Byeollae hot pot restaurant with a sujebi swap, ₩26,000: Onjeongban

Today's story is about a weekend evening visit with my wife to a shabu-shabu spot in Byeollae, Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu Namyangju Byeollae Main Branch. I'd actually passed by a few times on weekends and seen the line stretching out the door. I kept wondering why on earth this place had so many people, so I finally went to check it out myself — and the moment I got there, I understood exactly why.

Where is Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu in Byeollae, and where do you park?

Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu Namyangju Byeollae Main Branch is located at 14 Siksong1-ro, 1st floor, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, and is open daily from 10:30 to 21:30 (last order 20:30). Parking is available in front of and beside the restaurant.

It's about a 10-minute drive from Byeollae Station, and it's a great stop after hiking Bulamsan. It's near a military base too, so lots of families come by. The tables are spaced generously, so you can eat comfortably without worrying about the next table over — a real plus.

There's plenty of parking in front and to the side, and you can also reserve a waitlist spot through the Catch Table app. It's popular enough that during busy hours they use Tabling number tickets — and even during the early evening slot we visited, there were quite a lot of customers. Ordering is easy through the table kiosk!

What comes with the ₩26,000 dumpling hot pot for two?

This time we ordered the handmade dumpling hot pot for two (₩26,000) at Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu. The basic set-up covers the whole table: rolled dumplings, shabu vegetables, beef, a choice of kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) or sujebi (hand-torn dough), porridge ingredients, salad, and fresh kimchi (geotjeori). Just looking at the spread told me this was going to be incredible value.

The vegetables looked really fresh, and the beef was sliced thin and well-trimmed — just looking at it made my mouth water. Once the broth starts boiling, you cook the beef, sujebi, and dumplings together in it, and depending on your taste you can dip them in chili sauce or wasabi soy sauce. I found the wasabi soy sauce suited me better.

Handmade rolled dumplings: juicy and packed with filling

The handmade rolled dumplings, basically the signature dish at Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu, are genuinely delicious. True to being handmade, they're packed with juice, and they must put in plenty of tofu because one bite is incredibly soft.

You get two kinds — kimchi dumplings and meat dumplings. The kimchi dumplings aren't spicy at all, mild enough for young kids to eat, so the whole family can enjoy them comfortably. Not overpowering at all, but still full of flavor.

Sujebi or kalguksu: which noodle to choose

You get to choose between kalguksu and sujebi, and we went with sujebi. There's something fun about tearing the dough by hand and dropping it straight into the boiling broth — a different kind of enjoyment. As the sujebi absorbs the broth it gets chewy, and scooping it up together with dumplings and beef is the best combination!

Free gondeure rice: what's at the self-serve corner

There's another reason people flock to Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu: they give you gondeure rice (wild greens rice) free with any main menu order! You scoop it yourself at the self-serve corner, and there's sesame oil and perilla oil right there too, so mixing it with soy sauce is the icing on the cake.

The rice, with its subtle gondeure aroma, went so well with the dumpling hot pot broth that I finished a whole bowl without noticing. Besides gondeure rice, the self-serve corner also has geotjeori, salad, and broth, so you can top up according to your own taste without ever feeling short-changed.

Finishing with porridge and a dessert slushie

A shabu-shabu meal isn't complete without a porridge finish! At the end, we added the porridge ingredients and boiled them in the leftover broth, and out came a rich, nutty porridge. Even though we were already stuffed, the porridge somehow kept going down easily haha.

On the way out, there's a slushie machine and snacks set up near the register as dessert, so they make sure you leave completely full. I saw families with young kids walking out holding slushies — this really does seem like a perfect place to bring kids.

Why Onjeongban is packed on weekend evenings

Now that I've seen it firsthand, I completely understand why Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu Namyangju Byeollae Main Branch is so busy on weekend evenings! The generous portions and flavor of the dumpling hot pot, on top of free gondeure rice and a dessert slushie. The staff were kind too, so the whole meal felt comfortable and relaxed. If you live near Byeollae or Namyangju, don't hesitate to visit!

Checklist before visiting Onjeongban in Byeollae

• 📍 Address: 14 Siksong1-ro, 1st floor, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• 🕐 Hours: Daily 10:30 – 21:30 (last order 20:30)
• 🅿️ Parking: Available in front of and beside the restaurant
• 📱 Reservations: Catch Table app available
• 🍚 Gondeure rice: Free with any main menu order (self-serve)
• 👶 With kids: High chairs available, kid-friendly
• ♿ Wheelchair: Accessible
• 👍 Good for: Family meals, taking your parents, a post-Bulamsan-hike stop