Shabu-shabu lunch in Seohae, Incheon: Shabuway Ruwon City

A day when I wanted a proper meal after hiking

I went to Gyeyangsan first thing this morning. I used up quite a bit of energy hiking, then even ran home after coming down, so I thought, I really need to eat properly today! Shabu-shabu was just what I was craving, so I went to Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch (샤브웨이 루원시티 청라점) for lunch with my mom~

I had visited with my parents last weekend and remembered enjoying it, so this time I came back with just my mom! Rather than having one thing in a huge quantity, I tend to like trying lots of different things in small portions, so I love places where I can enjoy shabu-shabu and a salad bar together.

Getting there from Gajeong Station and the spacious seating

Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch is about a seven-minute walk from Exit 6 of Gajeong Station on Incheon Line 2. Head toward Daiso from Ruwon City’s restaurant street; it is on the second floor of the building with Haseo Lamb Skewers, so it was easy enough to find. You can park on B1–B2 of the commercial building or at the Ace Tower parking lot in front, with two hours supported.

I arrived just after noon on a weekday, and there were more guests than I expected—so it really is popular at lunchtime! There were tables of friends, couples, office workers having lunch, and family groups. Luckily, I was seated right away without waiting. The salad bar is the first thing you see when you enter, with tables on both sides, and the space feels generally roomy and pleasant.

The seating is generously arranged, mostly for groups, so even when we brought back several plates from the salad bar, the table never felt cramped. What I especially liked was how neatly laid out the route through the salad bar was.

At shabu-shabu buffets, crowds can mean bumping into people or waiting to pick up food, but it was relatively comfortable here! I also liked that everything was kept tidy and well stocked, and the staff were kind, so the whole meal felt relaxing~

Ordering the Prime Pork Neck Lunch

After we sat down, they asked whether we had visited before. When I said it was a return visit, they asked what we would like to order. We chose the Prime Pork Neck Lunch without hesitation.

The Prime Pork Neck Lunch is available on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For ₩18,000 per person, it includes 180 g of prime pork neck and the salad bar.

We ordered the ₩18,000 menu for two, chose a half-and-half broth, and added extra spice for ₩2,000! There is also an unlimited weekday lunch menu, and I saw that a Naver reservation can get you ₩2,000 off the unlimited weekday lunch~

It was convenient that we could order directly at the table by QR code, too.

A little later, a platter of pork neck arrived first with vegetables, and there was more meat than I had expected! The slices looked generously sized at a glance, with just the right amount of marbling, so the meat looked nicely fresh.

What I picked from the weekday salad bar

Now it was time to properly look around the salad bar. There were slightly fewer options than on weekends because it was weekday lunch, but from vegetables for shabu-shabu to Vietnamese spring rolls, noodles, porridge, salads, and side dishes,

there was more than enough variety for a full meal! Fresh vegetables suited for shabu-shabu were prepared, including bok choy, bean sprouts, napa cabbage, water parsley, enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, and kabocha squash. There was more than just one chili sauce, too: you could mix soy sauce, sesame sauce, Cheongyang chili peppers, minced garlic, wasabi, and scallions however you liked.

We filled a plate each from the salad bar so we could try a little of everything. First, sweet rice tangsuyuk (Korean sweet-and-sour fried pork). It seemed freshly fried, crisp outside and pleasantly chewy within. I dipped it in the sweet-and-sour sauce, and it was nice to have one piece at a time between bites of shabu-shabu.

Then there was the boneless fried chicken, which stayed with me more than I expected. I dipped this in the spicy Buldak mayo sauce; it was crisp on the outside and moist inside, so good. I did not have big expectations for buffet chicken, but it was tastier than expected, so I went back for more!

The charcoal-grilled marinated galbi was not overly sweet, and the meat was fairly juicy, so this was pleasantly good too.

Honestly, the pizza was just okay,

and the ratatouille was a little cool that day, so it was ordinary.

I had never seen perilla oil pasta before, so I was curious and took some. Rather than the distinctive nutty flavor of perilla oil, it felt mild overall. It was fine to try once, but personally I would not go back for more.

My taste honestly differed from dish to dish like this, but there was plenty to eat at the salad bar,

so it was actually fun to pick and choose different things!

Half shiitake mushroom and spicy broth

For our shabu-shabu, we chose a half-and-half pot with shiitake mushroom broth and spicy broth. I usually love spicy food, so I was looking forward to the spicy broth too, but it was actually the shiitake broth that I really loved.

The shiitake aroma came through more strongly than expected, and the broth was savory and clean, pairing beautifully with the shabu-shabu ingredients!

The spicy broth was great for the moments when I wanted a spicy sip, and I liked being able to alternate between two flavors. Even someone like me who loves spicy food may find the basic broth a better fit when they want to properly taste the shabu-shabu itself~

I did not overcook the meat—just swished it briefly in the broth before eating. Since the pork neck was thinly sliced, it cooked quickly, chewed tenderly, and had a savory flavor. Adding bok choy, bean sprouts, and mushrooms, then dipping everything in chili or soy sauce, made for such a good combination! Vegetables are essential with shabu-shabu too, haha. One serving was not enough, so I refilled the vegetables as well~

Finishing with fresh noodles and homemade porridge

By the time we had eaten the meat and vegetables, quite a bit of time had passed—I think we ate for over an hour? Once we had finished almost all the meat and vegetables, we added noodles. I had fresh buckwheat noodles, while my mom chose fresh prickly pear noodles.

I think the advantage of shabu-shabu is that you can add as much of whatever you want, so you can tailor it to your taste from start to finish:)

And of course, we finished with juk (rice porridge)! We made it ourselves in the leftover broth with rice, egg, green onion, seaweed flakes, and sesame oil, and it was truly delicious. I was already completely full, but it was so nutty and warm that I just kept reaching for another spoonful~

We could not skip ice cream to finish, either. My mom topped milk ice cream with strawberry cookies, pretzels, cornflakes, and almonds. Being the chocolate lover I am, I piled mine with almonds, Lotus biscuits, coconut, chocolate syrup, and cocoa balls. After eating such a variety of things, I was still full even nowㅠ

A return visit that satisfied me both times

I came with my parents on the weekend last time and with my mom for weekday lunch this time, and I was satisfied both times!

If, like me, you enjoy tasting a little of many things rather than one single food,

I think you will like being able to enjoy such a range, from shabu-shabu and sides to noodles, porridge, and dessert.

Above all, the food and plates were kept clean, and the salad bar was not crowded, which made it comfortable to use.

It was a good spot for a family meal, as well as friends, couples, or office-worker lunch. If you are looking for shabu-shabu in Ruwon City, I think it is worth visiting at least once!

Check the hours before visiting

Hours are Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m., with a break from 3:30–5:00 p.m. Weekends and public holidays have no break, and the restaurant is closed September 24–25 for the Chuseok holiday, so keep that in mind before visiting!