Ulsan shabu buffet, jjamppong vs clear broth dinner: Shabre Garden

Places in Ulsan that put shabu-shabu (hot pot where you swish thin meat and vegetables in broth), sushi and a salad bar all in one are popping up one after another, and I went to the newly opened Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch near Suam Market in Yaeum-dong. I visited on a weekday evening, and even then it was packed. Having been there, I get why it's already being talked about as a shabu-shabu spot in Yaeum-dong, Ulsan 😉

Shabre Garden isn't just shabu-shabu. It's a buffet-style place with all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu + sushi + salad bar + desserts. The space is big and clean, as you'd expect from a new opening, so it looked good for a family meal or a get-together. If you're hunting for a shabu-shabu buffet in Yaeum-dong, or somewhere to eat well near Suam Market, this should help, so I'll go into detail!

Where is Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch and what are the hours?

Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch is at 14 Suam-ro 128beon-gil, Nam-gu, Ulsan, 4-dong, 2nd floor. It's open 11:00–21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last order at 20:20. It's near Suam Market, so it's a convenient location from Yaeum-dong or elsewhere in Nam-gu, and a good place to stop by after grocery shopping at the market.

How much does Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch cost?

Adults pay ₩24,900 for weekday lunch, ₩29,900 for weekday dinner and ₩31,900 on weekends and holidays. Kids pay ₩16,900 for elementary school age and ₩8,900 for preschoolers, and children 35 months and under eat free.

• Weekday lunch ₩24,900
• Weekday dinner ₩29,900
• Weekends/holidays ₩31,900
• Elementary school ₩16,900
• Preschool ₩8,900
• 35 months and under free

Prices vary by time and age group, so it's worth checking before you go.

Where to park for Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch

The restaurant's own parking lot is currently under construction, so the Suam Market public parking lot is the easiest option. There's no parking support from the restaurant, though, so if you're driving, definitely keep that in mind. (I checked Naver Place and it says the Suam Raw Fish Center lot gives 2 hours, so be sure to register at the counter!)

I went on foot, and if you take the bus, it's about a 5-minute walk from the Dongbu Apartment entrance stop, so it was close.

Weekday dinner wait and atmosphere

Even on a weekday evening it was really busy, and around 6 o'clock the wait got long. Some people were writing their names on the waiting list at the counter, and when a table opens up, the owner calls the phone number you left. On weekends or at peak times it gets very crowded, so I'd suggest arriving right at opening, going early, or booking ahead.

Since it's newly opened, the whole place was clean and the seating was fairly spacious. It looked good for a family meal or group gathering, and quite a few tables were groups of several people, especially families.

How to order and choose your broth

I chose the Shabre Garden The Black weekday dinner (adult) for ₩29,900. Each seat has a tablet for ordering broth and anything else you need. You can pick clear broth or jjamppong broth, and I ordered half and half.

What's on the salad bar?

Shabu vegetables, rice paper wrap vegetables and beef

The salad bar at Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch had plenty of fresh shabu vegetables like napa cabbage, bok choy and mushrooms, plus julienned cucumber, carrot and cabbage for Vietnamese-style rice paper wraps. I took a lap of the salad bar before the broth arrived: wrap vegetables first, then shabu vegetables, sushi and the salad bar, grabbing what I needed in turn.

The shabu-shabu beef and broth are right behind the salad corner too, so you can take as much as you want. The meat had a nice bright red color!

Center salad corner and children's tableware

The center salad corner had light green salad, sweet potato and potato salads, plus fried foods and pizza.

Children's tableware, aprons and other things you need are all provided, so you can take as much as you need.

Hot food corner

The hot food corner at Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch has lots of variety, so everyone from kids to adults can pick what they like. From tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and chicken that kids love to white rice with side dishes, dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) and fried rice that adults like, it was all unlimited, and I ate until I was full.

It's a weekday evening so food disappeared quickly, but the trays weren't empty for long, so it wasn't a big inconvenience.

Opening event: free unlimited draft beer

On top of that, as an opening event, Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch offers free unlimited draft beer. Isn't that an all-time great event? A cold beer with shabu-shabu is perfect for a hot summer like this!

How was the sushi corner?

The sushi corner at Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch had rolls as well as nigiri, so there was more variety. The salmon sushi in particular was good quality, and I went back for it several times. The pieces were big too, great for eating your fill.

Empty plates were refilled quickly, so I could eat without any hassle!

Dessert corner: waffles, affogato, chocolate fountain and patbingsu

Desserts at Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch include assorted fruit, drinks, juice, waffles, bread, patbingsu (shaved ice with sweet red beans), soft serve, coffee and tea. A staff member bakes waffles on the spot and refills the tray a few at a time, so you don't have to bake them yourself, and they told us they were freshly made, which was nice.

Pouring brewed coffee over soft serve for an affogato-style treat was delicious, and dipping bread in the chocolate fountain was fun. There are plenty of toppings so you can make your own patbingsu too, which I think kids would love.

Jjamppong broth vs clear broth: which is better?

Trying the half jjamppong, half clear broth at Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch, I preferred the spicy jjamppong broth, while my friend liked the clean clear broth more. With shabu-shabu on top of the salad bar, the table ended up really loaded.

I boiled vegetables in the broth, then lightly cooked the beef and ate it. I liked that the beef wasn't too greasy. As you cook, the meat flavor seeps into the soup, so it feels deeper and more savory.

Personally, I liked the jjamppong broth more. It has a spicy kick, which suits me since I like spicy food. The more shabu-shabu ingredients you cook in it, the richer the broth gets, and the savory depth was just right haha

My friend, on the other hand, said they liked the clear broth better, haha. It's clean and refreshing, so you taste the ingredients more, they said. It's really just a matter of taste! Conclusion = both are delicious, hahaha

A dessert piled with toppings made it a perfect finish to the meal.

Who is Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch for?

Having been, I'd say Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch is a great place to enjoy all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu with sushi, a salad bar and dessert all at once. I think it suits these people especially!

• People looking for a shabu-shabu buffet in Yaeum-dong
• People looking for a place for a family meal or get-together
• People who want sushi, a salad bar and dessert all in one go

It was busy even on a weekday evening, so if you're going, I'd recommend arriving a bit early or booking ahead :)