Spicy pork shabu kalguksu in Byeongjeom: Mansu Shabu Kalguksu

Address: 경기 화성시 병점구 영통로 40 1층 (40 Yeongtong-ro, Byeongjeom-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1F)

Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 Break time 15:00–16:00 Sometimes closed on public holidays, so check before visiting

Parking: There's a small lot in front of the restaurant, and you can also use the nearby Dalbitnarae Children's Library parking lot (parking support if you're dining at the restaurant)

As the wind started turning cold, shabu-shabu came to mind, so I headed to Mansu Shabu Kalguksu in Banwol-dong. Their signature spicy pork shabu-shabu had the warmth, the kick of spice, and the generous portions — perfect for the cold season.

Where to park at Mansu Shabu Kalguksu if the front lot is full

Byeongjeom's Mansu Shabu Kalguksu is on the first floor, with a few parking spots right in front. That said, spots can get tight at meal times, so parking at the nearby Dalbitnarae Children's Library and walking over as a little stroll is also a good option — parking fees are covered if you dine at the restaurant.

Walking in, you're greeted by a calming painting bearing the Mansu Shabu Kalguksu name. To the right sits a standing waiting machine for customers in line.

I arrived right at the weekday opening time of 11am. Eating there, I noticed other guests who'd made reservations like me, as well as people who'd just dropped in for the atmosphere. Even though the place hadn't been open long, there were already regulars.

Inside Mansu Shabu Kalguksu: interior and seating

Mansu Shabu Kalguksu is decorated in a luxurious mix of deep green and light wood tones, which made the whole space feel even nicer.

There are long sofa seats you can lean back into, plus seating sectioned off like partitions. If a sunny table feels like too much, there are tables with softer, dimmer lighting too.

Baby chairs are also available.

What we ordered: the spicy pork belly shabu kalguksu

After a quick look around, I thought about what to order. The owner explained the menu in detail, and we decided to try the restaurant's signature dish: spicy pork belly shabu kalguksu. It comes with pork belly, meatballs, vegetables and mushrooms, kalguksu noodles, and fried rice.

Besides the pork belly shabu, there's also beef and hanwoo (premium Korean beef) shabu kalguksu, plus a hanwoo mushroom hot pot kalguksu. A few add-on options caught my eye too, so we added a pork dumpling for the shabu. And if shabu-shabu isn't the plan, there's pork cutlet and bibim kalguksu, good for kids or solo diners.

After ordering, I took another look around Mansu Shabu Kalguksu. Plates, utensils, paper cups and wet wipes are all tidily set at each table, taking up minimal space so nothing gets in the way while eating.

Fresh noodles from the in-house noodle room and Gangwon cabbage kimchi

One thing that stood out to me personally was the dedicated noodle room, clearly visible from the dining area. Fresh noodles are made there by hand, and tasting them, the noodles were chewy with real bite — I hoped whoever's making them keeps doing it, as long as it's not too much work on them, haha.

They said the kimchi is made with cabbage from Gangwon-do, so I was looking forward to it even before eating, and the first bite confirmed — yep, this is properly fermented kimchi. Not a fresh geotjeori-style kimchi, but well-aged, and it paired great with both the kalguksu and the rice. You could tell a lot of thought went into the kimchi too.

Is Mansu Shabu Kalguksu good with kids?

Mansu Shabu Kalguksu feels like a kid-friendly restaurant. Beyond the baby chairs, there's kids' tableware too. My kid's favorite — a Pororo plate, haha. If we bring our baby next time, this is the tableware we'd use.

How the spicy pork belly shabu-shabu tasted

Right as I finished looking around, our order arrived. Pork belly shabu-shabu comes with a spicy broth as the base — red broth, neatly arranged vegetables, meat, meatballs, fresh noodles, and the dumpling add-on all came out together.

