Yongin kalguksu restaurant with ₩13,000 spicy shabu set: Dongchundang

I really love shabu-shabu kalguksu, and when I heard there was a great kalguksu spot in Sinbong-dong, I had to check it out. The food is good and the value is even better, so I wanted to share it as a place to take the adults in the family when you're out at the Sinbong-dong dining district.

Dongchundang Sinbong Oesik Town Branch: hours and parking

Dongchundang Shabu Shabu Kalguksu Sinbong Oesik Town Branch is open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, so you can even come for an early meal. And the parking lot is spacious, so you can relax without worrying about a spot!

The exterior is clean, but the interior is even more pleasant. You can tell it's a well-managed restaurant! There are standard 4-person tables plus group seating.

What comes in the ₩13,000 shabu kalguksu set?

Dongchundang's main dish is the shabu kalguksu set: yeolmu bibimbap + shabu-shabu + mugwort kalguksu + fried rice for ₩13,000. This much food for this price? I had to double check. I also added the signature tofu sandwich!

Dongchundang, this Sinbong-dong dining district favorite, offers unlimited makgeolli refills. My eyes went wide... I didn't drink, but I saw the people around me happily enjoying a drink with their meal. Adults would love this.

We ordered the shabu kalguksu set for two and it came out generously filled ❤️ Eating out these days easily runs ₩40,000, so with a price and taste like this, why wouldn't you go?

Is Dongchundang's spicy broth mild enough for kids?

You can choose between clear broth and spicy broth, but the spicy one isn't actually that spicy! Kids could definitely eat it too. I went with the spicy broth.

How good is the shabu meat at Dongchundang?

What impressed me most at Dongchundang was the shabu meat. It's thick and high quality! Not thin frozen slices — fresh meat with real thickness.

And the tofu sandwich ❤️ I finally understood why it's so popular! The outside of the tofu is grilled to a chewy texture, and it's packed with meat inside — so, so good.

Geotjeori kimchi and yeolmu bibimbap at Dongchundang

When it comes to kalguksu, the kimchi matters. I'm a kimchi fanatic, so one bite tells me whether a place is legit or not — and Dongchundang's geotjeori (fresh kimchi) nails it. Exactly the flavor that pairs with kalguksu.

When you order the shabu kalguksu set, you get a palate-opening yeolmu bibimbap. This thing is magic — it doesn't look like it has much in it, but why is it this delicious!

They boil it up vigorously and add beef to deepen the broth flavor. The soup is genuinely clean and light. It's not overpowering, so both kids and adults seem to love it — that might be why I saw such a wide range of ages there.

You really have to see the meat in person. It was the highest quality meat I've had at any shabu-shabu place so far. My husband agreed too! The portions are generous, so if you finish the kalguksu and fried rice too, you'll be stuffed.

And there's plenty of mushrooms, minari (water dropwort), dumplings, bean sprouts, potatoes and more. I love vegetables and thought I'd need to add extra, but the base amount is already generous ❤️

Here's the tofu sandwich once it's cooked — looks delicious just from this, right? It's filled with ground beef and it's the ultimate in savory, light flavor.

Self-serve bar: cheongyang chili is the kick

You can freely help yourself to sauces, broth, and geotjeori at the self-serve bar! The cheongyang chili peppers are the kick! I really appreciated how spotlessly the restaurant was kept.

Finishing the course: mugwort kalguksu to fried rice

After the meat, of course the next course is the kalguksu! It's green from the mugwort, which somehow made me feel less guilty? And it comes right when the broth has hit peak flavor — perfect timing!

The last course is fried rice, of course — fried rice really is the K-dessert. I don't usually eat much rice, but there's no resisting fried rice mixed into this concentrated broth!!

My husband finished off the fried rice with his own touch, and we ended the meal patting our full bellies. The atmosphere and the staff were so friendly that I think we'll be back.

Last was the black sesame soy milk! It was delicious — nutty, exactly my style! The weather's suddenly turning cold, and on days like this shabu kalguksu is exactly what will come to mind, haha. Try it out for yourselves at Dongchundang, a Sinbong-dong dining district favorite.