Junggye-dong shabu-shabu counter seats at 11am opening: Hana Shabu

Last time I visited with my husband and had the seiro-mushi (cypress box steamed dish) — it was so good I kept it in mind, and this time I came back with a friend! We decided to skip the seiro-mushi and go for shabu-shabu instead, and it was just as delicious haha. The owner personally greeted us, and he was so kind it put me in a great mood. Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch is the kind of Nowon shabu-shabu place you keep coming back to once you find it! All the ingredients are top quality and the atmosphere is great too — perfect for taking your parents or grandparents.

Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch hours and parking

Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch is open from 11:00 to 22:00, with last order at 21:00 and no break time. Reservations ✅, takeout ✅, delivery ✅ — all available.

It's close to Junggye Station Exit 4 and near a bus stop too, so it's great even without a car! The main branch is in Junggye, but there are chain locations in Wirye, Gwanggyo, Haengsin, and more — and to think the flagship of it all is right here in Junggye!

You can park in the building's parking lot, and they give you a 2-hour parking voucher.

Arriving at the 11am opening: counter seats and atmosphere

Hana Shabu Shabu opens at 11, and we showed up right as it opened. We were the first customers, but even at that early hour more and more guests kept coming in, and soon the tables were almost all full! Definitely a shabu-shabu spot that locals in Junggye love.

The interior has this upscale Japanese-restaurant feel, with both table seating and counter seats. Since it was just the two of us, we sat at the counter, and it looked way more convenient for things like the fire-torched extras and other little services. There's also a private room space, great for family gatherings or company dinners where you want some privacy.

Pretty decorations are scattered everywhere, giving off a real "I'm on a trip to Japan" feeling.

What is on the menu: shabu-shabu and seiro-mushi

The main menu splits into two: shabu-shabu and seiro-mushi (cypress-box steamed dish), each priced differently depending on sirloin or brisket, and further priced differently if you go for the course meal that comes with rice dishes and dessert. Last time we had the seiro-mushi course and the portion was generous, but since it was two women this time, we ordered the lunch shabu-shabu with brisket + sirloin. If you're going with guy friends, or with a boyfriend/husband, I'd recommend the course — it comes out really hearty! The ube pudding dessert is incredibly good too!

How the lunch shabu-shabu with brisket and sirloin tasted

Before eating, there's a detailed guide on the table for how to enjoy it best, which really helps.

Once you order, they bring out these three sauces — sesame, yuzu ponzu, and chili — so you can dip your meat and veggies according to taste.

Salad, pickled radish, and tiny bird's-eye chili peppers come out alongside.

And here comes the shabu-shabu~!! Looking at it again still makes my mouth water. Unlike your typical shabu-shabu place, this one gives off a much more upscale feel. Instead of just filling it up with cheap mushrooms and vegetables, there's a huge variety of mushrooms packed in, which makes for fun texture and a fancier feel overall. The fried tofu here especially is super chewy and delicious! There are also fish-shaped fish cakes in there.

The meat comes as brisket + sirloin, 150g each per person for two. The color of the meat doesn't look cheap at all — it's really vivid and looks high quality. Condition: excellent! Shabu-shabu really needs good meat to shine, and this passes with flying colors!

They fill the round pot with broth and told us to crank the induction burner all the way up, then lower it to 3 once it boils. The broth was placed right on the counter so I could add more myself whenever needed — super convenient. It's always a little awkward to keep asking for more, so this setup was perfect!

Next, they add vegetables to make the vegetable stock. Inside the cypress wood container there's a ton of bean sprouts and cabbage — really generous portions!

Once it's bubbling away, you dunk the meat in, cook it through, pull it out, and eat it with the sauce.

The meat and vegetables are good enough quality to eat plain, but dipping them into the three sauces makes it even more, more, more delicious. The mushrooms are super chewy and there are so many varieties that it's fun to pick and choose!

The veggies and meat alone are already a lot, but with udon noodles included too, you can slurp those up melting-soft at the end and get your carbs in — perfect!

My friend wanted a draft beer, so she ordered one and sipped it — the cream on top was so smooth and cool, and she said it went perfectly with the shabu-shabu, finishing it in one go!

The tadaki you get for a Naver receipt review

✅ I heard that writing a Naver receipt review gets you a free tadaki, so I signed up right away!

After writing the receipt review and mentioning it, they immediately made the tadaki — pork topped with Hana Shabu Shabu's signature special sauce, torch-seared right there, and the delicious smell just exploded from that point on...

They roll it up like this, and honestly it's insanely good haha. This should honestly be a paid menu item — people would totally buy it! Make sure you write that receipt review and get this — you have to try it!!!!!!!

Since we were at the counter, we ended up chatting with the owner, and he offered to give us even more service items T_T. He's so kind, and getting extra treats like this really put me in a good mood. He mentioned he made this once while camping, and people nearby got drawn in by the smell and asked what it was and he ended up sharing it around — it really has that kind of scent that pulls people in.

He put the sauce-covered meat right on top of the shabu-shabu and torched it — I'd never seen anything like this before!!

He told us it's tastier eaten this way rather than dunked straight into the broth, so we scooped it onto a spoon and ate it bite by bite — absolutely delicious. And finishing it off with a sip of the shabu-shabu broth makes it even more, more, more delicious.

Is Hana Shabu Shabu worth a visit in Junggye-dong?

This place has an incredibly kind owner — full marks on service, full marks on taste. There are plenty of shabu-shabu places out there, but I've never seen one served this upscale and generous before. The meat quality looks great and the portions are big! All the sauces are delicious, everything is delicious. I'm definitely coming back with my husband next time!!!