Regular's pick at Jang-an-dong shabu-shabu spot: Shabu Torang

With prices these days, getting a proper shabu-shabu meal can feel like a splurge. But one of the places I actually go to often is Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch. I go at least once a month, sometimes twice haha.

What I love most is that with prices this high everywhere, basic shabu-shabu is only ₩7,900. And I think the biggest charm of Shabu Torang is that after finishing the shabu-shabu, you can enjoy various "after dishes" like pasta, risotto, or kalguksu (knife-cut noodles).

The first time I went to Shabu Torang I thought, "Wait, pasta after shabu-shabu...?" But once I tried it, it was genuinely a whole new world haha.

Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch 📍 Location: 146 Jangan-ro, 1st floor, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 🕐 Hours: 11:00 - 22:00 (last order 21:00) ❤️ Free soda with Naver coupon

Location and how to get to Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch

Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch is located in Jang-an-dong. There's a bus stop right in front, so it's easy to reach by bus, and it's not far from Janghanpyeong Station either, so it's convenient by public transit. For someone like me who visits repeatedly, accessibility matters a lot, and the fact that the location is this good is part of why I keep coming back.

Solo-friendly with individual induction stoves

At Shabu Torang, every seat has its own individual induction stove, so each person cooks their own shabu-shabu. That gives it a bit of a solo-dining feel.

The two-person seats include side-by-side sofa seating as well as U-shaped bar-style seats, so it looked good for both solo diners and friends visiting together. I went with a friend, so we sat at the side-by-side sofa seats!

Ordering Ryu Su-young's recommended combo

Shabu Torang's model is actor Ryu Su-young. Somehow when Ryu Su-young advertises something, it feels trustworthy haha. There's actually a combo he recommends.

🌶️ Ryu Su-young's recommended combo Spicy shabu-shabu + creamy pasta

I ordered this combo without hesitation, and my friend ordered spicy shabu-shabu + kalguksu. To cut to the conclusion: I fully recommend the creamy pasta combo!

Fresh vegetables + appetizing beef brisket

Once you're seated, they prepare the broth first, and then the shabu-shabu ingredients come out. Fresh-looking vegetables and appetizing beef brisket!

What was especially cute was the fried tofu — it has the Shabu Torang logo stamped right on it, and little details like that are quietly charming haha. Since we're both big eaters, the basic portion of beef brisket felt a bit short, so we added one extra order.

Don't forget to add the sauce to the spicy shabu-shabu

When you first see the spicy shabu-shabu broth, you might think, "Wait, it's called spicy, so why isn't the broth red?" haha. Don't panic — just mix in the spicy sauce that comes with it!

Once you stir in the sauce and bring it to a boil, that's when the spicy shabu-shabu look is complete. I started with the induction set to about 5, then lowered it to around 3 once the broth started boiling. After that, just add the meat and vegetables and enjoy!

Personally, my favorite thing at Shabu Torang is the spicy shabu-shabu broth. Despite the name, it's not overly spicy or harsh — it's a moderately hot, savory style that keeps you coming back for more.

Especially once you add the beef brisket, the meat's rich fat slightly seeps into the broth and blends with the spicy soup for a really good combination. Grab a piece of meat with a bit of broth and slurp it down, and it just clicks — you keep eating without noticing haha.

The highlight: creamy pasta, and how to add it

Creamy pasta at a shabu-shabu place? That's exactly what I thought at first too. But you really have to try Shabu Torang's creamy pasta.

Once you've eaten most of the shabu-shabu, leave about 3 spoonfuls of broth and drop in the creamy pasta. Give it a quick boil and that's it! The pasta already comes with plenty of cream sauce, but once it mixes with the spicy leftover broth, the flavor completely transforms.

The thick, savory cream sauce combined with the spicy, savory depth of the broth cuts the richness while making the overall flavor deeper. The smooth, rich taste of the cream pasta stays intact, but the subtle heat that lingers at the end keeps you reaching for another forkful.

Creamy pasta, but with a hint of spice so it never gets heavy

It's honestly hard for cream + spicy broth to taste bad in the first place haha, but I was still surprised by how well it worked together.

My favorite menu combo at Shabu Torang is definitely spicy shabu-shabu → creamy pasta 👍

A bite of my friend's kalguksu too

My friend ordered kalguksu with the spicy shabu-shabu. After eating plenty of meat and vegetables in the shabu-shabu broth, adding the kalguksu made the broth taste even richer, with all the ingredient flavors soaked in. It made me wonder if kalguksu really is the ultimate way to finish shabu-shabu — but I'm still going with creamy pasta next time, no question haha.

Overall review of Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch

• ① Great value shabu-shabu → basic shabu-shabu is ₩7,000, which is easy on the wallet given current prices
• ② Solo-dining feel → individual induction stoves at every seat mean everyone can cook comfortably on their own
• ③ Delicious broth → spicy but not overly hot or harsh, with a savory kick that keeps you eating
• ④ The after dishes are genuinely great → after shabu-shabu you can enjoy pasta, risotto, kalguksu and more
• ⑤ 100% would visit again → I actually go back about once a month

With good value, good taste, and a great menu combo, this is the place I keep thinking of whenever I want shabu-shabu nearby. If it's your first visit, I recommend trying 🌶️ spicy shabu-shabu + 🍝 creamy pasta.

Pasta after shabu-shabu might sound a little odd at first, but once you try it, you'll get why I recommend this combo haha. If you're looking for good-value shabu-shabu in Jang-an-dong, I recommend Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch!