Dongtan Station cypress-steam dinner, Catch Table waitlist: Pyeonbaek

Today I visited Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch (편백회관 동탄점), a cypress steam and shabu-shabu favorite near Dongtan Station!

Where is Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch? Hours and parking

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch is at 446 Dongtan-daero, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, on the 2nd floor of Dongtan Station Granbia Star, and it's open daily 11:00 to 22:00 (last order 20:30). There's parking in the building, plus all-you-can-eat, group seating, a kids' play room, baby chairs and a waiting area.

I was looking for somewhere to eat near Dongtan Station and ended up here! It's on the 2nd floor of Granbia Star so it wasn't hard to find, and parking was easy too. It's close to the station, so it'd work well as a meeting spot!

Beat the wait at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch: join the Catch Table waitlist

There can be a wait on weekends or at mealtimes. If you're planning a visit, I recommend registering in the queue ahead of time on Catch Table (a Korean restaurant waitlist app).

Atmosphere and kids' play room: is Pyeonbaek Hoegwan good for children?

The inside of the restaurant is spacious and pleasant overall. The tables are spaced out comfortably, so I never felt cramped during the meal! It's kept clean, so I think it'd be great for a family meal or a get-together.

There are baby chairs and even a play room, so it seems like a good place to bring kids! With a space for the children to play during the meal, I can see why so many families come, haha

What's included in the all-you-can-eat menu?

At Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch I ordered the unlimited set with cypress steam + shabu-shabu + rice paper wraps + kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) + porridge + salad bar. It's like a full course with lots of variety, and you can eat as much as you like, so it's amazing value!

First, let's read the instructions on the table for how to enjoy the cypress steam and shabu-shabu!

Salad bar, rice paper wraps and shabu-shabu ingredients

The salad bar at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch has tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), french fries, pasta, fried rice, jjolmyeon (chewy spicy noodles) and more. The selection is solid, so it's great for enjoying while you wait for the main dishes.

For the colorful vegetables that go into the rice paper wraps, just arrange them neatly on the special plate as it says on the plate.

The shabu-shabu area has vegetables, meat, kalguksu noodles, dumplings, sausages and lots more. It was fun to pile on as much as I wanted and make my own shabu-shabu, and you can even finish with porridge, so it's a hearty meal all round!

Chili, peanut and ponzu sauces are set out on the table by default.

How long does the cypress steam take? The 10-minute timer

At Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch, after you order, the staff put a timer on top of the cypress steamer, and about 10 minutes later a staff member comes to open the lid.

No need to just sit there staring blankly while you wait~ Browse the salad bar and bring back whatever you fancy, one by one! There's lots of variety and it tastes good too, so it's perfect for whetting your appetite before the main dish!

Ahh~ the moment the lid comes off, a gentle cypress scent fills the air. It makes you feel healthier just looking at it, and the warm steamed meat and vegetables look absolutely perfect.

And tonight's generous spread is complete!

Personally I love rice paper wraps, but making them at home takes more work than you'd think, from prepping the vegetables on up, right? (T_T) With fresh vegetables all ready like at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch, I could enjoy them so easily, which I loved!

Round two: shabu-shabu after the cypress steam

Round one, the cypress steam, finished happily, and straight away round two, shabu-shabu, began! I swapped the broth to the shabu one and put in the ingredients one by one.

Light, clean cypress steam followed by piping hot shabu-shabu is seriously the best combo!

They're currently giving a free drink for a receipt review event, so keep that in mind!

Finishing with a misugaru (roasted grain) slush

After eating until full, the last course at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch was a misugaru (roasted grain powder) slush. Nutty and cold, it was just right to end the meal.

Good-quality meat, fresh vegetables and a salad bar with plenty of variety, all unlimited! Pyeonbaek Hoegwan nails both taste and selection, so I recommend it as a great shabu-shabu spot near Dongtan Station ❤️