Seoul Station shabu-shabu with chuck flap swap and roe rice: Yunseul

I went to Yunseul, a Seoul Station-area date spot where you can enjoy warm shabu-shabu while looking out at the downtown skyline.

A place where you can eat a hearty meal from shabu-shabu to noodles to rice, and I really loved the view of downtown Seoul :)

📍 Yunseul 1F Grand Central, 14 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul Hours 11:00 ~ 21:00 Break time 15:00 ~ 17:00 ※ Last order 13:45, 19:45

Where is Yunseul? Right outside Seoul Station Exit 4

Yunseul is located on the first floor of Grand Central near Seoul Station. It's right in front of Seoul Station Exit 4, so it's great to visit when you have plans or need a place to eat before or after catching a train.

In particular, whenever my parents come up to Seoul, we see them off from Seoul Station, and this seemed like a really good place to eat with them there too :)

The high ceilings and huge floor-to-ceiling windows are so refreshing, right? The overall vibe was calm and upscale, and the seats were divided by partitions so you could talk comfortably. As a Seoul Station shabu-shabu spot for gatherings, the setting was perfect ⊹ ࣪ ˖

There are tables for 4, tables for 6, and if you go further in, there's a space good for group seating too! We booked ahead through CatchTable, so we got seated right away without waiting :)

Choosing the broth and meat: clear anchovy with chuck flap steak

What I liked about Yunseul was that you could choose everything from the broth to the meat to the finishing rice according to your taste. There are three broths in total!

• ✔️ Clear anchovy broth
• ✔️ Doenjang broth with naengi (shepherd's purse)
• ✔️ Spicy mushroom broth

All three looked delicious so I was torn, but that day I was craving something light and clean, so I went with the clear anchovy broth. For the meat, I switched from the default prime chuck to chuck flap steak!

Fresh vegetables and chuck flap steak in the shabu-shabu pot

Once the food we ordered arrived, I especially loved the variety of mushrooms.

Along with napa cabbage and minari (water dropwort), there were several kinds of mushrooms evenly arranged. None of the vegetables were wilted — all completely fresh!!✦

First, they boiled the vegetables and mushrooms in the broth.

Maybe because it was the clear anchovy broth, but the more vegetables were added and boiled, the broth seemed to get even more refreshing.

And then, the chuck flap steak I'd been waiting for! The meat came neatly arranged with just the right amount of marbling — doesn't it look delicious just looking at it? 𓂃𓈒𓏸 ♡

Cooking the meat briefly in the broth let it soak up the flavor, making it perfect to eat together with the vegetables. I was glad I switched to the chuck flap steak!

Side dishes at Yunseul: stir-fried beef tendon and three sauces

The side dishes overall were served neatly. What stood out most was the stir-fried beef tendon (seuji). The chewy texture combined with a spicy seasoning was perfect for whetting the appetite before really digging into the shabu-shabu.

There were also three types of sauce prepared, which I liked because it meant even the same piece of meat could be enjoyed in different ways depending on preference.

Hand-cut noodles, the proper shabu-shabu second course

Isn't the charm of shabu-shabu that it just never seems to end no matter how much you eat? haha

They added kalguksu (hand-cut noodles) into the broth that had been thoroughly simmered with vegetables and meat. The noodles were chewy and delicious, but what stood out most was really the broth. Since it was infused with all the flavors of the ingredients, the noodles were delicious too.

Be sure to eat this noodle dish together with the kimchi that comes as a side dish. Topping the chewy noodles with a piece of kimchi paired really well.

Finishing rice at Yunseul: kimchi fried rice or pollack roe cucumber rice

Yunseul also has three types of finishing rice prepared. You can choose from bulgogi kimchi fried rice, braised egg (jangjorim) quail egg rice, or low-sodium pollack roe cucumber rice. We ordered the bulgogi kimchi fried rice and the low-sodium pollack roe cucumber rice.

Both dishes were made with rice mixed with barley, so I liked the distinctive barley texture with every bite.

The crunchy texture of the cucumber, the savory flavor of the pollack roe, and the chewiness of the barley rice all came together for a uniquely enjoyable dish.

We enjoyed the bulgogi kimchi fried rice mixed together too. After the shabu-shabu, noodles, and rice, we were really full.

Verdict: is Yunseul worth it for gatherings, dates and family meals?

If you're looking for a restaurant for gatherings near Seoul Station, a place with a good atmosphere for dates, somewhere to take your parents, or a spot for a group meal, I'd definitely recommend Yunseul ୨୧

You can choose your broth and meat to your taste, and enjoy fresh vegetables and a variety of mushrooms too. The meal builds all the way through noodles and rice, so it made for a satisfyingly filling meal! It's a great place to take your parents, or to share one last meal with someone before parting ways at Seoul Station. I'd also recommend Yunseul to anyone looking for a nice-atmosphere Seoul Station date spot. :)