Jang-an-dong shabu-shabu for two with cream risotto: Shabu Torang

A solo-shabu-shabu spot everyone raves about: Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch

Why we chose Jang-an-dong shabu-shabu for a weekend dinner

My boyfriend and I wanted something filling but a little different for our weekend meal out, so we went to Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch, an up-and-coming shabu-shabu spot in Jang-an-dong. I like shabu-shabu as a dining-out option because I get to eat plenty of vegetables, which I don't usually manage in daily life. Plus I'd heard Shabu Torang in Jang-an-dong was great value, so I went in with high expectations.

Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch: location, parking and waiting time

To get to Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch by public transit, take the subway to Janghanpyeong Station, then a bus and get off near the Jang-an-dong intersection. We drove, and there was a building parking lot to the left of the entrance, so we could park without any worries.

The neat, tidy storefront, plus the waiting list and waiting seats set up out front, hinted at just how popular this Jang-an-dong restaurant is. Sure enough, while we were eating, the line kept growing and more and more people were waiting outside.

One pot per person: seats that suit solo diners too

The interior had a warm wood-tone look and a cozy atmosphere, and true to its focus on solo shabu-shabu, there were plenty of bar-style single seats where you could eat comfortably alone. The two-person seats weren't face-to-face either — you sit side by side, in a row. Each table also had its own induction burner for heating your own individual pot.

Shabu Torang menu and prices, from 7,900 won

Looking at the menu and prices at Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch, you can really tell this is a great-value shabu-shabu spot in Jang-an-dong: the basic Shabu Torang Shabu, which comes with vegetables and meat, is ₩7,900, and the Mala Shabu-Shabu is ₩8,900. You can choose from five broths depending on your taste, and add extra toppings like glass noodles, sujebi (hand-torn dough), and dumplings to build your own shabu-shabu.

What makes Jang-an-dong's Shabu Torang special is that after finishing your shabu-shabu, dessert isn't the usual porridge or kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) — instead you get to finish with pasta or risotto, like cream pasta or rosé risotto. I was curious what a pasta dessert after shabu-shabu would even taste like.

Beef neck and beef brisket, plus the vegetable and meat add-on

We each ordered to our own taste — same Shabu Torang Shabu broth, but my boyfriend chose beef brisket and I chose beef neck. We told ourselves that eating lots of vegetables and meat doesn't make you gain weight, so we added extra veg and meat too. When it arrived I wondered if it was too much, but once we started eating, I realized the basic portion of meat and vegetables alone might have left us wanting more — so I was glad we added extra.

How the shabu-shabu tastes with the three dipping sauces

Trying the shabu-shabu at Shabu Torang in Jang-an-dong, scooping up napa cabbage, mung bean sprouts, mushrooms and crown daisy alongside the lean, mild beef neck and dipping them alternately into the special soy sauce, chili sauce and peanut sauce, it never got boring — genuinely delicious. Fish balls, rice cakes and fried tofu came included as toppings too, so we didn't even need to add extras. Eating vegetables and meat boiled hot in the clean, warm broth left us feeling both warmed up and energized.

The beef brisket shabu-shabu, with its just-right marbling, was the kind of flavor anyone would like, no matter their preferences, and it was really convenient having our own individual pots so we could each add vegetables and meat at our own pace. I did think it would have been even better if bok choy, one of my favorites, had been part of the standard vegetable lineup.

Cream risotto and cream pasta to finish the meal

After finishing the shabu-shabu, you can add a dessert dish, so we each picked one of Shabu Torang's signature dessert menus — I got cream risotto and he got cream pasta. With a little shabu broth still left in the pot, they simmered up the pasta and risotto ingredients right there, and out came a cream risotto and cream pasta that looked just as appetizing as anything from a Western restaurant.

Maybe because the cream sauce mingled with the clear shabu broth base, the umami ran even deeper, and the soft, savory-salty cream sauce was downright addictive. I'd never thought to have Western dishes like pasta or risotto as a dessert after shabu-shabu, but it turned out to be a surprisingly perfect combination.

With a full, satisfying shabu-shabu meal plus a unique dessert course, all at a very reasonable price, I'd definitely recommend Shabu Torang near Janghanpyeong Station as a great Jang-an-dong restaurant.

Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch