Two-plate 1++ hanwoo shabu-shabu in Hapjeong, Seoul: Shabu in Seoul

It's getting chillier these days, and don't you just crave something hot and soupy? Haha. Let me introduce a delicious shabu-shabu spot in Hapjeong! Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch, well known near Mecenatpolis. I stopped by while running errands near Hapjeong Station and left super satisfied.

Where is Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch, and where do you park?

Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch is a shabu-shabu place known as a Delight Square favorite! It's located on basement 2nd floor haha. Parking is only available through the Delight Square 1st lot, up to 3 hours free depending on how long you use the restaurant. Super convenient since it's right by the store!

Coming down to basement 2nd floor, it was right there~ The exterior looked clean and upscale.

There was a separate waiting area outside with cold drinks provided, which was nice while waiting~ Thoughtful touch, haha.

What is the room like at 2pm on a Saturday?

Walking in, the interior was so pleasant! Most of all, the tables had good spacing so there was nothing uncomfortable, and I could eat comfortably in a nice atmosphere. I visited around 2pm on a Saturday and it was nice and quiet~

It has a more upscale feel than a typical shabu-shabu place, so if you're stuck deciding on a date spot, I highly recommend it — quiet and atmospheric, great for dates!

I made a reservation through Naver and visited~ Walking in, I gave my name and was kindly guided to my seat! The tableware was neatly set haha.

Sauces on the table and the clear mushroom broth

You can order easily via the tablet. They brought sauces, cheongyang chili peppers, garlic, and yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi). Overall the sauces were tidy and clean.

There was chili sauce, soy sauce with cheongyang chili and garlic, and sesame sauce, haha. My sauce pick was soy sauce + chili + garlic! I ordered the clear mushroom base broth!

1++ hanwoo bottom sirloin and prime chuck flat, plate by plate

Whoa, look at the color of this meat... I ordered the 1++ hanwoo bottom sirloin and prime chuck flat. Apparently Shabu in Seoul adjusts the optimal slice thickness for each cut of meat, considering even the texture when you chew — top-grade meat. That might be why it looks so good just sitting there!

The vegetables looked fresh too... just thinking about eating them with good-quality meat made me swallow hard.

The vegetables were really varied and fresh — enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, sweet pumpkin, napa cabbage, bok choy, glass noodles (bunmoja), bean sprouts, and more.

They brought out the clear mushroom base broth and the meat and vegetables were ready. I was wearing white and the staff even brought me an apron... so kind, ugh.

What order do you cook in? Panda-shaped glass noodles included

Once the broth started boiling, we added the vegetables. Waiting while hungry was tough haha.

Look at it bubbling away nicely. There were even panda-shaped glass noodles! So cute... and there were 2 flat glass noodle pieces too, which was nice!

Meat cooks quickly, so I waited until the vegetables had simmered a bit before dropping in the meat~

Grabbed a piece of quickly cooked meat with vegetables and — wow. The meat was so good, tender and melting in my mouth, ugh. The broth had soaked up the vegetable stock and meat juices, so the umami deepened and I kept spooning it up haha.

They also gave us rice paper for Vietnamese-style wraps to go with the vegetables — 4 sheets I think?! Wrapping it up like this gave a whole new feel.

Finishing dish by broth: clear mushroom means egg porridge

Shabu in Seoul has a distinctive feature — you get to choose a finishing dish based on the broth you ordered. I picked clear mushroom, so it was egg porridge for me!

• Clear mushroom - egg porridge
• Spicy mushroom - rose risotto
• Blue crab doenjang - doenjang rice
• Sukiyaki - yakisoba
• Beef tomato - tomato risotto

It was nice having so many options haha. If you choose the half-and-half broth, apparently you get 2 servings of kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) instead.

After finishing the shabu-shabu, once you're ready for the finishing dish, just tell the staff and they come make it for you right there. They leave a little broth, add rice, add egg, and stir it all up~

They add sesame oil too, plus pepper and seaweed flakes~ This is oddly addictive, a real specialty. The two of us ate and left absolutely stuffed...!

And for the true final touch, a palate-cleansing omija (schisandra berry) tea~ Refreshing and sweet, so good. It had been a while since I visited such a genuinely delicious shabu-shabu place, and I left happily full. If you're in Hapjeong looking for shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, or just an easy, comfortable meal, I highly recommend Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch!! 👍🏻