Unlimited LA galbi shabu-shabu buffet in Cheomdan, Gwangju: Shabu20

What is Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan like?

Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan (샤브20 광주첨단점) is a famous all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu (hotpot where you swish thin slices of meat in broth) spot in Cheomdan, Gwangju. It has long been known for serving LA galbi (marinated beef short ribs) at the salad bar! I love both shabu-shabu and galbi, so I went for a weekend lunch.

Where do you park at Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan?

You can park in the Shinhan Bank parking lot. Both the 1st and 2nd floors have parking gates, so I wondered if only the 1st floor counted, but the owner told me the 2nd floor is fine too. No parking worries.

Atmosphere and choosing your broth

The inside is really spacious and there were so many customers!! Pots were boiling on every table, yet it felt comfortable, which was amazing. Lots of tables were big families and group gatherings. Shabu-shabu is something nobody really dislikes, and Shabu20's salad bar is all handmade, so the quality is really good too.

At the table we were shown to, you pick 2 broths, and the staff were so friendly that it put me in a good mood. We went with the safest picks: half spicy, half katsuobushi (dried bonito)!

What's on the Shabu20 salad bar?

The Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan salad bar has cream pasta, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), takoyaki (octopus balls), fried rice, baek-sundae-bokkeum (stir-fried blood sausage and pork), and even several kinds of chicken. The salad bar is laid out wide, front to back, so you rarely bump into other people.

Cream pasta, tteokbokki, takoyaki, fried rice, baek-sundae-bokkeum and chicken: the salad bar items are ones kids and adults alike will love. Since I was aiming to make it all the way to the shabu-shabu porridge today, I paced myself. The takoyaki was crispy outside and soft inside, and the seasoned and soy chicken both had plenty of meat.

Vegetable freshness and the Vietnamese rice paper roll ingredients

Origin and allergy labels are written clearly and easy to read. The shabu-shabu vegetables are prettily arranged, and with so many people the turnover is high, so everything was fresh.

Next to them are the ingredients for wolnam-ssam (Vietnamese-style rice paper rolls), and the rice paper is on the opposite side, so you can make a proper roll too.

Is the beef and LA galbi unlimited too?

At Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan you can eat top-grade beef without limit!! Usually "all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu" just means unlimited vegetables, so being able to fetch unlimited beef too is a total steal!!

The broths are also kept in the meat fridge, so you can refill any time!

And the LA galbi, grilled and put out every 15 minutes, needs watching at busy times!! It disappears right away, so grab it quickly. Maybe that's why it's always warm and tasty.

Beef soup and the kalguksu and porridge ingredients

The salad bar at Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan is also a good place to start your meal with salads and soups. I scooped up a ladle of beef soup, and it was memorable: lots of meat, and the soup was rich and delicious. The kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) and porridge ingredients for the later part of shabu-shabu are over here too, so don't forget to go check!

There are two kinds of tteok (rice cake), great for dessert, and I bet they'd go perfectly with a warm coffee to finish.

How does the LA galbi at Shabu20 taste?

The LA galbi at Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan isn't salty; the sweet marinade is just right. The staff set us up with broth, three plates of meat and water for the rice paper, so I brought over vegetables. You can see the freshness even in the photo!!

Plates full of galbi and boneless chicken~ I cut the bones off the galbi with scissors, and I was really glad we came to Shabu20.

Are drinks and draft beer unlimited too?

Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan has a huge range of drinks, and even the draft beer is unlimited. There's maesil (plum) drink that's easy on digestion, tangerine juice that's perfect for kids, sparkling water and sodas like Coke Zero, coffee, an ice cream machine, and finally the draft beer machine!! Yes, unlimited draft beer! If I'd left the car behind and come for dinner, I might never have left haha

Recommended sauce combos at Shabu20

The sauce bar at Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan has lots of options, and if you feel lost, just follow the sauce recipes posted there. Once your vegetables are in the broth, the sauce bar is where to hurry!

As a professional shabu-shabu person, I made mine my own way without a recipe. For spicy broth, the peanut sauce here is thick and rich, so one spoonful of peanut sauce with a little garlic and a bit of green onion and chili is my own sweet combo. For clear broth, the most basic soy sauce with chili, green onion and a little garlic is the cleanest and best.

• For spicy broth: 1 spoon peanut sauce + a little garlic + a bit of green onion and chili
• For clear broth: soy sauce + chili and green onion + a little garlic

Now, since the top-grade beef is unlimited, I should eat meat with every bite!

I don't even know how much I ate, there are this many bite photos haha That's how satisfied I was!

How many servings of porridge should you bring at Shabu20?

The porridge ingredients at Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan are packaged in single servings, but one bowl is small, so I recommend bringing two. After a second round of LA galbi, I went to fetch ingredients for porridge, today's final stop. A raw egg is a cheat code for sweeping away the last of the broth.

I was in a hurry to eat and didn't boil it long, so the carrots were still a bit undercooked, but even that was delicious haha Lately I like porridge, which warms you all the way through, more than kalguksu.

Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan price and verdict

At the ₩20,000s price range, Shabu20 Gwangju Cheomdan lets you fill up on fresh vegetables and meat, and you can even take coffee to go after the meal. On the way out, ice cream cups and takeout coffee cups are set out, which catches your eye.

While I was paying, the owner told me to take a coffee to go, and that one line felt so thoughtful and warm. I was already happy with eating my fill for the ₩20,000s, and being able to take coffee too let me end on a good note.

That was the moment I understood why so many people recommend Shabu20 Cheomdan as a top shabu-shabu spot in Cheomdan. Value, service and taste were all satisfying, so if you're looking for shabu-shabu in Cheomdan, I recommend giving Shabu20 Cheomdan a visit.