Seongsu date-night shabu-shabu with mushroom broth: Shabu in Seoul

A weeknight date in Seongsu: one premium shabu-shabu spread

Shabu in Seoul Seongsu is a premium shabu-shabu restaurant 96m from Exit 3 of Seongsu Station. With the cooler breeze starting to pick up, I went here with my boyfriend for a weeknight date.

We both love shabu-shabu so much, and I'd had my eye on this premium shabu spot for a while — finally worked up the nerve (and the budget haha) to go.

Bottom line up front: thanks to the fresh broth and quality cuts of meat, it definitely lived up to the 'premium' name. If you're looking for an atmospheric date course among Seongsu restaurants, I'd recommend it.

Shabu in Seoul Seongsu at a glance

• Restaurant: Shabu in Seoul Seongsu
• Address: 1F Yuwon Knowledge Industry Center, 53 Seongsuilo 6-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Sun, Mon–Fri, Sat 11:00–22:30 (weekday break 15:30–17:00, last order 21:30), no break on Sat/Sun
• Recommended menu/highlights: 1++ Hanwoo boseopsal shabu set (dinner) ₩31,000, Prime Angus sirloin shabu set (dinner) ₩31,000, choice of 5 signature broths (clear mushroom recommended)
• Notable: dinner includes dessert tea after the meal, corkage-free event lets you bring wine/whiskey, 2 rooms for blind dates/dates/gatherings (min. 4 people), pets allowed only in carriers/crates

Getting there from Seongsu Station, and parking

Shabu in Seoul Seongsu is on the left side of the road if you walk about 100m straight from Exit 3 of Seongsu Station. It's exactly between Exit 3 and Exit 4, near a Starbucks, Seongsu Naru, Schedule Seongsu, and Seongsu Maru, so it wasn't hard to find.

If you're driving, search '53 Seongsuilo 6-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul' in your navigation — the restaurant is on the 1st floor of the building. You need to settle your parking ticket on B1 for the barrier to open.

Black-and-wood interior with garden-view window seats

The interior of Shabu in Seoul Seongsu blends black tones with wood, giving it a mix of urban modernity and natural warmth. Curved textile and wood-beam lighting on the ceiling softly lit the space, and green plants scattered around added life to it.

We sat at a 4-person table by the floor-to-ceiling window, with a small garden visible outside for a cozy atmosphere. There were also dark gray sofa-style booth seats further inside that looked good for quiet conversation, almost like a private room.

Near the register there was a signboard showing the origin of the ingredients, so you could transparently check where the meat and other ingredients came from.

How do you order at Shabu in Seoul Seongsu?

At Shabu in Seoul Seongsu, you order via a tablet at each table, and the process is explained in four steps. First you choose your meat to taste, then pick one of five signature broths, then add extras like meatballs, gyoza, or whole shrimp to make it richer, and finally press the 'meal request' button when you're done eating to finish with porridge, risotto, or noodles.

After requesting the finishing dish it takes about 10 minutes, and for dinner sets, omija tea (schisandra berry tea) is served as dessert after the meal. If, like us, you want to order a mix of different cuts, you can also change the broth partway through, but a broth change comes with an extra ₩10,000 charge.

The restaurant was also running two events. If you mention a birthday or an engagement gathering when reserving, they'll give you complimentary seaweed soup and a flat cake (birthday) or champagne (engagement gathering), plus a corkage-free event where you can enjoy your own alcohol for free.

Set menus and the five signature broths

The menu at Shabu in Seoul Seongsu is split into lunch and dinner, and changing the broth adds ₩10,000. You can choose from clear mushroom (with egg porridge), spicy mushroom (rosé risotto), crab doenjang (doenjang rice roll), sukiyaki (yakisoba), or beef tomato (tomato risotto). Rooms require a minimum of 4 people, and for dinner, a ₩30,000 room charge applies if the total is under ₩200,000.

1++ Hanwoo boseopsal and Angus salchisal in clear mushroom broth

For dinner we ordered one each of the 1++ Hanwoo boseopsal (chuck flap, ₩31,000) and sirloin (₩31,000), chose the clear mushroom broth, and added a shrimp meatball side order.

What comes on the vegetable and meat plates

The vegetables were plentiful — sweet pumpkin, enoki mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, perilla leaves, napa cabbage, and bean sprouts — and the meat was sliced thin along the grain so the marbling was visible at a glance.

How the clear mushroom broth tastes

The broth was made by simmering shiitake, button, and shimeji mushrooms for a long time, giving it a clear color and deep umami flavor. The more meat and vegetables we added, the richer the broth got, so we could enjoy it right to the end.

Side dishes and dipping sauces

They served pickled-style young radish greens and radish on the side, and there were three sauces plus minced garlic and chopped scallion to mix to taste. Adding half a spoon of minced garlic to the broth really boosted the flavor.

Finishing the pot with egg porridge

After finishing the meat and vegetables, we added rice to the leftover broth, cracked an egg in and stirred it, then topped it with pepper and dried seaweed flakes to finish with egg porridge. The rice grains soaked up the rich broth for a filling end to the meal.

Since it was the dinner course, we cleansed our palates with omija tea afterward.

What sets Shabu in Seoul Seongsu apart

• Choose from 5 signature broths to suit your taste: from clear mushroom to beef tomato, each broth comes with a different finishing dish, so there's fun in picking.
• Fully transparent about ingredient origins: a signboard by the register shows origin info, so you can trust the meat you're eating.
• Surprises for birthdays and engagement gatherings: let them know in advance when reserving, and they'll prepare complimentary seaweed soup and flat cake for birthdays, or champagne for engagement gatherings.
• Corkage-free for wine and whiskey: an ongoing event lets you enjoy wine or whiskey you bring for free, making it great for special occasions.
• Dessert tea included with dinner: dinner sets come with a complimentary tea after the meal for a satisfying finish.

Who Shabu in Seoul Seongsu suits best

• Anyone looking for an atmospheric date course among Seongsu Station restaurants
• Anyone who wants to enjoy shabu-shabu with premium cuts of meat
• Anyone preparing for a birthday or engagement gathering
• Anyone who wants to pair their meal with wine or whiskey

What I liked most was definitely the fresh vegetables, the quality of the meat, and the rich broth. One thing to note: dinner prices run about ₩2,000–3,000 higher per cut than lunch.

Frequently asked questions

Are lunch and dinner prices different?

Yes, even for the same cut, dinner is a bit pricier than lunch. In exchange, dinner comes with complimentary dessert tea after the meal.

Do you need a reservation?

Reservations are available through Catch Table. If you're more than 10 minutes late, the reservation is automatically cancelled, so be sure to arrive on time.

Can you bring a pet?

Pets are allowed only if kept inside a carrier, crate, or pet bag. Pets that bark excessively may not be permitted.

Shabu in Seoul Seongsu: address, hours and contact

• Restaurant: Shabu in Seoul Seongsu
• Address: 1F Yuwon Knowledge Industry Center, 53 Seongsuilo 6-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Sat–Sun 11:00–22:30 (last order 21:30, no break) / Mon–Fri 11:00–22:30 (break 15:30–17:00, last order 21:30)
• Subway: 2-min walk (96m) from Seongsu Station Exit 3, between Exits 3 and 4
• Driving: search '53 Seongsuilo 6-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul' in navigation; settle parking ticket on B1
• Amenities: group seating, reservations, Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms, high chairs, pets allowed, parking

I'd had my eye on this premium shabu-shabu spot as one of the Seongsu restaurants to try, and finally going, it exceeded my expectations. What broth do you like best when you have shabu-shabu?