Baby-friendly shabu restaurant near Seoul Botanic Park: Yangcheon

We often go on outings to Seoul Botanic Park, but there aren't many good Korean restaurants nearby that work with a baby. Then a friend introduced me to a shabu kalguksu (shabu-shabu with knife-cut noodles) place earlier this year, so let me share it with you! Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu is already well known among office workers as a top Magok lunch spot. The price is great and parking is easy, so this was already my 3rd revisit.

Where to eat lunch with a baby near Seoul Botanic Park in Magok

Magok, around Seoul Botanic Park, is an office district, so it isn't easy to find a mild Korean restaurant with high chairs. My husband, our baby and I often go on weekends to Seoul Botanic Park in Magok, Gangseo-gu, which is also close to Incheon.

After walking all the way around, we get hungry, but since it's an office district there aren't many places serving mild Korean dishes.

Finding a place with high chairs and tableware is also surprisingly stressful.

Why we went back to Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch 3 times

Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch is 2 minutes by car from Seoul Botanic Park, has 2 hours of free underground parking and a ₩14,000 full course, which is why we've gone three times. I tried it while visiting a friend who lives near Balsan Station and fell for it, and then came back in May and again in July, so this is my third revisit.

It's close to Seoul Botanic Park, only 2 minutes by car, but more importantly the food is mild rather than harsh, so it works well for a family meal with a baby.

We always bring the car, and the underground parking lot is spacious and gives 2 hours free, so it was convenient.

My husband doesn't like noodle dishes, but after trying the kalguksu here, made with an 8-hour Korean beef bone broth and 100-day aged black garlic noodles, he even suggests going again.

The shabu-shabu beef is good quality, and you get the full course with kalguksu and fried rice for ₩14,000 per person, so it's great value and we keep coming back.

What's the atmosphere like? Are there high chairs and baby tableware?

The restaurant at Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch is spacious with roomy gaps between tables, so it was easy to eat with a high chair, and they also brought baby tableware. On weekday lunches it's packed with local office workers, so when I came with a friend last time we waited about 30 minutes. At around 11am on a weekend, a bit early for lunch, it was relatively quiet, maybe because it was opening time.

Above all, the place is big and the tables are far enough apart that I didn't feel self-conscious setting up a high chair, which was a relief. When we came with the baby, they thoughtfully brought baby tableware too. The interior is clean and tidy, so I thought it would be fine to bring my parents here someday.

What to order at Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu: our recommended combo

Our family's regular combo is the special rolled dumpling hot pot (teukseon gullim mandu jeongol) with one extra portion of shabu beef, plus a potato pancake (gamjajeon). Every time we come, we order the same thing.

That is, the special rolled dumpling hot pot, one extra portion of shabu beef and a potato pancake. Our daughter loves the crispy golden potato pancake, so we always order it.

The signature special rolled dumpling hot pot lets you enjoy dumplings, kalguksu and porridge as a full course, so the value is good. You can choose a spicy or non-spicy broth. If you order the clear broth, it's easy to share with the baby.

The rolled dumplings have such thin wrappers that you can see the packed filling through them. They aren't harsh but have a deep savory flavor, so you keep eating them.

The chewy chunchu oyster mushrooms with the subtle aroma of minari (water dropwort) can win over even people who don't like vegetables.

+ You order on a tablet and pay on your way out. For parking, tell them the last 4 digits of your plate number then and they'll register it for free.

Weekend lunch wait and our verdict on the shabu kalguksu

When we went to Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch at around 11am on a weekend, we got in right away with no wait. But there may be a wait on weekdays, at lunchtime and at dinner peak hours, so keep that in mind!

After you order, the broth comes out right away. Once it's boiling, put in the shabu-shabu beef first and fish it out to eat.

Daily-made geotjeori and black garlic noodles

The trick here is to eat it with the geotjeori (fresh kimchi-style salad) the restaurant makes by hand every day. It's still crunchy, and it isn't just covered up with seasoning: the cabbage itself is sweet and nutty, so you keep eating it. It goes perfectly with the broth and meat!

And the black garlic noodles, aged for 100 days, look dark at first and made me go "huh?", but one bite and the chewiness is something else.

They're good on their own, but try dipping them in the wasabi sauce. The savory flavor doubles.

Finish with fried rice or porridge?

Finishing the meat and kalguksu noodles isn't the end. The finale is fried rice or porridge!

If you leave a little broth and mix in the five-colored rice, you get a soupy porridge, which is mild but so easy to keep eating. Having a bite of geotjeori in between is amazing~ Overall the food isn't strongly seasoned but the savory depth comes through, so it's a taste adults will like too. (Maybe that's why there were customers of all ages, from their 20s to their 40s and 50s.)

As we were leaving after the meal, the owner told us to have a cup of the plum tea (maesil-cha) at the entrance before going. That took care of dessert tea with a refreshing taste.

Who we recommend Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch to

• People looking for a family meal spot near Seoul Botanic Park
• People looking for a good-value Magok lunch spot
• People looking for a Magok restaurant to go to with a baby

Frequently asked questions

Can you make reservations at Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch?

Yes, Naver Reservation is available, so if you're planning a weekend gathering, I recommend reserving ahead.

Is there a spicy broth?

I chose the clear broth because of my baby, but there's a spicy broth too, so you can pick by taste.