Hwajeong shabu-shabu buffet lunch before blossom viewing: Pyeonbaek

Where is Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Ilsan Hwajeong Branch, and when is it open?

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Ilsan Hwajeong Branch is an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu restaurant 200 meters from Exit 1 of Hwajeong Station. I went to this Hwajeong favorite, known for its classy atmosphere and great value.

It's open from 11 AM to 10 PM, with no break time and no days off.

Last week our cherry blossom outing got rained out, so this time I was determined to actually see them, and we decided to eat first: shabu-shabu at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan (편백회관) near Hwajeong Station.

I live in this neighborhood and have been here many times, but for anyone coming to Pyeonbaek Hoegwan for the first time,

here's an easier way to say it: it's on the 3rd floor of Chelsea Building, right in the middle of Rodeo Street.

What are the weekday opening-time atmosphere and seating like?

I got there almost right at opening on a weekday, and there were already quite a few customers, which threw me a little. The entrance is small, but inside it's very spacious and pleasant.

It's calm, elegant and refined, perfect for a gathering or a family meal. It works for a cozy meal for two or a big group.

We didn't even think twice and picked the table in front of the big picture window. I hate feeling cramped or sitting somewhere dark, so just sitting in a spot like this felt healing.

How do you order at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan, and how long can you stay?

Choose 2 broths and you get the cedar steamer (편백찜) and the refill bar. You can stay for 100 minutes.

What's at the self-bar?

The self-bar has shabu ingredients, rice paper wrap fixings, meat, broth and hot dishes. As a regular, I picked my broths fast and headed to the self-bar with excitement. Not only the shabu ingredients but also the wrap fixings were fresh and neatly laid out, so my hands got faster and faster.

Living alone, I find it surprisingly hard to eat a variety of vegetables, so I was determined to get my money's worth while I was here.

The wrap ingredients are cut small and thin so they're easy to chew, a thoughtful touch.

And there's none of that stingy "a few grams of meat per person" business here. The meat is unlimited, too.

They said the kinds can vary depending on the day's supply. I think it was beef belly and chuck that day. There are two broths, katsuo (bonito) and spicy mushroom, so just take what you like.

On the other side are the hot dishes. Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) is the soul food of all women, after all.

And a tomato pasta that somehow reminded me of school lunch.

How was the cedar steamer topped with penguin steamed buns?

The cedar steamer is cooked with steam only, so it's clean and mild, and this time it came topped with penguin steamed buns. I bustled back and forth like a squirrel stocking its pantry, and before I knew it, it was time for the smoking steamer to arrive.

The moment I opened the big wooden box, it was full and colorful like a gift box. Last time the buns were puppies, but this time they put on even cuter penguin buns.

Steamed only with steam, so there's little nutrient loss and it tastes light.

Chew the beef together with the shrimp they tuck in, and the sweetness of the beef and the shrimp combine for double the sweetness.

There are 3 sauces on the table. I put my favorite peanut sauce on it and got extra nuttiness. If you like something punchier and fresher, there are chili peppers where the wrap fixings are. Put those on and dig in!

"Won't this alone fill me up?" Don't say such weak things. The main course is still coming.

How does the katsuo and beef-bone mala shabu-shabu taste?

Again I ordered what I always get: katsuo plus beef-bone mala. They give you the mala sauce packed in a spiral like a snail shell. I eat very mildly seasoned food, so I only stirred in about a third.

Here's our lunch, carried over with great effort. I brought plenty of beef belly and chuck, and the fattier beef belly was definitely nuttier and softer, so I went back for a couple more refills of just beef belly.

The tteokbokki isn't very spicy, just slightly sweet, and the rice cakes were soft and very chewy. The tomato pasta, which I had no big expectations for, was surprisingly delicious. A upgraded school lunch version, you could say.

As a carb addict who'd perish without them, I brought corn noodles, sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes) and fuzhu (tofu skin). Guys, I normally hate thin noodles and never ate corn noodles, but after meeting them at a lamb skewer place the other day, I guess we hit it off. Corn noodles are just that good these days.

The three-color dumplings and thick kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) they give you as well feel like a greeting to visiting guests, and they're always endearing.

Next, I crammed in vegetables to make both broths clearer and more refreshing. The katsuo broth is clear, clean and crisp, while the beef-bone mala has a faint tingling mala aroma and a little heat, so it feels like eating two different dishes from the same ingredients.

Once the vegetables had given the broth a cool, fresh flavor, I dropped in meat to make it richer. Ah, other creatures' flesh is always right, as they say. Again I had a filling, clean meal.

Is Pyeonbaek Hoegwan in Hwajeong worth going back to?

For this local regular, Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Ilsan Hwajeong Branch is a Hwajeong Station restaurant that satisfies every time with its atmosphere and value. Having enjoyed it so much, I even cleared the table myself as my own way of saying thanks.

I loved the elegant atmosphere, the varied, fresh ingredients and the wide choice of broths: this all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu spot in Hwajeong.

A Hwajeong Station restaurant that satisfies every time with its atmosphere and value.