All-you-can-eat shabu-shabu in Buk, Daegu: Shabu20

For my boyfriend’s birthday, I visited Shabu20 Daegu Bokhyeon branch (샤브20 대구복현점). At weekday lunch, we chose two broths, cooked meat and vegetables, and used the self-serve bar and dessert station.

Is parking and group dining convenient?

The restaurant is on the first floor at 79 Gonghang-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu. There were dedicated parking areas in front of, behind, and beside the restaurant.

I could check the prices, dining time, and broth options in front of the restaurant. The original post lists hours as 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily, with last order at 8:50 PM. Naver reservations are also available.

The interior was more spacious than I expected. I heard that the maximum capacity was 190 people, and there was group seating. Each table had an induction cooktop, so we could cook shabu-shabu at our table.

One side of the restaurant had hangers, blankets, and high chairs. The restrooms were separate for men and women.

What ingredients and food are at the self-serve bar?

After taking our seats, I first went to the vegetable section. Along with leafy vegetables for shabu-shabu, there were ingredients for Vietnamese spring rolls and several kinds of mushrooms.

The meal and salad-bar area had hot and cold food. The hot food was kept in covered warming containers.

Ingredients for making kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and juk (rice porridge) after shabu-shabu were also prepared.

There were salads and fruit as well. It was set up so I could have salad during the meal or get fruit afterward.

Are drinks and draft beer included in the dining fee?

The drink station had soda, orange juice, and maesil-cha (Korean plum tea).

At the time of my visit, unlimited draft beer was included in the per-person dining fee. There was an automatic beer-pouring machine, and it poured the beer without filling the cup only with foam.

How did I get the meat and mix the sauces?

Several plates each of beef and pork were prepared, so I could take more whenever I wanted. As someone who likes meat, I was pleased with this.

The sauce station had several kinds of sauces, plus children’s tableware and phone stands below. I mixed peanut sauce and chili sauce with garlic, scallions, and more; it suited my taste, so I made it twice more.

My approximate mixing ratio was as follows. I did not record separate measuring units.

• Peanut sauce 0.7
• Chili sauce 1
• Minced garlic 0.3
• Scallions, to taste
• Crushed peanuts 0.3
• Sesame oil sauce 0.2

Which broths did we choose for weekday lunch?

The two of us had weekday lunch and chose the original bonito broth and special hot pot broth. I was curious about the hot pot broth, so we paid an additional ₩1,000 per person.

We brought back beef, salad, hot food, drinks, and vegetables for the shabu-shabu. The beef was thinly sliced for shabu-shabu and had a good color, which I liked. The two of us ate seven plates of beef alone that day.

When the broth ran low, we could refill it from the self-serve bar. Cooking vegetables and meat warmly at the table felt gentle on my stomach and warming to me.

How did I make affogato after the meal?

For dessert, I chose soft-serve ice cream. I often pour espresso over ice cream at buffets, and there was also a guide here for making affogato.

I put ice cream in the designated dish and poured espresso over it. I liked being able to end the meal with a dessert I enjoy.

What stayed with me from this meal was being able to take as much meat as I wanted and the range of the self-serve bar. We finished with affogato, but ingredients for making kalguksu or juk yourself were also available.