Mapo shabu-shabu restaurant with clear broth: Deungchon

When I’m craving a warm, brothy meal in Mapo, the combination that comes to mind is shabu-shabu and kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). This time, I visited Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch (등촌샤브칼국수 상암점) :) Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu is known for a meal that moves from shabu-shabu in a broth simmered with mushrooms and minari (water celery) to kalguksu and then fried rice!

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch hours and parking

• Mon–Fri 11:00–21:30 / break time 15:30–17:00 / last orders 14:30, 20:30
• Sat–Sun 11:00–21:00 / break time 16:00–17:00 / last orders 15:00, 20:00
• 1 hour free at Woori Technology Building parking lot (3 hours free on weekends and public holidays)

The interior and table setting

Its current rating is 4.6! It seems to be a popular choice for people looking to have both shabu-shabu and kalguksu around Sangam. Given the menu, I thought it was better for sharing several dishes with friends, family, or coworkers than for a quick solo meal, hehe.

Menu and broth choices

There are three broth options! Spicy, clear, and perilla seed :)

Basic table setting

The basic setting was neat, and the staff were kind too! (They’ll bring more kimchi if you ask.) The food comes out quickly once you order as well :)

What does the clear mushroom shabu-shabu kalguksu taste like?

Clear mushroom shabu-shabu kalguksu! That’s what I ordered. Many people think first of Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu’s spicy mushroom kalguksu, but I wanted a broth that wasn’t too intense that day, so I chose the clear one!

The clear mushroom kalguksu is a mild dish without heat, so it’s easy to appreciate the flavor of the broth itself. The mushrooms and minari add a gently fragrant note too!

Once the broth starts to boil, the minari and mushrooms soften and naturally infuse it with flavor. That’s the perfect time to start eating the shabu-shabu~!

There were lots of fluffy potatoes too 🥔 And I added meat~ The standard order doesn’t come with meat, so you need to add it separately. An extra serving of shabu meat is ₩11,000!

Rather than loading up on only meat for shabu-shabu, I like having plenty of mushrooms and minari, so I added them. As expected, all those vegetables made the broth feel fuller and made the meal more fun too 👍 👍

From shabu-shabu to kalguksu and fried rice

The biggest appeal of Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu is that it isn’t over after one dish—you can enjoy it like a course that goes shabu-shabu → kalguksu → fried rice!

First, add the thinly sliced beef to the simmering clear broth, cook it lightly, and eat it with the mushrooms and minari~

When you add kalguksu noodles to the broth and let them cook, the flavors of the mushrooms and meat from earlier deepen the broth much more than at the start~ A bowl of warm broth and chewy noodles really fills you up!

Fried rice to finish!

(If you ask the staff, they’ll fry it up for you.) Fried rice is the one thing it would be a shame to skip at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu.

The meal includes finishing with fried rice in the remaining broth after the shabu-shabu and kalguksu, so from beginning to end, it’s surprisingly. very. filling.

For days when you need clear broth

It’s good when you need a substantial lunch, and it’s also a nice place to visit after work when you’re craving shabu-shabu in warm broth! Best of all, choosing the clear broth makes it easy to visit with someone who can’t handle spicy food~

If you want warm shabu-shabu and kalguksu together in Sangam, Mapo, I recommend Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch!