, which brings together Lotte Department Store's retail expertise, FG's brand-planning capabilities, and Chef Jung Ji-seon's expertise in Chinese cuisine, can create a new Chinese dining trend following mala tang.

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