Hapjeong shabu-shabu restaurant with peanut dipping sauce: Nahonsha

Where to eat alone in Hapjeong: Nahonsha

Nahonsha is a one-person shabu-shabu restaurant located between Hapjeong and Sangsu stations. Even the name carries the feeling of 'me alone, shabu-shabu,' so it was a great choice for a planned solo meal.

Ever needed to eat alone in Hapjeong but didn't want to just grab something quick, and felt a little awkward walking into a barbecue place or a regular shabu-shabu restaurant? When I pick a solo dining menu, I care about taste, atmosphere, and comfort all at once.

Nahonsha opening hours and break time

• Mon (8/17): Closed for the Liberation Day substitute holiday
• Tue–Fri: 11:30–21:00 / break time 15:00–18:00 / last order 14:30, 20:30
• Sat: 12:00–21:00 (lunch starts at noon on Saturdays) / break time 15:00–18:00 / last order 14:30, 20:30
• Sun: Closed every week

How to find Nahonsha between Hapjeong and Sangsu stations

Nahonsha is located at 42 Dokmak-ro, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. You can find it about midway if you walk from Hapjeong Station Exit 7 toward Sangsu, or from Sangsu Station Exit 4 toward Hapjeong.

How many broths can you choose at Nahonsha?

That day, among the various menu options, I ordered and tried the clean-tasting clear broth shabu-shabu.

Nahonsha offers a variety of broth options including clear broth, spicy broth, miso, mala, and tomato shabu-shabu.

You can also order sujebi (hand-torn noodle soup) and drinks on top of that~

What is solo dining at Nahonsha like?

True to its name, the atmosphere geared toward eating alone was really striking~ It's fine to visit with someone, but I think you feel the store's strengths even more clearly when you go by yourself.

The thing I worry about most when eating alone is other people's eyes, but at Nahonsha I could focus on my meal fairly comfortably.

Clear broth shabu-shabu: the broth and what comes with it

The menu I picked that day was the clear broth shabu-shabu. I tend to enjoy the plain taste of the ingredients rather than a strong, stimulating broth, so I thought it'd be the safest choice for my first visit to Nahonsha.

Here's the clear broth!

The meat and vegetables I ordered, plus kalguksu noodles!

The vegetables included bok choy, napa cabbage, zucchini, various mushrooms, dumplings, and tofu — a nice variety!

With shabu-shabu, if the broth is too strong it can drown out the flavor of the meat and vegetables, but with the clear broth I liked how the flavor deepened gently the more ingredients you added. True to its name, the clear broth really does have a pale, clean-colored broth, so the first taste wasn't at all overwhelming.

There were about three sauces too, and since I like peanut sauce, I dipped the meat in that~

The best order for cooking the clear broth shabu-shabu

If you order the clear broth shabu-shabu, I recommend not dumping all the ingredients in at once — instead put in the vegetables and mushrooms first to build up the broth's flavor, then cook the meat after.

<<Tip>> They say meat can get tough if you boil it too long, so it's better to only put in as much as you're about to eat and pull it out right away~!

I picked up the well-cooked vegetables one by one. There was bean sprouts too, and wrapped things up in the vegetables — the portion was surprisingly generous. If it's not enough, you can order more!!

The mushrooms included enoki, oyster mushrooms and more, so the different textures made eating more fun.

I cooked the vegetables first, then added the meat and wrapped them together.

Why Nahonsha works so well for eating alone

I think Nahonsha's biggest strength is that you can eat naturally and comfortably even alone. Shabu-shabu with a group has its own fun of chatting while cooking the ingredients together, but going solo means you don't have to worry about anyone else's preferences or pace, so you can eat at ease. If you love shabu-shabu but have hesitated to eat it alone, this place is worth a visit.

After finishing the vegetables, I added the kalguksu noodles to wrap things up~

Next visit: sukiyaki at Nahonsha

Nahonsha also has sukiyaki on the menu besides shabu-shabu, and I'd like to come back and try it next. Sukiyaki is a dish with a sweet, savory soy-based broth and meat, so I imagine it'd be a completely different vibe from the clear broth — I'm already looking forward to it.

If you're eating alone near Hapjeong Station or want a clean, well-atmosphered meal, I recommend Nahonsha, a shabu-shabu spot in Hapjeong!