Shabu buffet in Yaeum-dong, Ulsan, full by early dinner: Shabre Garden

What is Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch?

Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch (샤브르정원 울산남구점) is a newly opened shabu-shabu-based buffet in Yaeum-dong, Ulsan. There are plenty of shabu-shabu buffets out there, and many of them are already famous brands, but since Shabre Garden is a brand-new shop, I wanted to see with my own eyes what makes it different.

Where is Shabre Garden in Yaeum-dong, and where do you park?

Shabre Garden is right next to the vinyl-tent building beside Suam Sangga Market (수암상가시장), and the public parking lot and the raw fish center lot are both close. Parking looks like there should be plenty of room, yet it can also be tricky. It takes a little time, but it's not impossible. The public lot also offers a parking discount, so keep that in mind.

Is there a wait at Shabre Garden even at an early dinner?

Even at an early dinner hour, the place was packed and we had to put our name down and wait. By the time we arrived it was already jam-packed, a pretty awe-inspiring show of popularity. I was a bit surprised to see so many people so early in the evening, and we started our wait.

The restaurant is huge, but there wasn't a single empty seat. Places that draw crowds always have a reason, and as I said at the start, I'll be looking closely at what makes this one different.

The wait dragged on longer than expected, so I kept stepping in and out of the shop, and decided to look at what food was prepared. Let's do some sightseeing before we eat!

What's on the Shabre Garden buffet?

Drinks, bingsu machine, desserts and salad

Walk in and the first things you see are the drinks and the bingsu machine. The shop only just opened, so all the equipment is brand new and sparkling. It's a moment that makes you look forward to the meal.

There's a table of desserts and vegetables, and you can see fried dishes and salads neatly arranged by color, waiting for their owners.

Sushi made in small batches

Shabre Garden had a wide variety of sushi, and instead of making a huge amount and piling it up, they watched how fast it was going and made it in small batches, refilling as needed. It looked hygienic, which made it nice to look at and nice to eat.

Shabu-shabu vegetables, braised short ribs, takoyaki and chicken karaage

For shabu, vegetables are a must, and here they're lined up neatly in great variety. You can take as much as you want, and there are lots of kinds. You could get full on vegetables alone, couldn't you?

Beyond that, there are side dishes that kids and adults alike will love, like braised short ribs (galbijjim), takoyaki and chicken karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken), all lined up. All sorts of tasty food is on standby for a fun meal.

There's spaghetti and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) too. With so many kinds, even one round of each would fill me up, so choosing gets hard. I'll have to pick the tasty stuff wisely. And now it's our turn, so we start eating.

How do the broth and meat work at Shabre Garden?

The shabu broth comes in a half-and-half pot, so you get spicy and mild at the same time, and you can pick beef brisket (usam) or pork chuck (moksim) for the meat. I put the vegetables for the broth on my plate one by one. At a shabu-shabu buffet there's a lot to gather, haha. Rather than finding it a hassle, think of it as preparing your own happy meal, and as you collect things one by one, you look up at the lavish table and find yourself smiling.

I brought sushi, I brought chicken and fried food, and I also found the self-serve fridge where you can get more broth when it runs low. The meat is set out so you can choose by type, brisket or chuck. The brisket adds a rich, savory flavor, while the chuck adds a clean, mild one.

How was dinner at Shabre Garden?

The sushi looked more appetizing than at the buffet brands that focus on sushi, and the lineup held up fine as a shabu-based buffet. It was truly a feast. You know those buffet brands built around sushi? The sushi here looked tastier than theirs, and I think it holds its own as a shabu-based buffet too.

Unlimited draft beer in iced cups

The unlimited draft beer in particular was something unique to Shabre Garden. Right next to the draft beer machine is a fridge stocked with chilled, iced cups, so you can pour glass after glass nice and cold. Seriously tempting draft beer.

Shabre Garden, a Yaeum-dong shabu-shabu spot that adults and kids can all enjoy, is in my view a solid choice if you're thinking of shabu-shabu.