Busan hand-cut noodle restaurant, 70g sirloin add-on with mom: Yunujae

These days, as soon as the sun goes down, there's a little chill in the air. That's when hot broth starts sounding really good, so today I came for shabu kalguksu with my mom for the first time in a while — Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu in Munhyeon-dong.

Where is Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu, and when is it open?

• Location: 26 Suyeong-ro, Daerim Munhyeon City Plaza #158-161, Nam-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–20:50 (last order 20:00)
• 2 hours validated parking, takeout available

Located right on the main road at Munhyeon intersection, Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu is a well-known spot that's always packed with customers. I hadn't visited in a while with my mom, who loves shabu-shabu. You can tell even from outside — they make their kalguksu noodles fresh in-house!

Walking inside, you see the noodle-making room right away, which builds even more trust.

What is on the menu at Yunujae, and how do you order?

The basic set at Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu is: meat + mushrooms + vegetables + kalguksu noodles + fried rice per person. Even in the early evening, the place was full of families, so I couldn't get a photo of the dining hall itself, haha. Here's the menu I saw once we sat down!

You can choose white or red broth, and both can be adjusted for spice level, so it seems worry-free even with kids. Of course, you can also add extra shabu ingredients, egg or cheese for the fried rice, and more.

You can order easily from the tablet at each table. Since I like things spicy, my order was:

Red broth (spicy) for 2 / sirloin add-on 70g / mushroom-vegetable set

Order complete! There's a guide on the table for how to enjoy the kalguksu properly, so no need to stress about adjusting the heat.

There was also soy-wasabi sauce set out for dipping the meat.

Spoons served in hot water and the self-serve kimchi corner

After a short wait, they brought over the tableware. I was a bit puzzled that there were no utensils in the table drawer, but it turned out they'd soaked the spoons in hot water before bringing them out — such a nice touch.

The self-serve corner has extra broth, seokbakji (diced radish kimchi), and napa cabbage kimchi that you can help yourself to.

Look at that kimchi color! Nice and cool napa cabbage kimchi that goes perfectly with kalguksu.

What comes with the red-broth shabu-shabu set for two

Finally, the main event! The red broth came out loaded with water spinach and oyster mushrooms.

The meat came out thinly sliced too, looking super tender.

And here's the house-made kalguksu! The flat noodles came alongside it too, so you get to try both kinds.

Of course, fried rice for the finish is a must with shabu-shabu.

Such a full spread. Let's put the meat in and get the shabu-shabu going properly. Being the spicy version, it definitely had some real heat to it. Very satisfying.

The well-cooked potatoes were nice and fluffy, soaked through with the broth's seasoning.

Adding 70g of sirloin and the mushroom-vegetable set

The meat and mushroom-vegetable set we added on!

Honestly, the basic set is plenty of food already, but both my mom and I were extra hungry that day...

Thanks to that, we had a proper feast for the first time in a while 🤤 Once the shabu-shabu was mostly eaten and only a little was left, it was time to put in the noodles. This is where I was impressed by the owner's clever touch —

Cooking the house-made kalguksu noodles with a 5-minute hourglass

There's a 5-minute hourglass at every table, so you never have to worry about timing the noodles! ⚠️ Just make sure to stir well so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot!

And finally, the perfectly cooked noodles!

I really liked the flat kalguksu noodles, so I'd like to order extra of those next time. Being house-made, the noodles were nice and chewy.

Top it with some cool napa cabbage kimchi and a bite of meat! And to finish, of course, it's time to fry up some rice in the reduced broth.

Finishing with fried rice scraped off the crispy bottom

Stirred with a ladle into slightly crispy fried rice — the combination of kimchi, seaweed flakes, and sesame oil is a guaranteed win.

Dipping a spoonful of the fried rice into the broth makes for the perfect finish.

We scraped up even the crispy bits stuck to the bottom of the pot before leaving Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu, the well-known spot in Munhyeon-dong. On a chilly evening when you're craving hot broth, give Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu a try!