Nowon restaurant for solo seiro-mushi dinner: Hana Shabu Shabu

As the weather has gradually been getting cooler lately, I keep craving warm food. I think shabu-shabu is just the thing when you want something comforting without feeling too heavy~

A shabu-shabu spot near Junggye Station for solo dining

This time, while looking for shabu-shabu in Junggye-dong, I visited Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch (하나샤브샤브 중계본점). The name alone gave off serious shabu-shabu-specialist vibes, so I was curious about the place—and after visiting, I felt that they had put quite a lot of care into not only the food but also the atmosphere and the overall setup!

• Unit 101, Brownstone Junggye, 29 Dongil-ro 203ga-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 노원구 동일로203가길 29 브라운스톤중계 101호)
• Daily 11:00–22:00
• Parking available; 2 hours of free underground parking
• Naver reservations and takeaway available

You can make a reservation through Naver. If you reserve ahead, you will not have to wait~

Hana Shabu Shabu says that its name, “Hana,” carries the meaning of a flower. It is meant to convey setting a table with sincerity and elegance, like bringing a single flower into bloom; the restaurant introduction also emphasizes the care put into every detail, from ingredients to ambience and service!

I came alone for a solo meal, and the counter seats were set up so well that I could eat very comfortably by myself~

Choosing the seiro-mushi dinner course

They brought out the salad first. While deciding what to have, I ordered the seiro-mushi (Japanese-style steamed course) dinner course! You can choose between shabu-shabu and seiro-mushi, and the prices differ between lunch and dinner~

The course menu includes both a meal and dessert.

For the seiro-mushi, they give you an hourglass. Since it is steamed, you have to wait about 15 minutes! I love shabu-shabu too, but I also love steamed food, so I decided to try the seiro-mushi that day!

The broth is important in shabu-shabu, right? Hana Shabu Shabu says it uses a traditional house-special broth known for its deep yet clean flavor. The broth needs to be good for the meat and vegetables to really come alive once they go in, and I liked that their base is a warm, clean-tasting broth. I did not have shabu-shabu that day, but next time I would like to try it!

Cypress-steamed seiro-mushi and sauces after 15 minutes

Seiro-mushi steamed with hinoki cypress is introduced as a dish where you can enjoy a natural aroma and tender flavor. I think its appeal is that you can enjoy it in a way that feels quite different from shabu-shabu.

After 15 minutes, ta-da—the steaming was finished. I cut everything up nicely with scissors, then wrapped the meat and vegetables together to eat.

Personally, I think sauces are quietly important when you go to a shabu-shabu restaurant. Hana Shabu Shabu has a range of house-special sauces, so you can combine them however you like. Even with the same meat or vegetables, the flavor changes depending on the sauce, and trying several combinations made it even more delicious.

They also made tataki (lightly seared meat) with a flame, and I enjoyed its pronounced smoky flavor.

Eating a good balance of vegetables and meat made me feel healthier, and it was so tasty that I kept reaching for more. The cypress aroma was wonderful too!

Finishing with pollock roe rice and ube pudding

For my meal, I ordered myeongran deopbap (pollock roe rice bowl). You can choose between two options.

Then dessert comes after the meal as part of the course. That day, it was a smooth, rich ube pudding. After a warm meal, finishing with a sweet dessert felt just right for a full course!

If you are looking for shabu-shabu in Junggye-dong, I think it would be worth trying the shabu-shabu at Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch too, with fresh vegetables and chilled U.S. Black Angus beef in warm house-special broth!