Rainy-day lunch shabu-kalguksu at 11,500 won in Yongin: Yun Ujae

A spicy, hot broth with chewy noodles alongside a crispy pancake is a combination that always comes to mind for a meal out, no matter the weather. And when it's raining, that's the icing on the cake.

On a rainy day that seemed to be calling in autumn, I visited Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu (윤우재 고기리샤브 칼국수), a Dongcheon-dong area favorite near the Gogi-ri entrance in Suji, Yongin, known for generous portions and honest prices.

From beef shabu-shabu to house-made kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) noodles and fried rice, the full-course shabu-kalguksu comes with everything included — and I paired it with a still-crispy crispy seafood pancake for good measure. Here's how the meal went.

Parking and first impressions at Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu

Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu sits in a standalone building in Gogidong, Suji, Yongin, so it's easy to spot from a distance. There's a dedicated parking area right in front, and when it's full, staff direct you to nearby spaces — very convenient for driving in.

Stepping inside, it feels more like a stylish café than a typical kalguksu restaurant. The bright white interior, wide table spacing, and separate room space make it well-suited for family meals or group gatherings.

There's also a spacious indoor-only waiting lounge, so you can wait comfortably without worrying about the weather.

The glass-walled room where Yun Ujae makes its own noodles

On one side of the kitchen sits a large glass-walled room where the noodles are made in-house. The dough is kneaded using the traditional foot-treading method and aged at low temperature for 48 hours before being cut into noodles — which built up my anticipation before the meal even started.

I was also impressed by the thoughtful hygiene touches — each table gets a glass bottle of hot water for sanitizing utensils — along with hair ties and an hourglass timer set out for guests.

What we ordered: red broth shabu-kalguksu for two at 11,500 won each

We ordered two servings of the red-broth shabu-kalguksu (11,500 won per person), choosing half flat noodles and half regular noodles, plus a crispy seafood pancake (16,000 won) as a side.

The 'shabu-kalguksu – red' for two arrived first, and the spread was enormous. A large pot came piled high with fragrant minari (water dropwort), oyster mushrooms, and green onion.

The richly simmered beef-bone broth, spiked with sun-dried red chili flakes, gets spicier without turning heavy or murky the longer it cooks — clean and satisfying.

The two-person portion of shabu beef reportedly comes only from cattle butchered within the past six months. Compared to other shabu-kalguksu places, the quality of the meat is high, and the quantity looked generous too.

And the kalguksu and fried rice that follow round out the course nicely. As you can see in the photos, every ingredient looks delicious on its own — and it's hard to believe the price is 11,500 won, arguably among the lowest in the country for this.

How to eat it: beef wrapped in Yun Ujae's flat noodles

We cooked everything right at the table as instructed. First, the staff added the beef along with the flat noodles.

Following the table's instructions, I dipped the lightly-cooked beef and crisp minari into a special sauce made with hot pepper paste, then, after timing about 5 minutes with the pink hourglass on the table, wrapped the cooked flat noodles around beef and mushrooms like a little roll — and that combination was a real standout.

Crispy seafood pancake, 16,000 won: as crunchy as fried food

Since it was raining, we also ordered the crispy seafood pancake. At this Dongcheon-dong-area favorite, Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu, you can also add extra ingredients to the kalguksu we were eating.

That said, the portion is so large that most adults couldn't realistically order more on top of the meal. True to its name, the crispy seafood pancake is fried until golden brown, almost like deep-fried food — thick, yet with a crackery, crispy exterior.

It's generously loaded with plump shrimp and chewy squid, giving every bite plenty of texture.

The portion was so generous that we could neatly pack up the leftover pancake in a to-go container available at the self-serve station.

Kalguksu noodles and the nurungji fried rice finish

Following the flat noodles, the regular kalguksu noodles were equally good — no raw-flour smell, plump and chewy from soaking up the broth. The savory, spicy broth made the noodles taste even better.

Once the kalguksu is finished, the staff ladle out a bit of the rich remaining broth and stir-fry rice with kimchi, minari, and dried seaweed flakes right in the pot.

The nurungji (scorched rice) fried rice, cooked until it forms a slight crust at the bottom of the pot, is the essential final course no Korean can pass up, even when already full.

Is Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu in Yongin worth it?

At an almost unbelievable 11,500 won per person, we got to enjoy a complete course — carefully hand-treaded house-made noodles, a spicy broth, and a generous amount of meat. Leave a receipt review and you can even get a sirloin coupon for your next visit.

The restaurant is spacious, but there's always a bit of a wait at lunchtime. That's proof of a truly good place.

It's so delicious, and such good value, that a repeat visit is a given.