Exploring the Christmas Market at Lotte World Mall
서울특별시 송파구 올림픽로 300
If you are visiting the Christmas Market at Lotte Town in Jamsil, exploring the pop-up stores inside Lotte World Mall can easily turn into a full afternoon experience. Seasonal desserts, limited-time pop-ups, and interactive zones are spread throughout the mall.
Inspired by a YouTube reel and a craving for traditional Korean sweets and chocolate, this visit turned into a tasting tour mixed with pop-up shopping, games, and small discoveries.
Even if you miss a few pop-ups, new ones rotate frequently, making Lotte World Mall a worthwhile place to explore alongside the Jamsil Christmas Market.
Arari Bukchon at the Jamsil Christmas Market
Arari Bukchon is known for Korean-style desserts created by Michelin three-star chefs, originally based in Bukchon Hanok Village. Seeing it appear as a pop-up inside Lotte World Mall immediately caught my attention.
The pop-up was located on B1, in front of the central escalator near the Fwee store, operating from December 1 to December 18. The packaging alone made it feel like a thoughtful gift option.
Traditional sweets and chocolate tasting
The black sesame sweet and chocolate stood out with its strong nutty flavor, closer to white chocolate generously coated with black sesame powder. The texture was crisp like a snack with a slight chew, making it especially appealing for nut lovers.
The dark sweet and chocolate leaned toward a sharp, acidic profile similar to high-cacao dark chocolate. Both options were priced at 5,000 won, and the black sesame version felt especially worth repurchasing.
Chaildish Dubai-style salted bungeoppang
Chaildish, a dessert café from Seongsu, also appeared as a pop-up on B1 in front of the Lego store. Long lines hinted at its popularity, so I decided to try it out before it ended.
The bungeoppang is prepared with buttered molds, salted dough, Nutella topping, kataifi, and pistachio powder, aiming for a Dubai-inspired twist.
Taste impressions and value
The Dubai salted bungeoppang was priced at 6,900 won and included red bean paste, but the combination with Nutella and toppings felt unbalanced. The pistachio presence was minimal, which made the Dubai concept feel incomplete.
That said, the red bean itself was flavorful, suggesting that a simpler salted bungeoppang version would likely be more satisfying.
Nintendo Super Mario Game Park experience
The Nintendo Super Mario Game Park was located on B1 of Lotte World Mall, operating from November 19 to January 11. By the evening, the crowd thinned out as most visitors focused on the Christmas Market.
Although the atrium merchandise pop-up ended on December 16, the game experience zone remained open and surprisingly accessible.
Games, stickers, and playtime
Visitors could try Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart, Super Mario Galaxy, and Donkey Kong Banana. Each session lasted about 15 minutes and rewarded a random Mario character sticker.
Mario Kart allowed two-player sessions, while the other games were single-player. During busy times, waiting can be long, but the experience itself felt fun and well-organized.
Pasak freeze-dried traditional sweets
Although the Pasak pop-up had already ended, it left a strong impression. On the final day, only the original flavor remained, priced at 1,100 won each with a minimum purchase of five.
The taste was surprisingly faithful to traditional market taffy, despite the freeze-dried texture, which added a crisp bite.
Unexpected pairing with yogurt
Crumbling the candy into yogurt created a pleasant contrast of texture and sweetness. It was one of those small discoveries that makes pop-up visits memorable.
Trying other flavors in the future would definitely be worth it.
Wettroom plant pop-up and gacha experience
Wettroom, known for its unique plant selections, appeared on the first floor in front of ZARA. The pop-up featured a small gacha event for Instagram followers.
After following their account and showing it to the staff, I received a coin and won an Adenium obesum resembling a miniature baobab tree.
Small rewards that make pop-ups fun
The plant was carefully wrapped and valued at around 15,000 won, making the experience feel surprisingly rewarding. Even small extras like stickers added to the charm.
Browsing the plants and trying the gacha felt like a relaxing break from the busy mall atmosphere.
Other pop-ups worth checking nearby
Additional pop-ups such as Kiduk Tour on the second floor near KREAM and ZARA, and Le Chocolat Francais on B1 near the Lego store, added more variety to the visit.
With new pop-ups constantly rotating, exploring the inside of Lotte World Mall pairs naturally with a visit to the Jamsil Christmas Market.
No comments yet.
