Jang-an-dong shabu-shabu, glass noodles and egg porridge: Shabu Torang

What is Shabu Torang, the budget lunch spot in Jang-an-dong?

Today I'm writing about a review of Shabu Torang, a budget-friendly lunch spot in Jang-an-dong that I visited with my boyfriend a few days ago. This place sells solo shabu-shabu, so it's also perfect for eating alone.

The prices are so low that even after adding all kinds of extras — kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes), meat, egg porridge — the two of us barely spent ₩30,000, so it was easy to visit without any pressure.

• Location: 146 Jangan-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (3-minute walk from bus stop)
• Hours: 11am to 10pm (last order 9pm)
• Walk-in waiting if it gets busy

Where is Shabu Torang Jang-an and is there parking?

First, this place is located near the Jang-an-dong intersection, and the parking lot could fit about 2 cars.

Shabu Torang seating: solo bar seats and tables for two

Most of the restaurant's interior seats face one direction, which made it great for a solo visit.

On one side there were also seats for two people, so it was perfect for a date-night restaurant too.

And near the entrance, disposable aprons were hanging to protect your clothes from stains.

Shabu Torang menu and how to order your own pot

Here's the menu board at Shabu Torang, this budget-friendly lunch spot in Jang-an-dong. First off, the basic shabu-shabu was a shockingly cheap ₩7,000-something, so you could eat without any burden.

There were also plenty of add-on menu items like pasta, egg porridge, kalguksu, and tteokbokki, so we could enjoy a variety of flavors.

I ordered mala, and my boyfriend who came with me ordered spicy (eolkeun), one each.

We each added meat and other toppings we wanted to finalize our order.

We could pay right away when ordering, and not long after, they brought out the pot and broth.

How did the mala and spicy shabu-shabu broths taste?

The shabu-shabu ingredients and sauces were also set up individually for each of us.

First, a basic tray of vegetables — fried tofu, meatballs, mushrooms, cabbage — came out standard, with no extra charge.

The dipping sauce came out on a plate matched to the menu we ordered.

I added a serving of kalguksu noodles — a must-have — as well as glass noodles (bunmoja), which I thought would go well with the mala broth.

Even without adding meat or other ingredients, the portion was generous, so we ate our fill.

For the mala broth, you could choose between basic and spicy heat levels, and the basic version I ordered had a nice mild kick with the mala flavor blending in harmoniously.

And the spicy (eolkeun) shabu-shabu my boyfriend ordered also had a clean, sharp spiciness — the kind of flavor that cures a hangover.

My boyfriend not only got the basic meat but also added another plate, so he got to enjoy both beef neck and beef belly hearty-style.

Kalguksu and egg porridge, plus a broth refill tip

After each of us enjoyed our own shabu-shabu, we decided to combine our kalguksu into one pot.

The spicy broth and the kalguksu noodles went well together, but note that putting two servings of noodles into one pot leaves the broth a bit short, so you'll need a refill!

While the kalguksu was boiling, I poured two servings of egg porridge and mala broth into my pot and mixed them together.

A subtle mala aroma rose up, and the portion was generous.

Finishing the meal with tteokbokki in the broth

Among the add-on menu items at this budget-friendly Jang-an-dong lunch spot, the tteokbokki came out uncooked, so we just boiled it in the pot ourselves.

They told us to ask if we needed the pot swapped out, but we just went ahead and boiled it without swapping.

The chewy wheat rice cakes came with plenty of broth, making it fun to spoon up, and since it's available in flavors like rosé and more, you can order to your taste.

So that wraps up my review of this neighborhood restaurant I recently visited with my boyfriend. The price is good and the taste is good, so I hope you'll give it a visit!

Is Shabu Torang Jang-an worth it? Final verdict

That's my review of the tteokbokki, kalguksu, and shabu-shabu at Shabu Torang, a budget-friendly lunch spot in Jang-an-dong. I hope today's post was helpful to many of you.