Two solo shabu-shabu sets for ₩29,600 in Jang-an-dong: Shabu Torang

Do you know what's the hardest part of eating alone? You want something delicious, but so many restaurants make you feel awkward going solo. Hot pot and shabu-shabu especially. I've turned around at the door more than once thinking, "Can I really go in by myself?"

But Shabu Torang (샤브토랑) in Jang-an-dong, which has been getting buzz as a shabu-shabu spot, completely broke that prejudice for me 💛

Is Shabu Torang okay for dining alone?

Every table at Shabu Torang has a built-in personal induction burner, and every seat has a tablet ordering system, so you can handle everything from ordering to paying by yourself. It's in Jang-an-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, and the setup is perfect enough that it could go straight on a Dongdaemun solo-dining list.

From the entrance you notice the warm yellow lighting and wood-tone interior. It feels like a little bistro somewhere in Europe 🤍 The ceiling is finished with natural wood panels and the walls have terracotta-colored tile accents, which make a really pretty backdrop for photos 📷

You don't even have to call a staff member, so the psychological pressure of eating alone is zero 🙌

The moment I saw the sign with the brand name 'SHABUTAURANT', I thought, "Okay, this place is the real deal." Like the name, which combines Shabu and Restaurant, it goes beyond the usual shabu-shabu mold and offers a new dining experience.

Two sets for one person: menu and prices

This day I ordered two sets by myself, the tomato shabu-shabu and the basic shabu-shabu, and the total came to ₩29,600. I was alone, but I got a little greedy 😋

• Tomato shabu-shabu ₩11,800: base + beef short plate 90g (+₩0) + tteokbokki (rice cakes) (+₩2,900)
• Basic shabu-shabu ₩17,800: beef chuck 90g (+₩0) + fresh sujebi (hand-pulled dough flakes) 50g (+₩1,500) + 6 water dumplings (+₩1,500) + cream pasta (+₩2,900) + vegetables + 50g beef chuck set (+₩4,000)
• Total paid ₩29,600 🧾

At first I wondered if ordering two sets alone was a bit reckless, but after finishing, I was just comfortably full, and the portions for the price were so generous it felt like a steal!

What does the tomato shabu-shabu taste like? An addictive sweet-and-sour broth

The tomato shabu-shabu's sweet-and-sour tomato-based broth masks any gamey smell in the beef short plate and brings out its rich, savory fat much more cleanly. Honestly, at first I was a little doubtful, like "tomato broth for shabu-shabu?", but one bite and the doubt was completely gone 😮

Thinly sliced beef short plate cooks gently in the hot broth, and the moment the pink disappears... you can't help but grab it 🤤 I added tteokbokki rice cakes too, and the chewy cakes soaked up the tomato broth, an absolute treat. I'd never had a combination like this for a budget lunch in Jang-an-dong!

What does the basic shabu-shabu taste like? Clean, deep, classic

The basic shabu-shabu broth is a clean, clear dashi base. It lets you taste the ingredients themselves best, so if it's your first visit, you should try it once.

The beef chuck has just the right ratio of lean meat to fat, so even a quick dip in the broth gives you tender bites. Add chewy fresh sujebi and plump water dumplings, and it feels like a really full spread in a single pot 🍲 The vegetables tasted fresh, and the bean sprouts added a refreshing flavor, so I kept spooning up the broth ☺️

Is the cream pasta add-on worth ₩2,900?

The cream pasta is a ₩2,900 add-on: after you finish the shabu-shabu, noodles brought separately go into the leftover broth to make the finish. Apparently Ryu Soo-young (류수영), the Shabu Torang model, personally recommends the combo of spicy shabu-shabu + cream pasta!

When you put the noodles into the leftover milky broth, a bit of magic happens and it turns into a creamy sauce ✨ The savory depth of meat and vegetables melted into the broth, plus the cream sauce, makes a rich flavor you can't explain unless you try it. It's a totally different dimension from cream pasta at a pasta restaurant.

It's only ₩2,900 extra, and I sincerely think you'll regret skipping it. I'd add it every single time I come for shabu-shabu in Jang-an-dong 🫶

Value verdict on Shabu Torang

Two sets plus several add-ons for ₩29,600, and even though I ate this much by myself, it didn't feel wasteful at all. I was so satisfied I thought, "This quality for this price?" 👍

A setup made for eating alone, reasonable prices, a choice of broths, and a different kind of after-dish finished with pasta. If you're looking for a budget lunch in Jang-an-dong, I absolutely recommend Shabu Torang! Next time I have to come back for the spicy shabu-shabu broth with cream pasta 🔥

• 📍 Shabu Torang (Jang-an-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul)
• 🕐 Visit date: 2026.04.27
• 💳 Paid: ₩29,600