Sunday late-night wait at a Busan shabu kalguksu spot: Yunujae

Already my nth visit to this Munhyeon-dong favorite, Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu. Even though it had been a while since my last visit, it was still delicious. And there was still a wait, too — if there's a line, there must be a reason 👍🏻 Let me introduce Yunujae Shabu Kalguksu, one of my true go-to spots :)

Is there a wait at Yunujae late on a Sunday?

Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu is a shabu kalguksu restaurant in Daerim Munhyeon City Plaza on Suyeong-ro in Nam-gu, Busan. I went late on a Sunday and there was still a wait. Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu boasts an imposing exterior, and with waiting chairs set up right in front of the entrance, I could tell this was still a place that draws plenty of visitors :)

The interior is spacious and clean, with plenty of tables. The tables aren't crammed together, so it wasn't too noisy. They're currently running a Naver receipt review event where you get a free serving of sirloin for leaving a review — kind of a shame not to take part in that, right?

Tablet ordering and picking the red broth

At Yunujae, each table has a tablet PC, so ordering is easy. You can choose between red broth and white broth — we love spicy flavors, so we always go with our usual red. Mixing the soy sauce and wasabi in the right ratio to make a dipping sauce for the meat is also amazing haha.

What comes in the 11,000 won shabu kalguksu set

Shabu kalguksu (₩11,000 per person). A hearty spread with 70g sirloin + vegetables and mushrooms + house-made kalguksu noodles + fried rice 🫢 You can eat until you're stuffed at a very reasonable price! On top of that, we even ordered the seafood pajeon .. haha.

It's a signature broth made from long-simmered beef bone stock deepened with the savory, spicy kick of sun-dried chili powder, and the flavor is out of this world. Just the right amount of heat and spiciness — it practically cures a hangover on its own! I'd highly recommend it as a hangover-recovery meal too haha.

Korean-grown kimchi and kkakdugi (radish kimchi)

Yunujae Shabu Kalguksu also nails its kimchi and kkakdugi (radish kimchi)! One thing I really pay attention to at any restaurant is the kimchi — I simply won't eat kimchi unless it's domestically made. Yunujae's kimchi is domestic and so tasty that I kept reaching for more haha.

Thinly sliced sirloin with mushrooms and minari (water dropwort)

The meat is sliced thin, so it cooks quickly and was easy to eat, and it had no gamey smell, which I liked even more! Taking a bite of meat soaked in the broth was juicy and packed with savory flavor 🤤 Adding mushrooms and minari (water dropwort) alongside gave it even more textural variety — so good..

The fragrant aroma of the minari pairs really well with the meat, and it's also delicious eaten together with the tasty domestic kimchi .. that deep, rich beef bone broth ties it all together!

House-made kalguksu noodles, sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes) and the fried rice finish

You can't have shabu-shabu without the kalguksu noodles 🍜 Being house-made, the noodles are extra chewy, and once they soak up the broth, the savory flavor really comes through! Even after simmering for a while, they don't get mushy — the chewiness holds up.

If you're a flour lover, you won't be able to put your chopsticks down .. there's also sujebi (hand-torn dough soup) in there, and being thin makes it even tastier haha. I finished every last strand of noodle with proper slurping ^^

And of course you have to finish with fried rice! Frying rice in the broth infused with all the flavor from the meat, mushrooms and vegetables — how could that not be delicious..

The giant seafood pajeon we ordered on the side

Seafood pajeon (savory seafood-and-scallion pancake). A giant pancake that looks crispy just by looking at it!! Its sheer size alone steals the show, and it's an absolute must-order if you go to Yunujae.

It's crazy crispy — the crispiest pajeon I've ever had .. and it's packed with seafood like shrimp and squid inside, so the flavor is rich and varied 🦐🦑

It's not one of those pancakes loaded with flour — it's packed with filling all the way through, so it feels worth every won! We left very full and satisfied :) 🐷

Why Yunujae is worth going back to

Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu, a restaurant I recommend in Munhyeon-dong, Busan. For a reasonable price you get shabu-shabu with kalguksu noodles and fried rice, and the flavor is guaranteed too, making it a Munhyeon-dong favorite that satisfies both value for money and emotional satisfaction. I've been back multiple times and it's still so good I want to visit again — truly recommended :) 👍🏻