Hapjeong blind-date shabu course, ₩51,000 for two: Shabu in Seoul

Where is Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch?

Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch is a shabu-shabu restaurant in the basement level of Delight Square 1, across from Mecenatpolis near Hapjeong Station. It's open daily 11:00–22:00 with last order at 21:00, and break time is 15:00–17:00 on weekdays only.

Great atmosphere, great taste, great service from the staff — Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch is a shabu-shabu spot worth a date near Hapjeong Station.

Why Shabu in Seoul works as a blind-date spot in Hapjeong

The inside of Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch is upscale and comfortable, but it was so busy I couldn't take many photos. I've always loved shabu-shabu and really wanted to try Shabu in Seoul, and the meal was extremely satisfying 😊

Most shabu-shabu places I've been to are a bit crowded and noisy, but this Hapjeong blind-date spot felt more like a refined hanjeongsik (Korean set-course) restaurant or a proper restaurant. People usually go for pasta on a first date, but I'd recommend shabu-shabu instead — good for your health and your taste buds, in a nice atmosphere. Classical music was playing too, so it felt sophisticated and never noisy!

The menu: choosing your meat and broth

Premium meat options include black pork, top-grade wagyu, and Korean beef, with different prices for lunch and dinner. This Hapjeong blind-date spot has plenty of meat, broth, and dessert options to pick from according to your taste. Having to choose among all the options also gives you something to talk about and learn about each other's preferences, haha.

• 1st-grade black pork belly / neck
• 1++ Korean beef bottom round
• Prime Angus flat iron / chuck flat
• Black Nine wagyu ribeye

Of course, the pricier the cut, the better it tastes!

Signature broths are mushroom, blue crab doenjang, sukiyaki, or spicy mushroom, and the finishing meal changes with each one. Blue crab doenjang + doenjang rice roll, sukiyaki + yakisoba, spicy mushroom + rosé risotto — I'm curious about those combos too!

Time to order on the tablet, go go.

The pot, plates, and cutlery were all neatly set and looked classy — even these small details felt refined at this Hapjeong blind-date spot. I'd recommend it not just for dates but for Hapjeong Station date nights, family gatherings, or wedding-invite meetups too!

What we ordered and the price for two

• Prime Angus chuck flat shabu-shabu set 25.0
• 1st-grade black pork neck shabu-shabu set 23.0
• Coca-Cola Zero can 3.0
• Naver review gyoza event
• Total ₩51,000

For the broth, I went straight for the clear mushroom broth — simmered for a long time with domestically grown shiitake, button mushrooms, beech mushrooms and more, resulting in something clear and full of flavor.

The vegetables came in a generous portion, plenty for two, and you can add any vegetable or extra danmyeon (glass noodle) toppings. Please add lots of that panda-shaped danmyeon — it's so cute.

Prime Angus chuck flat vs. 1st-grade black pork neck

I deliberately ordered two different meats, and prime Angus chuck flat >>>>>> black pork neck. It was my first time seeing black pork shabu-shabu so I gave it a try, but yep, shabu-shabu really is a beef thing 🥲😄

Shabu-shabu is really all about the sauce, and the three sauces here weren't the generic buffet-style ones — they tasted like something a famous chef made by hand, haha, deep and upscale.

There's a wide variety of side dishes and toppings, and eating shabu-shabu well isn't hard — just layer in vegetables and meat in order and enjoy.

Clear mushroom broth and panda-shaped bunmoja noodles

Drop the vegetables into the bubbling clear mushroom broth first. And don't forget to add the adorable panda danmyeon!! Remember that 😍

The clear mushroom broth felt like drinking a tonic — good choice, good choice! It wasn't too strongly seasoned and blended well with the vegetables, so good you could just sip the broth alone.

The meat portion was a little on the small side, so leave a Naver review and grab the 4-piece gyoza!

Dipping vegetables and beef into the upscale sauce made for a healthy, clean, and satisfying dinner at this Hapjeong Station shabu-shabu spot.

Bouncy, springy panda danmyeon, haha — it somehow felt chewier than regular danmyeon, and it's cute and delicious 😄 The gyoza also felt handmade rather than store-bought, with a generous amount of glass noodle filling inside, so I gave all the noodles to my friend.

Yeolmu kimchi and radish pickles, refills included

The yeolmu kimchi (young radish greens kimchi) and radish pickles that stood out most also seemed handmade by the chef, haha — such an upscale flavor that we refilled once, they were crunchy, tangy, and so clean, perfect as a shabu-shabu side.

The finish: egg porridge and omija (schisandra berry) tea

If you choose the clear mushroom broth, the finishing rice dish is egg porridge, and they generously drizzle in fragrant sesame oil — that was the kicker. We said we were full, then scraped up every last bit of that egg porridge too. Big respect to our appetites 🤣

Perfect balance of protein, carbs, and fat in the shabu-shabu set — once you finish, they bring out omija (schisandra berry) tea for dessert. It leans more sweet than health-tonic-flavored.

The staff were all so kind, the space itself felt calm and refined, and with vegetables, meat, and a finishing rice dish, the meal was well-balanced — nothing to complain about at this Hapjeong shabu-shabu restaurant, Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch. It'd also be great for a family meal out or a friends' gathering — I'd love to come back with friends next time 🙂