Seoul Station Korean restaurant: hearty shabu-shabu set at Yunseul

Shabu-shabu at Grand Central by Seoul Station

Last weekend at lunch, I visited Yunseul (윤슬), a shabu-shabu spot at Grand Central near Seoul Station, with a friend.

We tried everything from shabu-shabu, where you cook various ingredients in warm broth, to minari-goni jeon, and there was more food than I expected—we were seriously full between the two of us.

We were looking for lunch near Seoul Station when we found this place.

Even the building did not feel like a typical shabu-shabu restaurant; it had the polished feel of a Korean set-meal restaurant.

The interior was neat too, and the tables were generously spaced, so it felt private even without a private room.

Yunseul at Seoul Station's Grand Central is a place where you can enjoy a range of dishes centered on shabu-shabu and hot pot.

How was the house-made doenjang broth shabu-shabu?

Rather than just one broth, you can choose among anchovy broth, house-made doenjang (fermented soybean paste) broth, and spicy mushroom broth, which was nice for choosing to suit your taste.

We chose the house-made doenjang broth. You can find anchovy and spicy mushroom broths elsewhere, but I was curious about the doenjang broth.

As soon as you order, they set out broth piled high with naengi (shepherd's purse), along with assorted vegetables, meat, and kalguksu noodles.

Once the gentle, savory aroma of doenjang rises and the broth starts bubbling away, you simply add the ingredients and cook them.

They also bring three sauces. The doenjang-flavored one in the middle was exactly my kind of sauce.

The broth deepens as it boils, so it was delicious with the kalguksu noodles, and the gondre juk—rice porridge with Korean thistle, available as dessert—also became wonderfully rich.

Above all, it is shabu-shabu, so I think it would suit anyone who loves warm broth. It was also lovely to eat slowly while chatting with a friend over weekend lunch.

The minari-goni jeon is special too

Shabu-shabu alone felt like it would be a shame, so we ordered the minari-goni jeon as well.

Goni, creamy cod milt often found in seafood stew, on top of a minari (water celery) pancake? I was intrigued just by the name, so I had to order it. The fragrant minari and nutty goni made the pancake delicious on its own, and it also went well with the sauce that tasted like soy sauce from jangajji, Korean pickles.

The outside was nicely golden while the inside was soft, so it was even better eaten warm.

With both shabu-shabu and pancake, it was a filling spread for two.

We ordered the two-person set with the pancake, but it honestly seemed like enough for three! After shabu-shabu, pancake, kimchi fried rice, and gondre juk for dessert, we were so full at the end that we could not eat another bite. But then I got home and started thinking about it again—such a shame ㅠㅠ

Complimentary beef tendon salad

That day, the owner also brought us sujeo muchim, a seasoned beef tendon salad, on the house.

We were told it would be better before it cooled, so we tried it right away. The beef tendon still had its signature chewy texture, while the seasoning had soaked right through, so the more I chewed, the more clearly I could taste it.

Since it was complimentary, I did not expect much, but both of us enjoyed it. Eaten warm, the chewy tendon and seasoning seemed to go together even better.

Is it good for a Seoul Station date or gathering?

I visited with one friend that day, but looking at the menu, I thought it would also work well for a group sharing hot pot or pancake dishes.

For anyone looking for a Seoul Station shabu-shabu restaurant for a gathering, it seems great for ordering several dishes to share, and warm broth dishes are perfect when the cold wind blows, right?! If you are looking for a warm, satisfying lunch near Seoul Station, I think you should try shabu-shabu and a pancake dish together at Yunseul.

For a distinctive shabu-shabu meal in a quiet, spacious, comfortable setting, I think Yunseul at Seoul Station's Grand Central has it all :)