Yeongjong restaurant with rice-paper rolls: Pyeonbaek Hoegwan

I went out to Yeongjong Island for the first time in a while and had all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu in the heart of Haneul City.

There was seriously so much to eat—cypress steaming, shabu-shabu, Vietnamese rice-paper rolls, beef, kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), juk (rice porridge), and more—so I ate until I was absolutely stuffed at a very reasonable price.

You can choose your broth, too, so I had a half-and-half pot with regular clear broth and mala flavor. If you're craving something spicy but also want a light, refreshing clear broth, the half-and-half pot is an absolute must!

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Main Branch, a Yeongjong favorite

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Main Branch (편백회관 본점) is in the center of Haneul City on Yeongjong Island. Parking is available in the building, so there's no need to worry about bringing your car. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. without a break time, making it easy to visit whenever hunger strikes.

There is also a children's playroom, and prices are tiered for preschoolers (ages 4–7), elementary school children, and adults, so there were lots of families with little ones. At the time of writing, children ages 4 to 7 cost ₩7,900, elementary school children cost ₩12,900, and adults cost ₩17,900 for lunch or ₩20,900 on weekends and at dinner.

Cypress steaming and shabu-shabu in one meal

The best thing about Pyeonbaek Hoegwan is the huge variety of food on offer! You can have unlimited cypress steaming, shabu-shabu, Vietnamese rice-paper rolls, beef, kalguksu, juk, and the salad bar.

The price is very reasonable, too, so even if you ate just one item, you could easily get your money's worth. The meat and vegetables were in great condition, and above all, delicious!

Light and delicious cypress steaming

I set up the cypress steamer first. Since it needs some time to cook, it is a good idea to get it steaming and then browse the salad bar.

The cypress steamer comes with meat, mung bean sprouts, vegetables, and more. Once the meat is thoroughly cooked, just take it out and eat.

This steaming method renders out the fat from rich meat and keeps it light, so it seems good for a diet and feels less heavy to eat. Have it with vegetables, or wrap it in rice paper—honestly, it is pure bliss.

A more varied salad bar than expected

At Pyeonbaek Hoegwan, it is not just the main dishes that are unlimited—the salad bar is, too. From vegetables for shabu-shabu and ingredients for rice-paper rolls to all kinds of sides, it was generously stocked. It is nice to bring back little bites while waiting for the cypress steamer.

The salad bar had plenty of things to enjoy alongside the meal, including fries, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), pasta, corn salad, and bread. Even if children do not care much for cypress steaming or shabu-shabu, I think they would eat well because there are so many side dishes at the salad bar.

Half regular and half mala shabu-shabu

Several types of shabu-shabu broth are available. There are options including katsuobushi, spicy mushroom, soybean-paste chicken, beef-bone mala, and beef-bone tomato, so just choose to suit your taste.

I had half clear broth and half spicy broth. One side clean and light, the other bold and intense! If the mala broth feels too spicy, it is nice that you can mellow it out by adding more clear broth. Alternating between the mild broth and the tingly one meant I could enjoy two completely different flavors at once, which I loved.

Unlimited beef, too

Beef is the key to shabu-shabu, right? At Pyeonbaek Hoegwan, the beef for shabu-shabu is unlimited as well, so you can bring back as much as you want.

The beef looked to be in very good condition, and it had no unpleasant smell. It was tender and delicious.

Even beef can get a little repetitive if you keep eating it, but adding a wide variety of vegetables made it delicious right through to the end.

When shabu-shabu gets repetitive, have rice-paper rolls

Cypress steaming and shabu-shabu alone would have been amazing, but having Vietnamese rice-paper rolls too made the meal feel wonderfully substantial. Cypress steaming, shabu-shabu, and rice-paper rolls all take a lot of work and use so many ingredients that we normally make them only for special occasions, such as housewarmings or anniversaries. At a restaurant, I usually choose just one because of the price, but at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan, I could eat them all at once, which was so nice.

After cooking meat and vegetables in the shabu-shabu and fishing them out, wrapping them in rice paper changed up the texture. The flavor also varied so much depending on the sauce, so it stayed wonderfully varied with no chance to get bored.

Finish with kalguksu and juk

Once you have had plenty of shabu-shabu, there is still one final course left: kalguksu and juk!

Add kalguksu to the shabu-shabu broth, then use rice and egg to make juk at the end. Honestly, at all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu places, I am often too full to manage the final porridge. But if you can, I recommend saving room for the kalguksu and juk so you can enjoy the meal fully to the end! The broth, deeply flavored by the meat and vegetables, is incredibly tasty.

On a day when you want to eat your fill of all kinds of food—cypress steaming, Vietnamese rice-paper rolls, shabu-shabu, kalguksu, juk, and more—head straight to Pyeonbaek Hoegwan!