Spicy shabu-shabu lunch in Mapo, Seoul: Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu

I was trying to get a meal in Sangam on Sunday, but more restaurants than I expected were closedㅠㅠ After looking around for ages wondering what to eat, I found that Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu (등촌샤브칼국수), which I already love, had a branch in Sangam-dong, so I went straight there.

To give you the conclusion first, I properly ate my way through spicy broth, shabu beef, kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), and fried riceㅋㅋ If you are looking for a Sangam-dong restaurant that is open on Sundays too, I thought this place was a good option.

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch: location and parking

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch is located around Sangam DMC. Once you head inside the building, you will find the restaurant entrance.

Since I drove, whether there was parking was important too. The notice posted when I visited said that parking was free for 1 hour on weekdays and 3 hours on weekends and public holidays. The additional fee was ₩500 per 10 minutes, and you just need to give them your vehicle number when registering parking.

With 3 hours on weekends, it was nice not having to watch the clock while eating haha.

Plenty of seating, even with Sunday diners

When I went inside, there were more seats than I expected. There were plenty of people eating on the day I visited too. Sangam-dong has lots of offices, so it felt like a place that would also get many office workers at lunchtime on weekdays.

Even though we visited on Sunday, customers kept coming in. I thought, Deungchon really is popular wherever you goㅋㅋ

A generous spicy shabu-shabu spread, starting with minari

When I think of Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu, spicy broth always comes to mind first. The pot was piled so generously with minari (water parsley) from the moment it arrived.

Even looking at the photo again, it is absolutely full of bright green minariㅋㅋ Underneath were mushrooms and potatoes, and the aroma really rose up once the broth started boiling. The shabu beef came separately too.

Because the meat was thinly sliced, it was perfect to dip briefly into the boiling broth and eat with the minari.

Beef with minari and mushrooms

Once the broth was bubbling away, we let the minari and mushrooms soften first. Then we added the beef and cooked it lightly.

For me, grabbing the meat, minari, and mushrooms together was much tastier than eating the meat on its own.

With spicy broth soaked into the minari and tender meat alongside it, I could just keep eatingㅋㅋ I especially love minari, so I liked that there was so much of it.

Fresh kalguksu noodles in the richer broth

Isn't the real start of Deungchon after you finish all the meat?ㅋㅋ After eating some of the shabu-shabu, we added the fresh noodles. The broth had become richer than at the beginning, so when we cooked the noodles in it, they really absorbed all that broth flavor.

The noodles were nicely springy too, so they were satisfying to slurp up. I was starting to get full after all the meat and minari, but somehow adding kalguksu made me eat more againㅋㅋ

Fried rice that is hard to give up until the very end

Then the dish I look forward to most at Deungchon arrived: fried riceㅋㅋ

Whenever I ate Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu in the past, I always made sure to have the final fried rice too. No matter how full I was, this was hard to pass upㅠㅠ They stir-fried rice with egg and vegetables in the pot until it was fluffy and separate, and one big spoonful was so savory.

I tried it with the remaining spicy broth too. A bite of fried rice followed by a sip of broth was just rightㅋㅋ I even put a potato on top, and that combination was quietly delicious too.

Sunday lunch in Sangam

This time, I visited while looking for a Sangam-dong restaurant on Sunday. Since I already liked Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu, I went in without having to debate the menu haha. Starting with meat, minari, and mushrooms, then cooking kalguksu in the spicy, deepened broth and finishing with fried rice was satisfying as always.

I have always made sure to eat the fried rice at other branches too, so this time I said I was full and then diligently ate every last spoonful anywayㅋㅋ

If you are craving a warm lunch in Sangam-dong or looking for a restaurant open on Sunday, this could be worth keeping in mind. The next time I have a reason to go to Sangam, I think I will properly eat all the way through to the fried rice again haha.