Junggye-dong shabu-shabu before Chuseok, leftovers packed to go: Hana

Why I went to Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch on an evening before Chuseok

Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch is a spot in Junggye-dong where you can enjoy warm broth and good-quality shabu-shabu meat. With Chuseok coming up, I went for dinner with the kids this time~

Maybe because it was right before the holiday, there were more family groups and friend gatherings than I expected~ It's a place where everyone who's come with me has praised the warm broth and the really good meat quality, and today I went to eat with the kids.

What are the seats like at Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch?

Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch has small rooms and tables of various sizes, making it a good place for gatherings or family meals~ The counter (dojji) seats were also nice for a date or a meal with a friend~

How long was the wait on a weekday evening?

On a weekday evening before Chuseok, the wait at Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch was longer than usual. There were a lot of people who'd eaten in the earlier time slot, so the wait ended up a bit longer than I expected.

I visit Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch every so often, and this was the longest I've ever waited. Still, the staff were kind with their guidance, so I waited comfortably~

Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch: location, hours, parking

• Address: 29 Dongil-ro203ga-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Directions: About 521m (a 5-minute walk) from Exit 4 of Junggye Station, Line 7; also close to Exit 6 of Hagye Station
• Hours: Open daily (last order 21:00)
• Parking: Parking support available if you park in the building's underground lot

It's close to my house so I drove over~ If you park in the building's underground lot, parking support is available.

How do you cook the vegetables at Hana Shabu Shabu?

At Hana Shabu Shabu, they pour just enough broth into the pot so it won't overflow once you add the vegetables and meat, then once it starts boiling, they put in the firmer vegetables that take a bit longer to cook, like kabocha squash and potato, first~

The vegetables and mushrooms came in a nice variety and were so fresh that the texture was really good~ The little one who came with me doesn't eat vegetables~ There was way too much for one person to eat alone, so I only cooked as much as we'd actually eat, little by little.

Traditional special broth simmered in a cast-iron pot

The weather's getting more autumn-like, and apparently Hana Shabu Shabu uses a traditional special broth with a deep, clean flavor. It warms you up from the inside, and even after the meal my stomach felt comfortable.

I boiled the vegetables first in the cast-iron pot, which they say keeps the heat longer and draws out the broth's rich flavor, and ate those first~

How does the black Angus meat at Hana Shabu Shabu taste?

Hana Shabu Shabu uses chilled US black Angus beef~ There was no gamey smell at all, and I could really enjoy the meat quality. Once you pop a piece in your mouth, savory juices fill your whole mouth~

Since we had other plans for the holiday and couldn't gather as a family, eating food this delicious helped ease that emptiness~ It's a warm Junggye-dong shabu-shabu spot that fills the empty feeling in your heart too — Hana Shabu Shabu~

Maybe because it's chilled beef, the juices were really tasty — great whether you dip it in the sauce or eat it plain, it was really enjoyable either way.

Is it okay to go with kids who don't eat vegetables?

At Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch, I finished the meal by adding udon noodles into the vegetables and warm broth. It was shabu-shabu with kids who don't eat vegetables well, but the broth had such a healthy flavor that we could still enjoy the meal happily even with fewer vegetables eaten~

It's also a good place to visit if you want to treat elders or people around you to a meal.

Can you pack up leftover vegetables and broth?

Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch lets you pack up leftover vegetables. We'd only eaten about half of the vegetables, and since packing was possible, I asked them to pack it up~ If you ask, they'll pack the broth too.

The interior is clean, and the staff are kind, so it's also a good place to eat with people close to you. Eating out often feels like it can't compare to home cooking, but Hana Shabu Shabu has such a healthy flavor that we could enjoy a meal together as a family without any worry~

If you want to enjoy healthy-tasting shabu-shabu in a clean, upscale atmosphere near Nowon, I'd recommend Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch~