Weekend lunch for 5 with two broths at Shabu in Seoul, Samgakji

Anyone wondering where to eat lunch near Samgakji Station? Let me introduce Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch, upscale from the atmosphere down to the food composition! I'd wanted to visit this high-end shabu-shabu place for a while, and I finally made it!

I went with 4 friends, and since it was a weekend lunch, we booked through Catch Table and got seated right away with no separate wait.

Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch: location, hours, parking

Location: 61 Hangang-daero 62-gil, 1F, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea Hours: 11:00-22:00, until 23:00 Fri-Sat Break time: 15:00-17:00 Weekday lunch last order: 14:30 Dinner last order: 21:00, Fri-Sat 22:00

🚗 Parking info — There's a temporary public parking lot near Samgakji, but spots are limited, so public transit is recommended.

The exterior vibe on Yongridan-gil

Shabu in Seoul is located on Yongridan-gil near Samgakji Station. There are so many hot restaurants around Samgakji, right? Among them, Shabu in Seoul is a place where you can eat in a calmer, more upscale atmosphere.

Interior and seating: why it worked well for 5 of us

Walking into the store, the interior was genuinely pretty. It's decorated with a calm, upscale feel overall, and the lighting isn't too bright, giving it a comfortable atmosphere.

• Soft, calm lighting
• Upscale interior
• Fairly wide spacing between tables
• High partitions for a private feel
• Cushy sofa seating for groups too

The place looked like it had about 20 tables, and the high partitions between tables meant you felt some distance from the neighboring table, which I liked.

What we ordered and the prices

• First-grade black pork belly shabu set ₩23,000 x 3 (spicy mushroom broth)
• First-grade black pork shoulder shabu set ₩23,000 x 2 (sukiyaki broth)
• Mixed vegetable and mushroom add-on ₩13,000

Ordering two different broths together is great since you can alternate between different flavors!

Budget-wise, you should expect roughly ₩25,000-30,000 per person. It's not exactly cheap, but considering the composition and atmosphere, it's a fair price!

Vegetables need to be ordered separately as an add-on!

Five broths and their dessert pairings

One of Shabu in Seoul's biggest strengths is the variety of broths.

• Clear mushroom: a deep, clean base broth made with mushrooms / dessert is egg porridge
• Spicy mushroom: a spicy broth using shiitake mushrooms and vegetables / dessert is rosé risotto
• Blue crab doenjang: a soybean paste broth with blue crab, shrimp, and clams / dessert is doenjang rice rolls
• Sukiyaki: the deep flavor of bonito flakes and the savoriness of soy sauce / dessert is yakisoba
• Beef tomato: a sweet, tangy, spicy tomato broth / dessert is tomato risotto

Basic side dishes and sauces

There was also a good variety of sauces prepared.

• Chili sauce
• Sesame sauce
• Oriental sauce
• Garlic
• Chili pepper

I could add garlic and chili pepper to taste and make my own custom sauce.

First-grade black pork belly and shoulder

Even the color of the meat looked fresh. Both the pork belly and shoulder were sliced thin for shabu-shabu, and after cooking them briefly in the broth, the tender texture was just amazing!

• Thinly sliced meat that cooks quickly
• Tender texture, not chewy at all
• Different flavors between belly and shoulder

It's a letdown when shabu-shabu meat is tough, but the black pork here was clean and tender to eat.

Sukiyaki mixed vegetables

The sukiyaki vegetable plate came with tofu, tofu noodles, and glass noodles, making it even more filling. Rice paper was also provided, so you could wrap the meat and vegetables like a Vietnamese spring roll.

Sukiyaki broth and raw egg

A raw egg served one per person is a highlight of the sukiyaki too! Cooking the meat and vegetables in the sweet, salty broth and then dipping them in the raw egg worked really well.

Spicy mushroom mixed vegetables

The spicy mushroom shabu came with sweet pumpkin too, and its subtle sweetness balanced nicely with the spicy broth.

Spicy mushroom broth: how spicy is it?

The spicy mushroom broth isn't very spicy, so even people who are sensitive to spice can handle it fine. If you're tired of clear broths, I recommend the punchy spicy mushroom!

Dessert: yakisoba and rosé risotto

The dessert for sukiyaki was yakisoba. They stir-fried onion and meat, then added soy sauce and noodles and reduced it down, topping it off with bonito flakes and shichimi at the end for the perfect yakisoba!! The sweet, salty sukiyaki broth soaked into the noodles for incredible umami... so, so good!

The main reason I chose the spicy mushroom broth was the rosé risotto!!! After finishing the shabu-shabu, they stir-fry mushrooms and shrimp, then add rice and rosé cream to make risotto for you. And at the end, they add pepper and olive oil — is this a pasta restaurant? The rosé risotto is seriously a hit! Highly recommend!

Overall review

Shabu in Seoul was a bit different from a typical shabu-shabu place where you just cook meat and vegetables in broth. You can choose among five broths to suit your taste, and each broth has a different dessert menu, so you get to experience a variety of flavors.

• Upscale, calm atmosphere
• Wide table spacing and private seating
• Choice of various shabu broths
• Tender first-grade black pork
• Rice paper wraps like Vietnamese spring rolls
• Finishing with rosé risotto or yakisoba as another dish entirely

The price is a bit on the higher side, but considering the atmosphere, food composition, and service, it's not a bit wasted! For those who want a special meal in a nice atmosphere, and those looking for a good lunch spot near Yongsan Station and Samgakji Station — I confidently recommend Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch!