Yeosu City Hall shabu-shabu buffet with BBQ ribs: Tongkeun Shabu

Craving hot broth on a Yeosu trip: Tongkeun Shabu

Tongkeun Shabu (통큰샤브) in Hakdong, near Yeosu City Hall, is an all-you-can-eat beef shabu-shabu and salad bar spot. My husband and I took a little trip to Yeosu to get some fresh air, and when we arrived and were deciding on dinner, he said he wanted something hot, warm and filling with lots of broth.

After some searching, we ended up at this Hakdong restaurant near Yeosu City Hall. Unlimited fresh vegetables and meat, plus a variety of hot dishes and sushi, made it a Yeosu shabu-shabu place I really liked!

My husband said it was a generous spread and ate so much, which made me proud, haha. Let me start my honest review.

Tongkeun Shabu location, hours and parking

Tongkeun Shabu is at 25 Mangma-ro, 3rd floor, Yeosu, Jeonnam, and it is open 11:30 - 22:00 (last order 20:30). For parking, you can use the building's lot or the public parking lot across the street. Reservations by phone are possible, and there is group seating too.

At the entrance there was a notice naming it a citizen-praised business designated by Yeosu City, along with a food safety (Anshim Restaurant) mark, which made me trust the place!

How much does Tongkeun Shabu in Yeosu cost?

The signature menu is all-you-can-eat beef shabu-shabu and salad bar. I snapped a photo of the menu board at the counter!

• Adult, weekday lunch: ₩23,900
• Adult, weekday dinner/weekend: ₩26,900
• Elementary school child: ₩14,000
• Preschool child: ₩11,000
• Broth: choose from plain mild broth, sukiyaki broth, spicy mala broth or rich chicken broth

There happened to be a notice for their 10th anniversary event along with a loyalty stamp event. The great value made me like the place even more.

Tongkeun Shabu interior and seating

One wall of the hall is open with big picture windows and blinds, which gave it a nice atmospheric feel. There were plenty of wooden tables and comfortable chairs, so it looked perfectly fine for group gatherings too.

Inside, there were plenty of baby high chairs for families with little kids. Partitions were set up here and there, so a private meal looked possible.

Ceiling line lighting and stylish pendant lamps added a refined mood, and the aisles were wide, so going back and forth to the salad bar was no trouble at all.

What's in the salad bar hot food corner?

The hot food corner had carbonara pasta, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) in broth, seasoned fried chicken, pork ribs, jjolmyeon (chewy spicy cold noodles), BBQ ribs, fried chicken, tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) and gorgonzola pizza. A staff member showed us to our seats, and we rushed straight to the salad bar. The long salad bar was kept really clean, which was reassuring. Dishes were refilled hot almost as soon as they emptied.

The hot food corner had soft, rich carbonara pasta and sweet-spicy tteokbokki side by side. They were perfect for a light bite before boiling the shabu-shabu.

There was also sweet seasoned fried chicken and pork ribs stir-fried in a sweet sauce. My husband, a total meat lover, loved them the moment he saw them.

Tangy, sweet and spicy jjolmyeon to wake up the appetite and golden-grilled BBQ ribs were out too, and I was amazed by a lineup that rivals a family restaurant.

Crispy fried chicken and sweet-and-sour tangsuyuk were treats too. The batter was crunchy, so I kept reaching for more.

I also brought back a slice of gorgonzola pizza with cheese melting temptingly under the warm lights. The dough was thin and crispy, nice for a light bite.

The vegetable self-serve bar for shabu-shabu

The vegetable self-serve bar has baechu (napa cabbage hearts), bok choy, bean sprouts, enoki and oyster mushrooms, rice paper wrap ingredients and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) portions. Next I checked out the vegetable bar, the heart of shabu-shabu.

I piled on plenty of fresh green napa cabbage and bok choy, which give the broth its refreshing taste. There wasn't a single wilted leaf, just pure freshness. Mountains of crunchy bean sprouts and fresh enoki and oyster mushrooms were neatly trimmed.

There were shredded carrots and cucumbers for rice paper wraps, onions, fragrant perilla shoots and sweet pineapple, all well stocked. Plenty of kalguksu noodles for the finish were there too.

Sushi, salad and make-your-own sandwich corner

The charm of Tongkeun Shabu is that there is endless food to enjoy besides shabu-shabu! The sushi corner at the back had shrimp sushi, cuttlefish sushi, assorted rolls and gimbap (seaweed rice rolls), all neatly laid out, and picking and choosing was a lot of fun.

There was soft bread and tortillas too. It's a make-your-own sandwich corner with grilled bacon, pickled cucumbers and more, but I was too full to try it. T_T

A crunchy vegetable salad with balsamic dressing and a sweet pumpkin salad were also nice between bites.

How was the plain broth shabu-shabu and the meat?

At Tongkeun Shabu, we loaded the plain mild broth with vegetables and mushrooms and picked beef brisket and chuck, refilling again and again. Back at the table, the real mukbang (eating show) began.

The BBQ ribs, chicken, tangsuyuk and tteokbokki I brought before the shabu-shabu boiled were all delicious, every single one. The pizza, crispy dough with rich cheese flavor, was a treat too.

You can choose from plain mild broth, sukiyaki broth, spicy mala broth and rich chicken broth, and we picked the plain one, added lots of vegetables and mushrooms and let it bubble away. The vegetable flavor came out naturally, so the broth was really deep and rich.

For the meat, you can pick either savory beef brisket or mild chuck. Cooked briefly in the boiling broth, it was tender with no gamey smell and melted in my mouth. I can't count how many times my husband and I refilled.

The egg sushi, cuttlefish sushi, rolls and yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) from the sushi corner were fresh, as good as a specialty shop. The rice paper wraps, with vegetables, meat and pineapple rolled up, were the best too.

Finishing with kalguksu noodles and soft serve

Of course, the finish to shabu-shabu is chewy kalguksu noodles. Boiled in the rich broth, they kept going down even though I was full.

After the meal, soft, sweet soft serve ice cream was the perfect palate cleanser.

Tongkeun Shabu visit tips and overall verdict

Tongkeun Shabu, in Hakdong near Yeosu City Hall, has a spacious, pleasant hall and good parking, so it's a great place for a family meal or gathering. With beef and fresh vegetables plus sushi, hot food, sandwiches and dessert, all unlimited, it was a truly excellent restaurant for the price!

It can get crowded at peak times, so I recommend going at a slightly quieter hour. If you're traveling to Yeosu or looking for a good-value shabu-shabu buffet, definitely stop by!