First hot pot buffet in Songdo with a foodie friend: Sangsangcheom

Why a shabu-shabu fan tried her first hot pot at Sangsangcheom in Songdo

I spent a day out at Triple Street in Songdo, Incheon, with my close blogger friend Subeulli, and at Sangsangcheom (상상첨) I ate hot pot for the very first time. Before I had my baby I hung out at Songdo Triple Street all the time, but it's not so easy now, so this time together felt really precious..!! From lunch to dinner we ate our way along "Subeulli Road" haha!

When Subeulli and I meet we usually go for shabu-shabu, but she told me hot pot (훠궈, huogui) is way tastier than shabu-shabu~ So I trusted my foodie friend and took on my first-ever hot pot!

Where is Sangsangcheom Songdo Triple Street Branch, and how is the parking?

Sangsangcheom Songdo Triple Street Branch is at 33-4 Songdogwahak-ro 16beon-gil, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Triple Street Building D, 1st floor, Unit 122-1, and it's open daily 11:00–23:00 (last order 21:30). It's 825 m from Exit 2 of Tekeunopakeu Station, and free parking is available.

The Triple Street car park is really big, so even beginners can use it comfortably. It's split into Buildings A, B, C and D, so I'd recommend checking where your destination is before you park. Sangsangcheom is in Building D.

• Parking is free for 5 hours a day
• 1 extra free hour if you visit Megabox (max 6 hours)
• After that, ₩500 per 10 minutes (max ₩20,000 a day)
• If you use the Tesla Supercharger, park in the Building D underground car park

I heard Sangsangcheom (上上籤) used to be on the 2nd floor of Building C at Triple Street and then moved to the 1st floor of Building D. It's right in front of Gate 3.

The red exterior stands out at a glance, so it was easy to find~

What's the atmosphere like, and can you bring kids?

Sangsangcheom's Songdo branch has high ceilings and plenty of space, so it doesn't feel stuffy even when it's busy, and as a "Yes Kids" restaurant with high chairs it works well for family meals. The moment I walked in I thought, wow, it's huge! The first thing I look at in any restaurant is the ceiling height, and here it's high, so it feels really open haha. Even with lots of customers it never felt cramped, which is a big plus!!

I thought, this place must be popular? Hot pot must be popular? It was almost full even at weekday lunchtime! And I realized I've become a mom, because wherever I go, the kids are the first customers I notice..! Since it's a "Yes Kids" restaurant, I saw quite a few families dining out haha. High chairs are available too. (The best place for moms!)

Sangsangcheom all-you-can-eat prices and time limits

Sangsangcheom is an all-you-can-eat hot pot place with a time limit: weekday lunch is 80 minutes for ₩25,900, and weekday dinner, weekends and holidays are 100 minutes for ₩29,900. There are separate kids' prices too.

• Weekday lunch (80 minutes): ₩25,900
• Weekday dinner / weekends / holidays (100 minutes): ₩29,900
• Elementary school students: ₩15,900 / preschoolers: ₩6,900
• ※ Extra charges apply if you go over the time limit

How do you order hot pot at Sangsangcheom?

You order on the tablet PC at each table. Once you pick your broth, the staff set it up first, and after that you choose your all-you-can-eat meat on the kiosk!

• 1️⃣ Pick a broth: one of mala, beef bone (usagol), mushroom or tomato, or half and half for two flavors
• 2️⃣ Order unlimited meat: beef chuck shoulder, beef short plate, beef chuck flap
• 3️⃣ Use the self-bar: 56 topping ingredients

After some negotiation, Subeulli and I went half and half with "mala" and "beef bone" flavors!

3 kinds of meat with no gamey smell

Sangsangcheom's refillable meats are beef chuck shoulder, beef short plate and beef chuck flap, and you can take as much as you like. I'm sensitive to meaty odors, but all three had no gamey smell at all, which I loved~

What's in Sangsangcheom's 56-item self-bar?

The self-bar has 56 ingredients, from vegetables to skewers, seafood, noodles, side dishes, drinks and desserts. Shabu-shabu means veggies, right? There are fresh vegetables to make Chinese-style shabu-shabu delicious: bean sprouts, napa cabbage, bok choy, spinach, plus sweet pumpkin, lotus root and corn. It felt like every vegetable was gathered right here haha

There's a real variety, from skewers and fish balls to seafood, beef omasum (cheonyeop) and congealed blood (seonji)~ And then ramen noodles, knife-cut noodles, Chinese glass noodles and fen mozi (potato starch noodles)... what is going on at this salad bar, wow

There are also lots of side dishes, including my beloved guobaorou (꿔바로우, crispy sweet-and-sour pork)~

Drinks are unlimited too, so you never get sick of the food!

How did the mala and beef bone hot pot taste for a first-timer?

The beef bone broth was mild and easy for everyone, while the mala broth was a little spicy for a first-timer like me, yet it kept coming back to mind at home. Since it was all new to me, I respected Subeulli's taste and brought ingredients she picked~! Drumroll, so how did it taste..?

• Beef bone broth: a deep, rich meat broth with the familiar "sagol" (bone broth) flavor, so I think nobody would dislike it~ It was especially good for kids!
• Mala broth: my first mala was spicier than I expected~ Honestly, while eating, my tongue was numb and it felt a bit baffling. But... you know what!! Why am I thinking about it at home??

Finishing with fruit and ice cream

The self-bar has seasonal fruit like watermelon and tomatoes, plus ice cream, which made a great finish!

Is Sangsangcheom in Songdo worth trying as a first hot pot?

My first hot pot at Sangsangcheom, the hot pot restaurant at Songdo Triple Street, was better than I expected~ Above all, the price is seriously great value! I get why it's well known~

The mala taste was baffling at first, but since it keeps coming back to me at home, I'm totally hooked on mala, right..? I heard there's no way out, uh-oh haha