Hakdong shabu-shabu buffet in Yeosu with hanwoo: Tongkeun Shabu

I went to Tongkeun Shabu near Yeosu City Hall in Hakdong for weekday lunch. It's a Yeosu City Hall restaurant I visit often, so I couldn't help but expect soft meat and warm buffet dishes again this time 😍

(Video with no sound, showing the interior and menu)

Lunchtime at this Yeosu City Hall Hakdong restaurant gets crowded!

How to get to Tongkeun Shabu and where to park

It's on the 3rd floor of a building across from Yeosu Fire Station, with a Hana Bank and Subway on the 1st floor. If you're looking for this Yeosu City Hall Hakdong restaurant from the street, the easiest way is to spot the Hana Bank sign on the ground floor.

There's a parking lot behind the building, but it's often full or crowded. In that case, I'd recommend the public lot in front of City Hall across the road, the Hakdong public lot, or parking in a nearby alley.

The 3rd-floor dining room and seating: is it good with kids?

Walking into the 3rd-floor restaurant, it feels much more spacious and open than I expected, with no sense of crowding.

Most of the seats near the self-bar are 4-tops and 2-tops,

and there are separate seating areas further in, plus group tables, so it looks great for company dinners or family gatherings.

The chairs have high backs that naturally separate you from the next table, so it felt cozy to eat there.

There are plenty of high chairs too, so it's a comfortable atmosphere for guests visiting with young children.

Weekday lunch prices and choosing your broth

• Weekday lunch: ₩23,900 (₩17,900 lunch special also available)
• Weekday dinner / weekend / holidays: ₩26,900
• Elementary school: ₩14,000 / preschool: ₩11,000
• Can also change to a half-and-half broth with chicken bone or mala

Since we came with our child, we ordered only the basic broth.

The full self-bar: sushi, chicken feet and self-serve naengmyeon

Personally, what I liked best was how the buffet food was managed. Instead of piling up large batches, they make small amounts frequently, so whenever you go to get food, it's warm and tastes great, like it was just made.

Food kept coming out without a break, so there was no need to worry.

From sushi to fried food, fried chicken, chicken feet, pizza, and self-serve naengmyeon (cold noodles), the salad bar menu is really varied.

There's even a separate sushi corner, making you wonder if this is a shabu-shabu buffet or a sushi buffet.

The drink corner has soda and coffee, but sadly the coffee machine was broken, which was a bit sad. The chocolate fondue and snacks are the dessert our kid loves!

The vegetables used for the shabu-shabu are also kept fresh and clean.

I noticed staff carefully checking the self-bar's hygiene several times, and it was reassuring every time.

Also, as someone who's visited many times now, the seasoning overall is well-balanced, so there's really a lot our kid can eat too — a big strength of this Hakdong restaurant.

Pork neck, beef brisket and the free hanwoo platter from the receipt review

The main shabu beef (pork neck, beef brisket) is always tender no matter when I come, so you can eat as much as you want with vegetables and rice paper wraps.

Our kid loves the Tongkeun Shabu meat too. It's soft and tasty, so I always feel at ease visiting.

I heard that participating in a Naver receipt review gets you a free hanwoo (Korean beef) platter, so I did, and received this glossy, shiny hanwoo shabu meat. I tried a piece — it was thin and tender enough that you barely needed to chew.

We finished with chewy kalguksu (knife-cut noodles)! 🥰 There are many types of noodles too, so you can pick to your taste.

Tongkeun Shabu — a shabu-shabu restaurant near Yeosu City Hall

Why Tongkeun Shabu is still worth a second visit

Between the food always staying fresh and never going cold, the tender meat quality, and how much our kid can eat for a Yeosu family meal, it's a genuinely satisfying place whenever you go and whoever you go with, whether family or friends.

If you're looking for a filling, hearty meal like we wanted, or a group dining spot for a large party, I'd definitely recommend Tongkeun Shabu — the taste is guaranteed.