Yongsan shabu-shabu: 5 broths and an egg porridge tip, Shabu in Seoul

In the middle of busy wedding prep days, I wanted to have a meal with my fiancée somewhere tidy and upscale for once, so we went somewhere special. It's Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch, known as a go-to spot near the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan — the atmosphere and the meat quality were both great, making it perfect for a date or a gathering. I put together an honest review, so let's take a look. Let's go~

Location and atmosphere at Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch

Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch is on the 1st floor of the Sinwoo Building, 61 Hangangdae-ro 62-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. It's within walking distance from Samgakji Station or Sinyongsan.

This is the storefront of Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch. It was kept extremely clean.

The moment I stepped inside, the modern, upscale interior stood out — a completely different level from a typical shabu-shabu restaurant.

Every table has its own neat induction stove, and the soft lighting made it a really ideal setting for a nice, atmospheric meal.

The menu and 5 broths — the finishing dish changes depending on the broth

This is the Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch menu board — I took a photo of the one out front. It has the prices listed too, so take a look.

These are the broth types at Shabu in Seoul. Uniquely, the system here decides your final finishing dish based on which broth you choose.

• Clear mushroom broth: egg porridge
• Spicy mushroom broth: rosé risotto
• Blue crab doenjang broth: doenjang rice roll
• Sukiyaki broth: yakisoba
• Beef tomato broth: tomato risotto

We wanted a clean, light broth flavor, so we went with the BEST menu item, the clear mushroom broth. It's simmered for a long time with various mushrooms, so it was rich with deep, tidy mushroom aroma — really appealing.

Photo review event

Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch was running an event where you get a free soy-skin fritter for writing a photo review.

3 sauces — the recommended combo is chili + sesame, 1:1

Shabu in Seoul has three sauces neatly set out: sesame sauce, chili sauce, and yuzu ponzu sauce.

Behind them are minced garlic and chili, great for mixing into the sauces.

There's a guide on how to enjoy Shabu in Seoul best, including how to make the sauce, so you can make it to your taste.

The middle sauce is the one Shabu in Seoul strongly recommends. We mixed chili sauce and sesame sauce 1:1, then added chili and garlic — it had a nice tangy-sweet, nutty flavor all at once.

Prime Angus eye of round & top blade shabu sets — how was the meat?

📋 We ordered the Prime Angus eye of round shabu set and the Prime Angus top blade shabu set.

As the basic table setting, neat side dishes were served,

along with a basket of the ordered meat and fresh assorted vegetables.

Napa cabbage, bok choy, sweet pumpkin, and various mushrooms came out.

The clear mushroom broth came to a boil quickly too.

We added the prepared vegetables and mushrooms into the broth and simmered them.

Every ingredient was so fresh that the broth's savory depth built up more and more as it simmered. Following the guide, we mixed chili and sesame sauce with minced garlic and chili — it paired amazingly with the meat.

Most importantly, the quality of the raw beef itself was excellent too. The eye of round had just the right amount of fat, like the shabu meat we're used to — clean and light-tasting.

The pricier top blade, on the other hand, had dense marbling, and when lightly cooked it was much chewier with a rich, savory beef aroma filling the mouth. Both were fresh and tender, but the top blade definitely felt tastier to us.

Egg porridge tip: refill the broth before requesting the porridge

With the clear mushroom broth, the finishing dish is egg porridge.

When you request the finishing dish on the kiosk, the staff carefully makes porridge by adding rice, egg, and seaweed flakes into the broth. Here's a little tip from your groom-to-be! If you refill and simmer the broth once before requesting the egg porridge, the staff will pour it into a separate bowl for you before making the porridge. When you eat the finished egg porridge together with this warm, rich mushroom broth like a side soup, it's so much more moist and deeply flavorful.

When the meal wraps up, a cool, slightly sweet omija (schisandra berry) tea comes out in a neat double-walled glass.

It cleanly refreshed the palate, making for a really nice finish.

Overall review: what was good, what fell short

On our first visit to Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch, it lived up to its title of upscale shabu dining, with excellent fresh beef and a tidy atmosphere. If I'm honest, though, the prices were high and the portions felt a bit small, so we didn't feel completely full even after finishing the meal — a slight letdown. Still, thanks to the distinctly upscale atmosphere and appealing flavors, it's a place I'd want to visit again.

If you're looking for a tidy meal or an upscale-atmosphere restaurant near Yongsan or Samgakji, I'd recommend giving it a try at least once.