Hourglass-timed spicy shabu kalguksu near Yangcheon Hyanggyo Station

Craving spicy shabu-shabu? Get filled up with kalguksu (hand-cut noodles) and fried rice too!

📍 Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch Address: 46 Magokdong-ro 10-gil, Magok Botanic Park Plaza 1F, Units 107-108, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea Parking: Underground parking inside the building Transit: Near Yangcheon Hyanggyo Station Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:20)

Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch is a place I'd recommend for a family meal out or a hearty lunch — you can enjoy plenty of vegetables, spicy broth, kalguksu, and porridge all in one sitting! I usually love menus where I can eat lots of vegetables, so I went to check out this restaurant, which is also famous as a Magok lunch spot.

With the weather getting hot lately, I keep wondering what to eat every time a meal comes around! When I want something proper but not too heavy, nothing beats shabu-shabu haha. I especially love minari (water dropwort) and a big variety of vegetables, so that's what drew me to visit!

Entrance and first impressions near Yangcheon Hyanggyo Station

Parking was available in the building's underground lot, and there was plenty of space too haha. In front of the restaurant there was a waiting board and real customer reviews, which got me even more excited!

A spacious kitchen and an open dining hall

The first thing I noticed when walking in was the kitchen. It's spacious, and you can see some of the cooking area even from your table, so it didn't feel cramped at all! Watching the food being prepared naturally made the whole space feel more open. The table spacing and seating were also comfortable for a family meal!

They also sell meal kits on one side of the restaurant haha. These days popular restaurants sell their signature menus as meal kits like this haha. Perfect for anyone who tries it in-store and wants to enjoy it easily at home too! Apparently if you leave a Naver receipt review they'll give you extra noodles — go for it!

The kalguksu noodles are made with black garlic, so you can get all sorts of benefits from black garlic this way.

It was also nice to be able to see all the different ingredients that go into the broth — mulberry, acanthopanax, jujube, and more — right there in person haha. And to top it off, there was self-serve plum tea for dessert, which was so nice haha.

Inside the restaurant there were aprons, dental floss, hair ties and more — little touches that showed the owner really thinks about the guests. I thought, wow, this place is really thoughtful!

In these times of high prices, having everything be domestically sourced like this is such a relief ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu menu and what to order

✔️ Signature dish: Special rolled dumpling hot pot ✔️ Order: Basic special set + extra shabu serving, crispy potato pancake

I did want to try the rolled dumplings too, but this time I wanted to eat mostly meat, so I ordered an extra serving of meat, and chose the spicy broth.

Vegetables and meat in the spicy shabu broth

I really love it when a place puts thought into even the water they serve! haha. The wasabi sauce was right next to the table too, which was great.

There was also a tip sheet on how to eat it more deliciously!

📍 Basic special set + extra meat

There was plenty of minari, which I love! And the other vegetables underneath were piled high too, so I was impressed from the very first look haha.

The perilla oil five-color fried rice looked so pretty too haha. I chose the spicy broth for the shabu-shabu. The spice level was about like Shin Ramyun — not aggressively spicy. Kids in upper elementary school could probably eat it together, though spice tolerance varies by individual!

The broth was spicy yet clean-tasting, and the more meat and vegetables I added, the deeper the flavor got haha. Being able to eat a variety of vegetables in one meal made me feel refreshed even after eating!

With shabu-shabu, cooking the meat too long can make it tough, so it's better to add it in small batches. The vegetables wilted and soaked up the broth's flavor, and the minari kept its aroma, pairing really well with the meat! Once I started eating, my chopsticks just kept going back in until the pot was basically empty.

Crispy potato pancake

A potato pancake for under ₩7,000 these days! Such a good deal right off the bat haha. It was crispy and tasty, and not an overwhelming size, so it paired perfectly with the shabu-shabu!

Kalguksu timed by a 10-minute hourglass, then porridge

After eating our fill of shabu-shabu, it's kalguksu time! At Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch, they give you a 10-minute hourglass along with the noodles, so it's easy to track the cooking time. Timing it this way helped avoid undercooked or overcooked noodles!

The kalguksu took on a different flavor as the noodles' starch blended into the broth. Since we'd already eaten the meat and vegetables, the broth was fully infused with their flavor, and the combination of spicy broth and kalguksu was really hearty haha.

At the end, we even made porridge with the leftover broth! Eating shabu-shabu, then kalguksu, then porridge in that order felt like enjoying several meals from one pot, and it was a satisfying spread even for three people.

The moment of truth — the empty pot… You know what that means, right? lol

For dessert, plum tea from the self-serve corner! Getting to help ourselves to sweet, cool plum tea after the meal made it satisfying right to the end.

Looking for a restaurant near Seoul Botanic Park?

If you're looking for a lunch spot around Magok or want a warm meal before or after visiting Seoul Botanic Park, this is worth a stop!

• Looking for a meal near Seoul Botanic Park
• Prefer menus that combine vegetables and meat
• Love a meal that goes from kalguksu to porridge
• Looking for a shabu restaurant near Yangcheon Hyanggyo Station

Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch is a shabu-shabu restaurant that suits anyone wanting a hearty meal — spicy yet clean broth loaded with minari, vegetables, and meat, followed by kalguksu and porridge!

Frequently asked questions

Is there parking at Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu?

Yes, in the underground parking lot inside the building!

Can you eat shabu kalguksu here alone?

Meals require a minimum of 2 people, so I'd recommend going with at least one other person!

How spicy is the spicy broth?

The spicy broth felt about as spicy as Shin Ramyun. If you're sensitive to spice or visiting with young kids, going with the basic broth is a good option!