Siheung Janggok-dong mala broth dinner buffet, 21,900 won: Pyeonbaek

Back at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Siheung Janggok Branch after the renovation

I finally went back to Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Siheung Janggok Branch after a while. Pyeonbaek is a place I've been to more than five times — honestly one of my favorite go-to spots. I hadn't been in a while and suddenly thought, 'I need to go this time!' but of course it turned out to be right during their renovation period. I couldn't make it then, so I waited until the renovation was over before finally visiting.

Where Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Siheung Janggok is, plus hours and parking

• 📍 8 Jinmal 1-ro, Janggok Edu Tower 3F, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• ⏰ Daily 10:30–22:00
• 🅿️ 2 hours free parking — Janggok Edu Tower parking lot, Yuseung Hannaedeul commercial parking lot

We visited around 8pm on a weekend, and maybe because it was a weekend evening, the place was almost completely full. Luckily one table for six was open, so staff seated us there. It's always been a busy spot, but this time, right after the renovation, it felt even busier than usual.

How much is the mala and katsuo combo? 21,900 won per person

This time we chose mala broth and katsuo (bonito) broth, priced at ₩21,900 per person. We ordered first through the table-order tablet, then went to grab spring roll ingredients, tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes), fried snacks and more.

Staff first brought over spring roll vegetables, then hot water and rice paper for the table.

What's on the self-bar at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan

The self-bar at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Siheung Janggok Branch had all sorts of dishes ready — spaghetti, cream pasta, tteokbokki, fried chicken, dumplings, and more. There was so much variety I wanted to try a bit of everything, but I figured if I loaded up too much I wouldn't have room for the main dish, so I just took small portions of what I wanted. Maybe because we came during peak time, a few items were nearly running out, but staff refilled them quickly.

Staff set a timer and open the cypress steamer for you

In the meantime, staff set up the cypress steamer on our table and set a timer before leaving. We waited by eating the spring rolls, tteokbokki, and fried snacks first.

When the timer went off, staff came right over and opened the steamer lid for us. Since we could eat the simpler dishes while waiting, it didn't feel boring at all, and once the steamer opened we could dig straight into the cypress steam. Inside were bean sprouts, meat, bok choy, enoki mushrooms, napa cabbage, shrimp, and dumplings.

You stack the ingredients up, roll them into a neat bundle, and dip generously into the sauce. Both the chili sauce and peanut sauce go so well with it 🤍. Last time I visited, the cypress steam was so good I got a refill, but then I barely had room left for the shabu-shabu. This time, to properly enjoy the shabu-shabu too, I only had the cypress steam once.

Half-and-half mala and katsuo shabu-shabu broth

Once we finished, we asked through the table-order tablet to have the steamer removed, and the mala-katsuo half-and-half broth came out right away.

While the broth was coming to a boil, we went to grab shabu-shabu ingredients. I noticed minari (water dropwort) on the bar this time, which I hadn't seen a few months ago.

The mala broth starts out pale and creamy-looking, and you can add mala sauce to taste. We added about three big spoonfuls, and the mala flavor felt just right — not overpowering.

We split the ingredients we brought over between the mala and katsuo sides of the pot. Personally, I thought peanut sauce worked better for the mala shabu-shabu, and cheongyang chili with soy sauce worked better for the katsuo side.

What's in the dessert corner

There was also a dessert selection ready for after the meal. Ice cream, iced tea, plum tea, slushies, misugaru (roasted grain drink), coffee, hot chocolate, and more — plenty of options for a palate cleanser, letting us finish the meal on a nice, clean note.

Why Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Siheung Janggok works with kids

Most of the diners around us were families with kids, and it looked like a lot of them come because there's a playroom the children enjoy.

The renovation gift: a cypress cube

As we were paying and about to leave, the owner handed us a cypress cube! Turns out it was a gift being given out as part of the store's renovation-anniversary event. It's limited to the first 500 customers, so if you're planning to visit, go early and make sure to grab one too!

Final thoughts on Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Siheung Janggok

As soon as I heard news of the renovation at my go-to Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Siheung Janggok Branch, I couldn't wait to visit. The new look brought a real upgrade in satisfaction, but the fresh quality and top-notch taste I know and love stayed exactly the same. I'd strongly recommend Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Siheung Janggok Branch to anyone wanting to enjoy neat cypress steam and piping hot shabu-shabu.