Kalguksu restaurant next to CGV at Giheung Station, Yongin: Deungchon

As the weather turns chilly, the first place that comes to mind for a good bowl of soup near Giheung-gu Office is Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Giheung Station Branch! Vegetables, beef, kalguksu noodles, and fried rice — you can eat the whole course here. It's always delicious whenever I come, and this time I visited for a movie-and-dinner date with the CGV right next door.

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Giheung Station Branch

A shabu-shabu spot below Giheung ICT Valley, right next to CGV

This Giheung Station kalguksu restaurant is friendly and clean no matter when you visit. With a spacious interior and generous table spacing, it's a popular spot for couples eating before or after catching a movie at the CGV inside Giheung ICT Valley. It's also great for a family shabu-shabu dinner out. Fittingly for summer business, the interior stays cool, and I loved the thoughtful touch of a mini fan at each table to blow away the steam from the bubbling shabu-shabu.

Basic kimchi and small plates came out first. They poured us a cool glass of water, and we decided to order the same thing as always — spicy mushroom kalguksu, the dish we get every single time.

Which broth should you choose?

On the menu at this Giheung-gu Office kalguksu restaurant, you'll see the spicy mushroom kalguksu Deungchon is known for, plus the milder clear mushroom kalguksu that's kid-friendly, and perilla seed mushroom kalguksu. I love Deungchon so much I've tried all three broths, and honestly all three have their own charm and are delicious — I'd recommend any of them. We went with our usual: two servings of spicy mushroom kalguksu, plus added shabu-shabu beef.

Today's spicy mushroom kalguksu at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Giheung Station Branch, piled high with minari (water dropwort). Underneath are potatoes, mushrooms, and other vegetables. That flavor when the minari gets lightly blanched in the spicy shabu-shabu broth and eaten together with the shabu-shabu beef — incredible. The smell of the spicy broth started swirling around as it came to a boil.

When to add the dumplings: the order to eat in

Kalguksu noodles, two dumplings, fried rice, and shabu-shabu beef — all part of the spread at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Giheung Station Branch! The best order: enjoy the shabu-shabu beef first, and drop the dumplings in right around then so they're fully cooked by the time you get to the noodles. After the dumplings and noodles, finish with fried rice or porridge made from what's left — that's the perfect full course at Deungchon.

Thin, clean-tasting shabu-shabu beef, rolled up and dipped into the hot, spicy, rapidly boiling broth! The spicy broth soaks through the thin slices of beef. Pairing it with the slightly crisp, fragrant minari is something that's delicious no matter how many times I have it.

This spicy, savory kalguksu near Giheung-gu Office is especially craveable these days, with the cold morning and evening wind picking up.

I used the tongs to pull out a good-sized helping of perfectly cooked shabu-shabu beef with minari onto my small plate. There's a wasabi soy sauce to dip it in if you want, but it's already well-seasoned so it's tasty even plain. I like my mushrooms cooked a bit longer, so I let them sit a little more before eating the beef and minari.

You need to drop the dumplings in fairly early so they're properly cooked and delicious later. Fully cooked, hot all the way through, and dipped lightly in the shabu-shabu broth — the dumplings at Deungchon are amazing this way.

Ladle out some broth before the noodles go in

Chewy kalguksu noodles! They're also great eaten with the remaining mushrooms and the softened, well-cooked minari. Personally, if you want to keep some clear broth for later, I'd recommend ladling a little out before adding the noodles. I slurped down the noodles while debating whether to go for fried rice or porridge next at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Giheung Station Branch.

Finishing with porridge instead of fried rice

After finishing the noodles, ladle out a bit of the broth and simmer it into porridge for the perfect final meal! My partner and I both like fried rice, but we tend to prefer the porridge — it's moist and lets you taste the richer, more concentrated broth.

A place I'd love to come back to for another movie at CGV, followed by a hearty shabu-shabu kalguksu course for lunch or dinner. The shabu-shabu here is delicious every single time, and between the friendly service and the consistent flavor, this Giheung Station shabu-shabu restaurant keeps coming to mind. If you're looking for a great kalguksu spot near Giheung-gu Office or a good restaurant in Giheung ICT Valley, I really recommend giving Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Giheung Station Branch a try.