Gongeoptap, Ulsan weekday lunch buffet with tempura: Shabre Garden

I went for shabu-shabu but ended up conquering sushi and dessert too! I visited Shabre Garden, a well-known spot near Gongeoptap in Ulsan, for a weekday lunch buffet.

Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch: hours and parking

I was looking for somewhere to have lunch in Ulsan and ended up at Shabre Garden.

Hours: daily 11 AM to 9 PM. There's dedicated on-site parking, so you don't need to worry about that when you visit.

I went craving warm shabu-shabu, but once I saw the buffet corner, I couldn't decide what to eat first. It was just a weekday lunch, but I ended up spending a good long while enjoying everything from the meal to dessert.

Busy at Shabre Garden before the shabu-shabu even starts

As soon as I sat down, I went to check out the buffet corner. I assumed there'd only be side dishes to go with the shabu-shabu, but there was a whole variety — sushi, salad, and even tempura.

After walking through it all once, I decided I should start out taking only small portions.

Otherwise I felt like I'd fill up before even getting to the shabu-shabu.

I started with shabu-shabu first, then kept bringing back sides in between.

Dipping hot cooked ingredients into sauce, then having a piece of sushi, then a crispy bite of tempura — the flavors kept changing, and I loved it.

Cleansing my palate with salad and then going back to the shabu-shabu — eating this way, time flew by.

Weekday lunch at Shabre Garden: how filling are the side dishes?

When you're looking for a buffet spot in Nam-gu, Ulsan, you naturally check how much there is to eat besides the main dish, right?

Shabre Garden's side dish lineup is so generous that I think it'd be a great spot for shabu-shabu lovers and people who like picking buffet items one by one alike.

Working my way through sushi, salad, and tempura in turn, I honestly felt like I was at a hotel buffet.

There were several different sauces too, so it was fun choosing according to my taste.

I started with the sauce I usually like, then tried dipping in others, and the same shabu-shabu tasted completely different each time.

The buffet also has unlimited beer, so you can eat at a relaxed pace

and anyone who wants to pair their meal with beer should definitely keep this in mind.

Why the dessert bar deserves a full lap

I only made it to the dessert bar after finishing my meal, and that's where the agonizing started all over again.

There was a wide range of drinks too — soft drinks, coffee, plum drink — plus ice cream, bingsu (shaved ice dessert), and even waffles.

I'd assumed I'd have plenty of room left for dessert if I stuck to shabu-shabu, but between the sushi and tempura, I ended up fuller than expected.

In the end, I couldn't try everything I wanted. I wanted the waffles, and I was curious about the bingsu, but it was tough to fit it all in one visit.

I've already mentally lined up which desserts I missed this time so I can start with those next visit.

What to try next time at Shabre Garden

I went looking for shabu-shabu near Gongeoptap in Ulsan and ended up at Shabre Garden, where even deciding what to eat was part of the fun.

If you're searching for shabu-shabu around Yaeum-dong, or just want a hearty weekday lunch, this place is worth a stop.

Next time I visit, I'm going to conquer, one by one, the sides and desserts I missed this round.