Shabu-shabu buffet in Ruwon City, half-and-half broth: Shabuway

Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch is a shabu-shabu buffet in the Ruwon City food alley near Gajeong Station, and it's a great spot for a family meal. Today I'm introducing Shabuway.

What are the hours and parking at Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch?

Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch is open daily 11:30–21:30, with a break from 15:30 to 17:00. There's no break time on weekends and public holidays, and you can pay with the Incheon Eum Card.

You can park in the building's underground lot, and up to 2 hours are covered.

It's in the Ruwon food alley, a 5-minute walk from Gajeong Station Exit 4, so access is really good. If you drive, you can park under the Shabuway building, and the lot was roomy and wide, so parking was easy. With up to 2 hours covered, you can eat at a relaxed pace and still drive out in time.^^

What's the atmosphere like at Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch?

Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch takes up a whole floor on the 2nd level, in a gray-toned interior with such an upscale Korean set-meal restaurant feel that you'd never guess it's a shabu-shabu place. It looked classy from the outside, and since it's a standalone floor, you get a fairly private space to eat.

The inside is divided into seating areas that make it easy for families to eat together, and the gaps between tables are really wide, so it also works for dining out or group gatherings.

How much does Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch cost?

Adults pay ₩24,900 for weekday lunch, and ₩29,900 for weekday dinner and on weekends and public holidays. Kids' prices, draft beer and corkage are below.

• Adult weekday lunch ₩24,900
• Adult weekday dinner ₩29,900
• Adult weekends and holidays ₩29,900
• Unlimited draft beer ₩5,000 per table
• Elementary school ₩16,000
• Preschool (36 months–7 years) ₩8,900
• Corkage free

Different tastes? Half-and-half broth solves it

At Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch you can choose from original, spicy, mala, shiitake and sukiyaki broths, and except for sukiyaki you can pick two for a half-and-half pot. We went on a weekend and ordered shabu-shabu for 2.

I liked being able to order to personal taste. With a husband whose taste is different from mine, splitting the pot in half and enjoying two versions was a real tip!

What's on the Shabuway self-serve buffet bar?

I think the biggest signature of Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch is the buffet-style spread of fresh vegetables and dishes. For the ₩20,000 range you get unlimited meat, and the buffet items like salmon salad, pizza, chicken and tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) were better stocked than I expected. I kept thinking, isn't this a really great value?

Lots of families were dining out, too, and the kids seemed extra happy bringing back whatever they wanted to eat~

3 recommended sauce combinations at Shabuway

At Shabuway you can combine the basic sauces and extra ingredients to make soy, chili and sesame sauces. Before digging in, I made sauces with the 3 combinations Shabuway recommends.

Shabu-shabu and rice paper wraps: a combo worth trying

Another charm of Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch is the rice paper wraps (wolnamssam)~ I just love eating shabu-shabu together with the wraps! Even vegetables I don't usually eat much go down without holding back, so I feel less guilty, and it's a deliciously different way to enjoy them.

There's a variety of sauces, and mixing them was fun. The main dishes are good quality, so I had the happy trouble of deciding what to eat and got to try a bit of everything. It works for family meals or gatherings, each to their own taste.

A full tray loaded up and ready to eat! I brought protein-heavy dishes like tangsuyuk, galbi and chicken, plus rice paper wrap ingredients and a variety of appetite-whetting salads like salmon salad.

Is the shabu-shabu meat unlimited at Shabuway?

Yes, the shabu-shabu meat at Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch is unlimited! 3 kinds of meat come out as standard, and you can grab more from the self-bar and eat as much as you like.

The premium meat lines have a tender texture and clean taste that suit shabu-shabu~ There are 4 kinds, from beef brisket to beef chuck, pork belly and pork neck.

They put in the meat generously, and it's so fresh there's no gamey smell, and so tender that it slides down with the shabu vegetables. And the combination of broth infused with meat and the vegetables, this is why we eat shabu-shabu!

Putting shabu meat into a rice paper wrap with assorted vegetables and sauce and eating it in one big bite is really delicious. It's also fun to top and mix in the salmon salad and other toppings from the buffet, not just the shabu ingredients.

Is Shabuway worth it for a family meal in Ruwon City, Cheongna?

If you're looking for a good restaurant in Ruwon City, Cheongna, I recommend Shabuway Ruwon City Cheongna Branch, where you can enjoy good-quality shabu meat, fresh vegetables and a varied buffet together. The atmosphere is really upscale, and it's fine for families and groups too!