Busan shabu kalguksu with a crispy seafood pancake side: Yunujae

Today I'm sharing my visit to Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu, a place famous as one of Busan's best shabu-shabu spots.

It's a well-known Munhyeon-dong restaurant, so waiting is basically a given — but the portions and the taste were both so satisfying that I'd recommend it for a family outing. If you're hunting for a good kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) spot in Busan, pay attention!!

Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu: hours and location in Busan

Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu is located at 26 Suyeong-ro, Nam-gu, Busan, South Korea, Daerim Munhyeon City Plaza units 158–161. It's open daily from 11:00 to 20:50 (last order 20:00), with a break time from 15:00 to 16:30.

• Hours: Daily 11:00–20:50 (last order 20:00)
• Break time: 15:00–16:30
• Closes early when ingredients run out
• Closed for Chuseok holiday (September 24–26)

Is there parking at Yunujae?

Driving in isn't a problem here. Using the building's parking lot gets you 2 free hours, after which it's ₩900 per 30 minutes.

Finding the restaurant from the parking lot

If you're using the parking lot, head up the stairs to ground level. The building is fairly large, so you'll need to follow the stairs up to the first floor.

Once you're outside the building, walk about halfway along and you'll spot Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu.

Noodles made in-house after two years of testing

A banner out front explained that Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu makes its own kalguksu noodles in-house. Apparently they spent two years perfecting the noodle-making process to become a real kalguksu destination.

They say they aimed for a noodle somewhere between the slippery texture of hand-cut noodles and the dense, chewy texture of sanuki udon. The dough's condition also changes with temperature and humidity, so it's managed carefully — which made me even more curious about what the noodles would actually feel like.

How long is the weekday lunch wait?

I visited at lunchtime, and true to its reputation as a Munhyeon-dong favorite, there was quite a crowd waiting. That day, I waited behind 7 parties, which took about 30 minutes.

You write your name and party size on a waiting list near the entrance, and staff call you when it's your turn.

Inside, the restaurant was completely full and staff were moving briskly. They were even prepping the shabu-shabu meat by hand, piece by piece, using a machine.

The meat is US Choice-grade chuck eye and Australian S-grade beef. They only use beef that hasn't been sitting long since slaughter, so it has no gamey smell and isn't tough — which made me even more excited to try it.

What's on the self-serve bar

Near the entrance there was a self-serve bar stocked with house-made kimchi and kkakdugi (radish kimchi), plus the broth needed for shabu-shabu.

Aprons were also available there for anyone who wanted one, and water is self-serve too — just grab a bottle from the fridge.

Menu, prices and how to order at the table

Each table has its own menu. The shabu kalguksu is an affordable ₩11,000 per person, and comes with sirloin, vegetables, mushrooms, kalguksu noodles, and fried rice.

You can choose between red or white broth, and spice level is adjustable separately. Ordering is done through the tablet at your table.

They're also running a receipt review event — leave a review and you get an extra serving of sirloin, so definitely take part and enjoy a heartier meal.

What comes with the basic table setting

Each table came equipped with the tablet order, basic sauces, condiments, and small plates.

Once we ordered, everything needed for shabu kalguksu was laid out on the table at once, and it looked generous at first glance.

We were told kimchi and water are self-serve. They also brought over an onion sauce specifically for dipping the pancake.

The spoons and chopsticks arrived soaking in hot water, which gave a real sense of cleanliness — a small touch I appreciated.

There was also a printed guide for the dipping sauce ratio to bring out the best flavor from the shabu meat. I mixed the sauce following their suggested ratio and it was delicious.

Shabu kalguksu for two in red broth, medium spice

I ordered the shabu kalguksu for two, with red broth and medium spice level.

Once we turned on the induction burner, the broth started bubbling in no time.

We lightly cooked the vegetables first, then added the meat to deepen the broth's flavor.

As I mentioned earlier, this place puts a lot of care into how the meat is handled. Rather than relying on premium-grade Korean beef, they focus on thinly sliced shabu-shabu cuts to keep the texture soft and tender.

Tasting it, the meat really was thinly sliced yet tender, not tough at all, with a nice savory flavor coming through.

I dipped the shabu meat in the sauce mixed according to the ratio they suggested, and the pairing was really satisfying.

How to wrap the meat and vegetables in the thin skins

When they brought the kalguksu noodles, they also included thin dumpling skins. They told us to drop the thin skins into the boiling broth, pull them out after a few minutes, and wrap them with vegetables for a tasty bite.

I tried it their way, wrapping vegetables inside — and it turned out to be a distinct, different flavor experience.

The crispy seafood pancake side

Enter the side dish I ordered — crispy seafood pancake! Quite a few other tables were eating it and it looked so good that I ordered one too.

True to its name, it came out fried crispy, with a crunchy exterior.

Inside, it was packed with plump seafood, so every bite delivered a strong seafood flavor.

The batter also had a subtle kick of spice, which kept it from feeling greasy and made it easy to keep eating. I was glad I ordered it as a side.

What the house-made kalguksu noodles taste like

After we'd eaten through most of the meat and vegetables, we added the kalguksu noodles. Being house-made, the noodles had an appealing chewy texture — springy yet dense, and satisfying to bite into.

They had a different charm from typical kalguksu noodles, which made fishing them out of the pot fun too.

Kalguksu noodles taste best when boiled long enough for the starch inside to fully dissolve. Once the broth had reduced somewhat, the noodles had really absorbed the broth's flavor — absolutely delicious.

And eating them together with the kimchi was a perfect match. The kimchi is apparently house-made through their own recipe development, and it was good enough to call this place a kimchi destination in its own right.

Finishing the pot with fried rice

After finishing the noodles, we scooped the remaining broth into an empty bowl and added the fried rice ingredients. This time we made the fried rice a bit moist, more like a comforting porridge-style texture.

Even though the portion was quite large, it was delicious enough to scrape the bowl clean. Between the shabu-shabu, kalguksu, fried rice, and seafood pancake, I felt like I was about to burst.

Thanks to that, I skipped dinner that night — but it was such a satisfying meal all the way through that I left in a great mood.

The verdict on Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu

From shabu-shabu to chewy kalguksu to fried rice, I left Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu completely full.

The house-made kalguksu noodles especially stuck with me, and even the final fried rice was so good I know I'll be craving it again. If I ever have plans near Munhyeon-dong again, I'll definitely go back. If you're after a hearty, filling meal, this place is worth a visit.