Kid-friendly white broth shabu-kalguksu for two in Yongin: Yun Ujae

Yun Ujae Gogiri Shabu Kalguksu, a Suji-area favorite, and its mild shabu-shabu that's good to eat with kids

Last weekend I went to Yongin with the kids and, craving something warm and brothy, we stopped by Yun Ujae Gogiri Shabu Kalguksu.

Parking and space at Yun Ujae before going with kids

Yun Ujae Gogiri Shabu Kalguksu has plenty of parking space right in front, and the interior is spacious too, so it was a good pick for visiting with kids. When eating out with children, the menu matters, but so do things like whether parking is easy, whether the space feels too cramped, and whether there's a baby chair. This place was roomy and comfortable all around, from the parking lot to the dining room.

There was ample parking right in front of the restaurant, which made it convenient to drive there. Around Gogiri or Suji, people tend to get around by car, and a cramped lot can wear you out before you've even eaten. Here, parking wasn't stressful at all, which I appreciated.

Once inside, the place was much bigger than it looked from outside. There were plenty of tables with generous spacing between them, making it comfortable to sit with kids. Even with lots of customers, the space was big enough that it never felt stuffy, and everything was kept clean and tidy.

Does Yun Ujae have baby chairs?

Yun Ujae Gogiri Shabu Kalguksu had a baby chair ready. When you go to a restaurant with a young child, whether there's a baby chair makes a huge difference to how comfortable the meal is. Since a lot of families with kids seem to visit, it felt like the essentials had been thought through.

What we ordered: mild shabu-kalguksu for two, 23,000 won

We ordered the white-broth mild-flavor shabu-kalguksu for two at 23,000 won, crispy seafood pancake at 16,000 won, and a bowl of rice at 1,500 won. The total came to 40,500 won.

At this restaurant, everyone except preschool-age children has to order their own menu. In exchange, the shabu-kalguksu already comes with fried rice included, so eating your way through meat, vegetables, noodles, and fried rice in order really fills you up.

How to eat shabu-kalguksu in order, even on a first visit

Yun Ujae Gogiri Shabu Kalguksu has instructions for how to enjoy the meal printed right on the table, so it was easy to follow even on a first visit.

• Before the broth starts boiling, add about half of the meat
• Once the broth starts boiling, peel off the flat kalguksu noodles one sheet at a time so they don't stick together
• Once the meat is cooked through, pick it up with the vegetables and dip it in the restaurant's own special sauce

White broth mild flavor: how it went with the children

We ordered the white-broth mild flavor so we could eat comfortably with the kids. The broth wasn't spicy or sharp at all, so there was little worry about eating it with children, and we could easily enjoy the meat and vegetables together.

Flat kalguksu noodles as wide as dumpling wrappers

The kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) at Yun Ujae Gogiri Shabu Kalguksu were flat and wide, unlike ordinary noodles. At first they even looked like dumpling wrappers, and peeling them off one sheet at a time to cook in the broth was a fun way to eat. Because the noodles are so wide, they soak up the broth well and have plenty of chew.

Eating the meat and vegetables first and then adding the noodles let the broth build up more flavor. Shabu-shabu alone can feel a little light, but adding the kalguksu noodles made the meal properly filling.

Crispy seafood pajeon, 16,000 won

The crispy seafood pancake (haemul pajeon) we also ordered sounded like it would live up to its name. Alternating between the warm shabu-kalguksu and the crispy pancake was a really good combination. If you're visiting as a family or in a group, it seems like a good side dish to order and share.

Fried rice to finish, and why to skip the extra rice

After finishing off the meat, vegetables, and flat noodles, we wrapped up with fried rice. Somehow shabu-shabu feels unfinished without fried rice at the end. Since fried rice is already included in the base order, we got to eat a satisfying meal all the way to the end without ordering anything extra.

We also separately ordered a bowl of rice, but since fried rice is already part of the basic set, it's worth keeping that in mind when you order.

Is Yun Ujae worth it for a family meal in Gogi-dong, Yongin?

Yun Ujae Gogiri Shabu Kalguksu had a spacious parking lot and a comfortable interior, so we could eat with the kids at ease. There's a baby chair, and you can choose a mild flavor that isn't spicy, which made it a solid pick for a family meal out.

The menu was hearty too, letting us eat meat, vegetables, flat kalguksu, and fried rice all in one sitting. It seems like a good stop if you're craving a warm broth after an outing near Gogiri, or if you're looking for a Suji-area restaurant to visit with parents or kids.

※ Menu items and prices are as of the time of the visit and may change.

• Name: Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu Gogidong Branch
• Address: 3 Gogi-ro 173beon-gil, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1st floor
• Order: Mild flavor for two ₩23,000 / Crispy seafood pancake ₩16,000 / Bowl of rice ₩1,500
• Parking: Lot available in front of the restaurant
• Kids facilities: Baby chair available