Aged kimchi shabu-shabu by Yangcheonhyanggyo Station, meat with wasabi

What I ate at Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch on a weekday afternoon

I stopped by the main branch of Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu (양천샤브손칼국수) on a weekday afternoon. I ordered the special aged kimchi set for 2, added extra shabu-shabu meat, and tacked on a potato pancake, so it was a hearty meal. I'd heard for ages that it's a pretty famous shabu-shabu place around Yangcheon Hyanggyo and kept meaning to go, and I finally made it.

A neighborhood-favorite feel from the front door

From the outside, Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu Magok Main Branch gave off the feel of a restaurant that customers keep coming back to.

What is the signature dish at Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu?

The signature dish is aged kimchi shabu-shabu, so I looked at the menu and ordered the special aged kimchi for 2 without a second thought. I also ordered a potato pancake (gamjajeon), which you can't skip with shabu-shabu. Most other customers seemed to be ordering the aged kimchi shabu-shabu too.

There's a review event, so make sure you get your free can of soda and the extra add-on~

The shabu-shabu broth is said to be made by simmering Korean beef bones and 8 herbal ingredients for a long time, a healthy broth made with care.

Beef with a dab of wasabi is the best combo

The shabu-shabu beef is tasty dipped in the basic sauce, but personally my favorite was putting a little wasabi on top. With the savory depth of the aged kimchi, the clean taste of the beef and the sharp kick of wasabi, I could enjoy it to the end without it ever feeling greasy.

Cold hovenia fruit tea instead of water

After I ordered and sat down, they first brought out cold hovenia fruit tea (heotgae yeolmae-cha). Getting that instead of ordinary barley tea or water felt a little special. It was nice for rinsing the mouth before the meal, and it felt like it settled my stomach before the piping hot shabu-shabu.

The side dish, geotjeori, passes right away

The first side dish out after ordering was geotjeori (fresh, unfermented kimchi). I think kimchi matters a lot at kalguksu and shabu-shabu places, and the geotjeori here was nicely crunchy with good savory depth. It was exactly the style that goes well with shabu-shabu.

How does the special aged kimchi shabu-shabu taste?

As soon as the pot arrived, the smell of aged kimchi hit me. The red broth alone got my appetite going. It was packed with aged kimchi and plenty of vegetables, and it looked spicy just to look at.

Extra shabu-shabu meat

The special aged kimchi set already comes with meat inside, but I ordered extra meat separately. The bright pink beef came neatly plated, and the amount was better than I expected. Since it's cut thin for shabu-shabu, it cooks quickly.

The aged kimchi broth gets richer the longer it boils

Once the broth starts boiling, the aged kimchi aroma gets even stronger. I waited until the vegetables and kimchi were cooked through, then added the meat. Maybe because of the aged kimchi, the broth was much richer and spicier than regular shabu-shabu.

Aged kimchi and beef go well together

I lightly cooked the beef and ate it with the aged kimchi, and the combination was really good. The clean taste of the meat and the tang of the kimchi work well together. The broth was the kind you keep going back to, so I kept spooning it up between bites.

Finishing shabu-shabu with hand-cut kalguksu and fried rice

Once you've eaten a fair amount of the shabu-shabu, they add the kalguksu noodles. Since it's hand-cut kalguksu, the noodles were chewy and had soaked up plenty of broth. Kalguksu boiled in aged kimchi broth had a different charm from regular kalguksu.

Definitely add the potato pancake

The potato pancake I ordered as a side, honestly, was better than I expected. It's crispy outside and moist inside, with a rich, nutty potato flavor.

Good for nibbling while you wait for the shabu-shabu, and it seems like it would work as a drinking snack too. If you go as a pair, I'd recommend adding the potato pancake.

Fried rice to finish

The real finish to shabu-shabu is, of course, fried rice. Stir-fried in the leftover aged kimchi broth, it kept all the savory depth of the kimchi. I was already pretty full, yet I ate every bit.

Plum drink for dessert and the self-service corner

After the filling meal, there was a plum drink (maesil) for dessert. It was a cold plum drink with a little slushy ice, perfect for rinsing the mouth after hot shabu-shabu, kalguksu and fried rice. It felt like a clean wrap-up to a meal that could otherwise feel heavy.

Another thing that impressed me was the self-service corner for customers. For after your meal, they had dental floss, hair ties and mouthwash, and even Febreze. It's a small thing, but you can tell they care about their guests.

Not just the delicious food but this kind of thoughtful service made me even happier with Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu's main branch. The aged kimchi shabu kalguksu, the potato pancake and the tidy finish all made this a satisfying meal.