Perilla-broth kalguksu lunch in Magok, Seoul: Yangcheon Shabu Son

I went out to Seoul Botanic Park on the weekend and was trying to figure out where to eat lunch nearby when I found this place! I visited Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch. There actually seem to be a lot of options for lunch near Seoul Botanic Park, but it's surprisingly hard to pick the "this is it" spot — this one came up first when I searched, so I went straight there. Bottom line first: if you're looking for a good place to eat near Seoul Botanic Park, this was a pretty solid lunch pick.

How far is Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu from Seoul Botanic Park and Yangcheonhyanggyo Station?

Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch is at 46 Magokdong-ro 10-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, on the 1st floor of Magok Botanic Park Plaza. It's close to Yangcheonhyanggyo Station too — felt like about a 3-4 minute walk. Also not far from Seoul Botanic Park, so it's a good stop before or after wandering the park!

Honestly I got a little curious when I heard they had a black garlic noodle option. I'm a black garlic lover, so I can't pass that up.

Chilled hutgae fruit tea and the dining room in Magok Botanic Park Plaza

One of the things I liked as soon as I walked in was that they serve chilled hutgae (Japanese raisin tree) fruit tea. I'd had some drinking issues the day before, so this hutgae tea was seriously welcome... honestly I drank so much the night before I don't even remember how many cups I had. Hahahahahahahaha.

I didn't get a photo, but one of the strengths of Yangcheon Shabu Son is that the whole place is really clean overall. The interior felt tidy, and above all, the owner was really kind.

You know how it is — when you feel kindness at a restaurant, you're already in a good mood before the food even arrives.

Clear, spicy or perilla broth: why perilla won

The menu at Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch lets you choose between clear, spicy, and perilla broth, and we went with perilla. Honestly, the family at the next table was eating it, and one of the men kept raving about how good it was as he ate, and watching that tipped me straight toward perilla. There's just something about seeing someone else enjoy a dish that makes you want to order it too, haha.

Is one round of extra meat worth adding?

The shabu-shabu meat that comes standard wasn't a bad amount at all. But we still added one extra round of meat (worried it wouldn't be enough...). Once we added it, the spread suddenly felt way more generous and like we were really eating properly — got really full, ugh. The base amount is fine, so extra is worth considering but not strictly necessary?

How perilla broth tastes with the kalguksu noodles

Sorry about the photos. Perilla dishes are just hard to photograph nicely... The perilla broth was rich and savory, the kind of thing that's satisfying no matter the weather. The photos honestly didn't come out pretty, but perilla food is naturally hard to shoot well — it's delicious, but the photos just don't capture that nutty richness.

Cooking the vegetables and meat down in the perilla broth made it nutty and light, so I kept eating more and more. If you're looking for a kalguksu or shabu-shabu spot near Seoul Botanic Park, I felt like this combo would be hard to go wrong with. >.<

Once I added the kalguksu noodles, they went so well with the perilla broth that it felt like a whole different dish. The broth got thicker with the noodles in, and it felt so filling — genuinely so, so good!!! I love black garlic!!!

Finishing the course with porridge and plum tea

At the end, we made porridge too. If you eat shabu kalguksu, you've gotta finish with the porridge to really call it done — that's me, that's totally me. Ahahahaha. Making porridge with that nutty perilla broth at the end was so filling and satisfying.

After finishing the meal, we had plum tea at the very end too. The plum tea cleaned my palate nicely so I could wrap things up without feeling too heavy. Eating shabu-shabu, kalguksu, and porridge, then finishing with plum tea felt like a neatly rounded-off course.

Overall, Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch was a great spot to visit when you want a warm, filling lunch near Seoul Botanic Park. Especially if you love perilla flavor — highly, highly recommend.

If you're out at Seoul Botanic Park looking for a good lunch spot nearby, hunting for a place to eat near Yangcheonhyanggyo Station, or just want shabu kalguksu in Magok, this seems worth a visit. Next time I'm curious about the spicy broth too, but I'll probably order perilla again anyway.