Osan Segyo shabu with generous vegetables, popcorn bar: Dongchundang

Craving shabu-shabu in Osan Segyo? Try Dongchundang Osan Dugok

Dongchundang Shabu Shabu Kalguksu Osan Dugok Branch (동춘당샤브샤브칼국수 오산두곡점) is a shabu-shabu and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) spot at 33-18 Seobu-ro, Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do, 1st floor. Lately, strangely, I keep feeling like I need to eat lots of vegetables.

The exterior of the restaurant.

But making shabu-shabu at home means buying vegetables, preparing the broth, and then thinking about the dishes... I didn't even want to start. In the end I decided that "eating out is the cheapest option (?)" and came to Dongchundang Shabu Shabu Kalguksu Osan Dugok Branch.

Conclusion first: I left stuffed, yay! It felt like I'd finally found a proper shabu-shabu place in Osan Segyo. The kalguksu and fried rice wrapped everything up perfectly, and I was really, really happy with it.

How were the parking and the atmosphere?

It's near Osan Segyo so it was easy to get to, and parking was easy too. It's a comfortable location for a family meal or dinner with friends~

The entrance was neatly kept and the restaurant is really spacious, so there was zero stuffy feeling. Shabu-shabu in a cramped place can feel even hotter from all the steam, but here the tables are spaced generously, so eating was comfortable.

The interior.

A self-bar with unlimited makgeolli, popcorn and black sesame soy milk

The self-bar at Dongchundang Osan Dugok has unlimited makgeolli (rice wine), popcorn and black sesame soy milk. The first thing I noticed as soon as I walked in was the self-bar, and one line that stopped me in my tracks.

Unlimited makgeolli. For people who love a glass of makgeolli with their shabu-shabu, it's already game over here.

A bottle of makgeolli is sneakily pricey these days, so unlimited refills put me in a good mood right away, you know? No wonder so many families come with kids.

There was popcorn on one side too, perfect for nibbling while you wait for your meal. Kids love it, and adults somehow keep reaching for it too.

And my personal favorite was the black sesame soy milk. You really have to try this. One sip and I couldn't help saying "wow..." The nuttiness of the black sesame was so rich, and there's a reason people call it the ultimate in nutty flavor. It's great before the meal and just as good as a mouth-cleanser afterward.

The menu.

The shabu kalguksu set and the amount of vegetables

I ordered the shabu kalguksu. It's a course of fresh vegetables + beef + mugwort kalguksu, followed by bangagan chamgireum (mill-style sesame oil) fried rice.

The shabu kalguksu I'd been waiting for arrived.

The set is fresh vegetables + beef + mugwort kalguksu.

When I first saw the vegetables I had to laugh~ There was so much I wondered if I could finish it all.

With shabu-shabu you often end up ordering more vegetables, but here the standard portion is plenty!!!

Finishing it was actually the harder part, so I didn't need to add any vegetables at all.

Napa cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms and more fresh vegetables came in generous amounts, so the broth was refreshing and clean.

I cooked the beef just briefly, and it was tender and mild. Wrapping it up with the fresh vegetables made it go down easily,, and I ended up with a weird sense of pride, like "I ate so many vegetables today."

Finishing with mugwort kalguksu and sesame oil fried rice

After enjoying the shabu-shabu properly, it's mugwort kalguksu time. The mugwort aroma spreads subtly and the broth gets deeper, with a different charm from regular kalguksu. The broth was so refreshing that I kept spooning it up, and at some point I realized I was eating more broth than noodles.

And last, the bangagan chamgireum fried rice you must never skip. People even say you come for shabu-shabu just to eat the fried rice, and it's the same here :) The rice stir-fried in the leftover broth had a really nutty sesame oil aroma, and I even scraped up the bits that crisped a little on the bottom.

Why does the person who said she was full finish the last fried rice too... It amazes me every time, and of course I finished it again this time :)

Worth going back for a family meal?

A shabu-shabu place in Osan Segyo where I finally had a satisfying meal after a long time. The vegetables were so generous that no extra order was needed,

and with tender beef, fragrant mugwort kalguksu and nutty sesame oil fried rice all in one course, it was really filling. On top of that, unlimited makgeolli, popcorn the kids will love, and the ultimate-nuttiness black sesame soy milk you must drink after the meal raised my expectations.

It's not a place where only the shabu-shabu is good; the quality held up from the start to the final fried rice. I felt like I wanted to visit again.

If you're craving a hearty meal, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for kalguksu in Osan Segyo, and if you're choosing a spot for a family dinner, this Korean restaurant should satisfy you just fine!

Next time I should bring my parents for another visit. That's the end of today's yum-yum review.