Seongsu shabu-shabu lunch set with wagyu rib-eye: Shabu in Seoul

A Seongsu Station favorite for shabu-shabu, Shabu in Seoul Seongsu.

Shabu-shabu is one of my absolute favorite foods! Since I love it so much I've tried it in plenty of places, but this is one that hits the mark on taste, cleanliness, and friendly service all at once.

It's a bit pricier than the shabu-shabu I usually eat, but the atmosphere and ingredient quality justify it — plenty enough to satisfy anyone hunting for good food near Seongsu Station.

'Shabu in Seoul' is a premium shabu-shabu house brand with an upscale space that blends modern city vibes with a touch of nature. I'd always been curious walking past and seeing it packed, and I finally got the chance to visit with my parents for a meal out in Seongsu-dong.

Where is Shabu in Seoul Seongsu, and what about parking and dogs?

• Location: Between exits 3 and 4 of Seongsu Station, 1st floor of Yuwon Jisik Sanupsenteo
• Parking: 1 hour free in the building's underground lot
• Reservations: Naver Reservation, Catch Table
• Free corkage with Naver Reservation
• Dogs allowed indoors (carrier required)

We went around 1pm for weekend lunch, and it was still fully booked when we left — a genuine Seongsu-dong hot spot.

Best seats for a family meal: booths, window tables or a private room

Shabu in Seoul Seongsu has private sofa booths, window tables with a nice view, and rooms for 4–10 people. There's a seating option for every group size, making it a good fit for family gatherings, group dinners, everyday meals, wedding-invite catch-ups, dates, or blind dates.

How to order at Shabu in Seoul Seongsu and the five broths

Ordering at Shabu in Seoul is simple — pick your meat, then choose from five signature broths and their matching meal.

• Clear mushroom - egg porridge
• Spicy mushroom - rosé risotto
• Crab miso - miso rice roll
• Sukiyaki - yakisoba
• Beef tomato - tomato risotto

The meal you can order at the end depends on which broth you pick, so choose carefully!

What we ordered and what it cost

• Black Nine wagyu ggotdeungsim (rib-eye) shabu set - lunch ₩34,000 x 2
• Handmade fresh shrimp balls ₩10,000
• Sprite can ₩3,000

For dipping there are three sauces — chili sauce, yuzu soy sauce, and sesame dressing — and adding cheongyang chili or grated garlic makes them even better. I put grated garlic in the sesame sauce and cheongyang chili in the soy sauce, haha.

The pickled yeolmu (young radish greens) served as a side had a fragrant, refreshing flavor I hadn't really tasted elsewhere — good to nibble on between bites or mix with rice later.

The vegetables included shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, bean sprouts, bok choy, and sweet pumpkin, plus glass noodle cakes, vermicelli, and rice paper, so you get plenty of carbs too.

How was the Black Nine wagyu rib-eye?

A premium wagyu breed, top-grade cut: Black Nine wagyu ggotdeungsim

There were so many meat options, but I figured the priciest one would probably taste the best, so I went with the Black Nine wagyu ggotdeungsim (rib-eye)!

Apparently it's from the top 0.01% of a premium wagyu breed raised in a pristine area, and it really shows in the marbling and sheen. The portion was generous too, so we ate our fill of meat.

The fresh shrimp balls come out as minced shrimp, and you tear off however much you want to drop in. Being raw, the freshness is unreal. Definitely add this one!

Clear mushroom broth and how long to cook the beef

We went with the basic and best clear mushroom broth. I'd recommend tasting the broth once it boils before adding the vegetables, so you can enjoy it a second way afterward — it's made with domestic shiitake, button, and beech mushrooms, and it's clear yet deep and rich, to the point I wanted to eat it with rice on its own, haha.

Once the vegetables were cooked through, we lowered the induction burner to 4 and dropped the meat in~

Usually the meat in shabu-shabu is bland enough that I end up eating more vegetables than meat, but this one had a remarkably rich, nutty meat aroma even after going in and out of the broth.

We got a well-rounded serving of vegetables too — they were all so fresh that each one had its own subtle flavor worth noticing.

Switching between the different sauces to taste, I never got tired of it, haha. I kept reaching for the fragrant yuzu soy sauce, while my dad said the chili sauce suited his taste best.

Wrapping it all in rice paper for a Vietnamese-style bite made it even more filling.

The chewy glass noodle rice cakes and vermicelli were great for balancing out the milder texture of the vegetables.

Fishing out the shrimp balls was fun too — the shrimp flavor really came through. Being seafood, they paired best with the chili sauce.

Order the egg porridge finish in advance

The finishing meal, egg porridge, takes about 10 minutes to prepare, so it's best to order it while you're still finishing up the shabu-shabu.

The broth was so good that rice, egg, and a swirl of sesame oil couldn't possibly taste bad — and it really was delicious!

We each had a cup of omija (five-flavor berry) tea for dessert and finished on a refreshing note!

Next time I'll bring my dog along. A recommended spot near Seongsu Station!