Suji 3-course shabu-kalguksu with king prawn pajeon: Yun Ujae

While looking for good restaurants in Suji, I thought of shabu-kalguksu and headed to Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu Gogidong Branch (윤우재 샤브칼국수 고기동점). The name says Gogidong, but the address is actually in Dongcheon-dong, Suji-gu, Yongin — so it's worth checking out whether you're searching for restaurants in Dongcheon-dong or somewhere to eat near Gogi-ri.

This time I ordered shabu-kalguksu and crispy seafood pajeon (해물파전). To cut to the conclusion, the combo was really good. Cooking meat and vegetables in the hot broth, then moving on to chewy kalguksu noodles and finally fried rice, was a great structure — and having bites of crispy seafood pancake in between made the meal feel even more filling.

It's a place worth remembering in Suji whenever you're craving a hot bowl of soup.

Where Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu is and when it opens

Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu Gogidong Branch is located at 3 Gogi-ro 173beon-gil, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1st floor. Business hours are 11:00–20:50, break time is 15:00–16:30 (no break on weekends), and last order is at 20:00.

• Address: 3 Gogi-ro 173beon-gil, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1st floor
• Hours: 11:00 – 20:50
• Break time: 15:00 – 16:30 (none on weekends)
• Last order: 20:00
• Parking available / waiting area / baby chair / private rooms available

Hours can change, so I'd recommend double-checking on the day of your visit.

How the shabu-kalguksu course is eaten, stage by stage

When the shabu-kalguksu arrives at Yun Ujae, you first bring the broth to a boil, then add meat and vegetables one by one to cook. Watching the meat gently cook in the bubbling pot alongside the vegetables — this kind of dish really suits the colder days.

What I liked most was that it doesn't end with just shabu-shabu — the meal moves through meat and vegetables → kalguksu noodles → fried rice, so there's a real sense of progression to the meal. The shabu-kalguksu currently lets you choose between red and white broth, and the basic set includes sirloin with vegetables and mushrooms, flat kalguksu noodles, and both noodles and fried rice.

One of the charms of shabu-kalguksu is how the flavor changes stage by stage in a single pot. At first, the flavors from the meat and vegetables build into the broth, then the noodles go in and the soup deepens further. By the time you finish the fried rice at the end, you really feel like you've had a proper meal.

48-hour aged, foot-kneaded house-made kalguksu noodles

What stuck with me most at Yun Ujae was definitely the kalguksu noodles. The restaurant uses its own house-made noodles, and the current menu even describes them as 48-hour aged, foot-kneaded house-made noodles, along with flat kalguksu.

After finishing the shabu, adding the noodles and cooking them in the broth was great — the noodles soaked up the soup while still keeping a good bite. It felt like a place where you come for shabu-shabu but end up waiting eagerly for the noodles — haha! If you love soupy dishes, this is definitely one to try.

Is the 16,000-won king prawn seafood pajeon worth adding?

The crispy seafood pajeon at Yun Ujae is listed at 16,000 won, and it's loaded with king prawns and squid, giving it real texture. I almost ordered just the shabu-kalguksu, but adding this turned out to be the right call. True to its name, the outside was fried crispy while the inside was packed with seafood, making each piece fun to eat.

Going from the hot, moist shabu-kalguksu to a crunchy bite of seafood pajeon completely changed the texture, and the two dishes complemented each other better than I expected.

Personally, if you're visiting with a group rather than eating shabu-kalguksu alone, I think ordering one seafood pajeon to share would be even more memorable. Both dishes I had that day — the shabu-kalguksu and the pajeon — were delicious.

Finishing the pot with fried rice

Once you've finished the noodles, the last step is fried rice. Leaving a bit of broth in the pot and frying the rice in it naturally continues the flavors of the shabu and noodles you ate earlier.

I came in for shabu-shabu but ended up having meat, then noodles, then seafood pajeon, then finally fried rice. I liked how the meal kept evolving even though I only ordered one menu item.

So this feels less like a light bowl of noodles and more like a solid restaurant in Dongcheon-dong for a family meal out or when you want a hearty, filling meal.

Why Yun Ujae works for a family meal out

According to the current Naver Map listing for Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu Gogidong Branch, amenities include free parking, a waiting area, baby chairs, private rooms, and a self-serve bar. Shabu-kalguksu itself is a dish that works well for a group sharing one pot, so it's a good fit for family visits too.

One nice thing is that you eat the meat and vegetables first before moving on to the noodles that kids tend to love. Some recent reviews mention it gets busy during meal times, so if you're going on weekends or at peak lunch hours, it's probably best to build in a little extra time.

A stop on a Gogi-ri day out in Yongin

Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu's official administrative address is Dongcheon-dong, but I'd also recommend keeping it in mind as a place to eat while heading toward Gogi-ri.

I noticed it comes up often in reviews from people looking for places to eat around Gogi-ri or Gogidong. If you're craving a hot soup dish before or after a Gogi-ri drive or nearby plans, this is worth remembering.

What to order next time at Yun Ujae

There are a lot of shabu-shabu restaurants these days, but the way Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu flows from shabu-shabu into noodles and then fried rice stuck with me. And the crispy seafood pajeon I ordered alongside it was great too.

Going from tender meat and vegetables, to hot broth, to chewy noodles, then finishing with crunchy seafood pajeon let me enjoy a range of different flavors and textures in one sitting. If you're searching for good restaurants in Suji or Dongcheon-dong and shabu-kalguksu comes to mind, it's worth a stop.

I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a good restaurant in Gogi-ri while out for a drive or an outing there. Next time I visit, I'll be ordering the shabu-kalguksu and seafood pajeon combo again.