Hapjeong shabu-shabu with minced chili in mala broth: Nahonsha

With the weather turning a little cooler these days, I kept craving warm soup food haha. So my friend and I were trying to figure out what to eat in Hapjeong and ended up at Nahonsha (나혼샤) Hapjeong location!

The name itself made me think it might be a solo-dining kind of place, and going there in person, it really did feel great for eating alone, but also totally fine for visiting with a friend :)

Nahonsha Hapjeong broth options and prices

What I liked about Nahonsha Hapjeong is that beyond regular shabu-shabu, you can choose your broth based on preference — mala shabu, tomato shabu, clear broth shabu, spicy broth shabu, miso shabu, and more. Since we went as two, I ordered the mala shabu-shabu for ₩15,900 and my friend ordered the tomato shabu-shabu for ₩15,900.

What is the restaurant like inside?

The place was cleaner than I expected! As you can see in the photos, there are wood-toned tables and chairs, and overall it felt really tidy. The space between the kitchen and tables also seemed well-managed, so there was none of that stuffy or cluttered feeling you sometimes get at restaurants.

Each table is set up so it's comfortable to eat by yourself, which made it feel low-pressure for solo dining, and also comfortable for two friends eating together like us :) Since shabu-shabu is a soup dish that can easily make a table messy, I loved that everything stayed clean overall ✨

🌶️ What I ordered: the mala shabu-shabu

I love mala so much that I picked the mala shabu-shabu without hesitation! The menu description said it was shabu-shabu with the distinctive mala aroma and a numbing spiciness, and after actually eating it, I think anyone who likes mala would be pretty satisfied.

The signature mala aroma came through subtly, and the broth was numbing and spicy, so adding in meat and vegetables was genuinely delicious 🌶️🌶️ Rather than being overwhelmingly strong with just the mala aroma, it was great for simmering ingredients as you eat, like proper shabu-shabu.

🥩 What comes with it: vegetables and beef

True to shabu-shabu form, a variety of ingredients came out on one plate. As you can see in the photo, there was a generous amount of bean sprouts, napa cabbage, bok choy, sweet pumpkin, carrots, mushrooms, and fried tofu, all neatly prepared. Having fried tofu in particular meant there was extra fun in eating tofu soaked with broth 🤍 The mala broth soaked all the way into the tofu, and personally I thought it went really well!

The vegetable portion was reasonable. It wasn't so generous that it would be a full meal on its own, but there was no sense of it being lacking once combined with the meat. The meat was beef, sliced thin, so it was easy to lightly cook in the shabu-shabu broth, and the meat itself was tasty 🥩✨ Meat quality actually matters quite a bit for shabu-shabu, and I was satisfied that it had no off smell and felt clean.

Asking for minced chili and garlic in the mala broth

And since I wanted to enjoy the full mala experience, I separately requested minced chili and garlic haha. Adding these made the broth so much more pungent and full of flavor! If you love mala, I'd recommend trying it with added minced chili and garlic too 👍🏻

🍚 Finishing the broth with rice porridge

After eating our fill of shabu-shabu, we added rice porridge to finish things off! Cooking rice in the leftover broth meant the flavors of the vegetables and meat we'd eaten earlier naturally soaked into the soup, so it was delicious all the way to the last bite 🤍

Making porridge specifically in the mala broth meant the distinctive numbing flavor of mala soaked into the rice, which felt refreshingly different 🌶️🍚 Rather than just stopping at shabu-shabu, finishing with porridge felt like properly rounding out a meal! The portion wasn't huge, but between the vegetables, beef, and porridge, it was just the right amount of full haha. If you're having mala shabu-shabu, I'd recommend adding porridge at the end too 🫶🏻

Rewards for repeat visits to Nahonsha

Nahonsha Hapjeong also runs an event where you get something free on your 4th visit, and a free solo meal on your 8th visit! Shabu-shabu is a menu that works both eating alone and with friends, so if you like a place, you end up going back often haha. For someone who loves mala shabu-shabu like me, this kind of reward makes you think, 'I have to come back again!' 🌶️🤍

🪑 Is Nahonsha good for eating alone?

One thing I really liked about Nahonsha Hapjeong is how many solo seats there are! Shabu-shabu is usually thought of as something you eat with 2 to 4 people, but here there were plenty of seats set up well for eating alone, so it felt low-pressure to come solo.

I especially liked that each table has its own individual burner, so you can choose whatever broth you want and eat leisurely on your own 🍲 When eating alone, sitting at a wide table can sometimes feel a bit awkward, but Nahonsha is naturally set up with solo seats, so solo diners can eat comfortably here too!

💭 Final verdict on Nahonsha Hapjeong

After eating everything, I'd say I'd be pretty likely to come back! First of all, the best part was being able to choose the broth according to preference, and I especially found the mala shabu-shabu really delicious 🌶️❤️

If you love mala, I'd recommend going with mala shabu-shabu over the basic version, and if you're visiting with a friend who can't handle mala well, you can also choose other broths like tomato or clear broth, so it works well for going together too.

The ingredient spread was reasonable with a good balance of vegetables and beef, so it worked well as a full meal, and while the portion wasn't huge, it was just right for me. Above all, I loved how clean the restaurant was and how neatly the food was presented overall 🫶🏻

A great place to visit if you're looking for a shabu-shabu spot in Hapjeong you can eat alone at, or if you want to go with a friend who has different taste preferences! Next time I go, I'll probably order the mala shabu-shabu again lol. Adding minced chili plus garlic and eating it numbing hot is genuinely delicious 🌶️🧄

Recommended for anyone looking for a clean shabu-shabu restaurant in Hapjeong! Especially worth a visit if you love mala 🤍 Revisit intent for Nahonsha Hapjeong: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I plan to order the mala shabu-shabu again next time 😋