While waiting for the spicy broth to come to a boil, we first tried the corn mayo and kimchi side dishes. The corn mayo wasn't greasy at all — savory and soft. My mom liked it even more than I did — a genuinely good side dish, rich but not heavy. The cabbage kimchi made with Gangwon-do cabbage was great on its own too, but I couldn't wait to eat it with the shabu-shabu.

My favorite thing — individually wrapped utensils.

As soon as the broth started boiling, we added in the vegetables.

Bubbling away, veggies — hurry up and cook!

The meatballs my mom had been so curious about! The moment the vegetables went in, she grabbed for the meatballs right away, haha. She said you eat them the moment they float back up after going in.

And so, the spicy pork belly shabu at Mansu Shabu Kalguksu. First off, the broth had exactly the right level of spice to put you in a good mood. The heat was clean and refreshing rather than harsh — anyone who likes spicy food would probably think 'ah, that hits the spot.' The meatballs were seasoned just right — no cartilage or fatty bits, just the feeling of eating the inside of a well-made sausage.

Trying pork shabu-shabu for the first time

I tried the main event — the pork itself. It was the first pork shabu-shabu I'd ever had in my life, and it suited my taste so well I wondered why I'd never tried it before. The meat quality was excellent, no gamey smell and never tough, and eating it with the spicy broth and vegetables made me want to order more meat right away. Just two servings' worth of meat honestly wasn't enough.

My mom had said at first, "I've never had pork shabu-shabu before, will it be okay?" But turns out — she kept saying how good it was, enough that she wants to come back with my dad for this exact dish next time. For at least the two of us, this counts as their signature dish.

Kalguksu time. We added more broth and let it boil while the fresh noodles cooked. This part always takes the longest, haha.

Because they're fresh noodles, they were chewy, and the broth soaked in so well that mom and I stopped talking and just ate in silence for a while. Eating them with the cabbage kimchi I'd been saving, plus the last bite of pork, drew an involuntary sound of satisfaction.

Finishing the pot with fried rice

We were plenty full by this point, but there's no skipping rice — the Korean dessert. They fry it up with minari (water dropwort), gim (seaweed), and kimchi, and the bright tang of the kimchi paired beautifully with the crisp freshness of the minari. We scraped the plate clean.

And more kimchi on top of that. I'm not usually someone who eats a lot of kimchi, but the fried rice and kimchi at Mansu Shabu Kalguksu were an absolutely perfect match, haha. There's a reason they give it to you as a side.

While we were finishing up, a staff member showed us that there are things for kids to play with too — leftover dough from the noodle room that kids can stamp shapes into, plus pretty rings and small toys. It made me want to call my kid over from daycare, haha. You could really feel how much thought the owner and staff at Mansu Shabu Kalguksu put into service, not just the food.

Free tea and coffee after the meal

With the meal fully wrapped up, we went for tea and coffee. But wow, why is there so much tea?

Laid out neatly to suit any taste: barley tea, Earl Grey, peppermint, buckwheat, dungulle tea, and more tea bags.

There are two coffee machines, plus mix coffee tucked in one corner. Thinking about it, my dad always says mix coffee is the best — I'll have to bring him a cup of that when I take him here.

It's rare to get a relaxed meal with my mom, and even then she still put me on coffee-run duty, haha. There was even an iced americano button, but mom asked for a hot americano instead.

It was a pretty strong americano. Exactly my kind of coffee.

Would I go back to Mansu Shabu Kalguksu?

Visiting with my mom, we had spicy pork belly shabu-shabu in a space that felt upscale but relaxed. The pairing of the rich meat and the spicy broth suited both of our tastes so well it's still on my mind, and seeing the kids' chairs and toys made me want to come back with my own child too. On top of that, every staff member was kind and kept checking in on the food and service, so the whole time felt like being genuinely taken care of.

With the weather turning colder, this is the Byeongjeom shabu-shabu place I keep thinking about. If you're looking for a shabu-shabu with real character, or you love spicy food, their spicy pork belly shabu-shabu is worth remembering.