Sangam shabu kalguksu full course for two, 44,000 won: Deungchon

There are days you just crave Deungchon, right..? It was getting colder and suddenly I was craving shabu-shabu hard. So my partner and I went to Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch, the place that comes to mind for Sangam shabu kalguksu, on the weekend.

Where is Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch? Hours and parking

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch is at 9 World Cup Buk-ro 56-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd floor of the Woori Technology building (Sangam-dong 1593). From Digital Media City Station Exit 9, walk 150m straight past the new MBC building, and it's on the 2nd floor of the Woori Technology building on the left of Gaon Culture Park.

• Hours (weekdays) 11:00 - 21:30 / Break time 15:30 - 17:00 / Last order lunch 14:30, dinner 20:30
• Hours (weekends & holidays) 11:00 - 21:00 / Break time 16:00 - 17:00 / Last order lunch 15:00, dinner 20:00
• Parking: Woori Technology building underground lot, first hour free, free 3 hours after 18:30 entry, free 3 hours on weekends/holidays
• Payment: Zero Pay, simple payment

※ Hours and parking info may change, so please check Naver Map before visiting :)

How long is the weekend lunch wait at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu?

When we went on a weekend for lunch there were 2 parties waiting at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch. There's a CatchTable tablet at the entrance — just enter your phone number and it tells you your turn via KakaoTalk. You can line up in advance and wander around nearby until it's your turn. If you don't know this and just stand there waiting, you're losing out!

And there's a break time. Weekdays 15:30 ~ 17:00, weekends/holidays 16:00 ~ 17:00. Seems like people flock in on weekend afternoons agonizing over what to eat for lunch in Sangam-dong. We were one of them too haha.

What comes with the shabu kalguksu set for two

We ordered two clear mushroom shabu-shabu kalguksu at 11,000 won each, and two shabu beef (180g) at 11,000 won each. My partner wanted the spicy one, but I'm bad with spice so we went with clear haha. Sorry, partner...

If you like spicy broth, there's spicy mushroom, and if you like nutty flavor, there's perilla mushroom too. All three are the same 11,000 won. The pot is piled high with minari (water dropwort), with mushrooms and napa cabbage underneath. The fresh kalguksu noodles and fried rice ingredients come out together from the start haha.

The order to eat the course in: shabu, noodles, fried rice

At Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch, the eating instructions are right there on the table tablet. Once it starts boiling it overflows quickly, so lower the heat to level 5 and make the sauce first by mixing wasabi and soy sauce.

For the kalguksu, after finishing all the ingredients, cook at level 5 for 5 minutes, then lower to level 1 once the noodles are done.

How the clear mushroom broth tastes

I was glad we ordered the clear one. The broth is genuinely refreshing. The flavor drawn out from the mushrooms and minari comes through as is. It's not spicy so you just keep drinking it. If you like minari shabu-shabu, going with the clear broth won't disappoint you haha.

Is one shabu beef order (180g) per person enough?

We added one shabu beef 180g at 11,000 won per person, and that was exactly the right amount!

Two plates between the two of us — not too much, not too little. The color changes as soon as you dip it briefly, and that's when you should pull it out for tenderness. Leave it too long and it gets tough!

Dipping the beef in wasabi soy sauce

I put meat and minari on my small plate, scooped a ladle of broth over it, and dipped it in the wasabi soy sauce.

The wasabi's sharp kick cuts right through the meat's fattiness! Some people skip making this and just eat plain, but you really should make it! The shabu-shabu ingredients are so generous that just eating those before the meat arrives already starts filling you up haha.

Time to add the kalguksu noodles

After finishing all the ingredients, it's finally time to add the kalguksu. Putting the noodles into the broth infused with meat and mushroom flavor turns it milky white.

The noodles are thick and chewy. They soak up the broth completely — this is genuinely the standout dish! When you're looking for kalguksu in Mapo, a lot of places have thin noodles, but here you definitely get a good chew.

They tell you to stir it because it sticks to the bottom, and you really do need to stir well haha.

The fried rice finish, fried by the staff

Deungchon isn't finished until you get to the fried rice! Staff take the pot and fry it for you. No risk of burning it yourself doing it solo. Total win haha. It comes out light and fluffy. The rice grains don't clump!

The kimchi isn't the deeply fermented kind either — it's closer to fresh geotjeori (lightly seasoned fresh kimchi). Putting a piece of this geotjeori-worthy kimchi on top of the fried rice is truly the perfect finish. (We ate a lot with the shabu-shabu too but no photos since we were eating too eagerly haha.) From shabu-shabu to fried rice, it all wraps up perfectly in one pot.

Febreze at the door on your way out

Your clothes end up smelling after eating shabu-shabu, right? Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch has Febreze at the entrance so you can spray before you leave.

There's also candy at the register haha.

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Sangam Branch: 44,000 won for two, in short

What more can I say. It was delicious!! For 44,000 won between two people, we had the full shabu-shabu - kalguksu - fried rice course, and we cleaned out the pot like this. Perfect for when it gets cold!

You know how there's food you crave on rainy days? This is exactly that kind of place. On days you want something with broth, few spots among Mapo kalguksu restaurants feel as satisfying as this one. It's walkable from Digital Media City Station Exit 9 and has parking, so it'd also work well for company dinners or family gatherings. Next time, as my partner wishes, I'll try the spicy version haha.

• Great for Sangam-dong lunch — just watch out for break time
• Walking distance from Digital Media City Station Exit 9
• 2nd floor of the Woori Technology building
• Underground parking free for 3 hours on weekends/holidays
• Weekdays 11:00 - 21:30 / weekends & holidays 11:00 - 21:00
• Break time starts weekdays 15:30 / weekends 16:00
• Weekend lunch waiting — register in advance via CatchTable
• Clear mushroom shabu-shabu kalguksu ₩11,000
• Spicy mushroom shabu-shabu kalguksu ₩11,000
• Perilla mushroom shabu-shabu kalguksu ₩11,000
• Shabu beef (180g) ₩11,000
• One beef order per person recommended
• Staff fry the rice for you
• Febreze available at the entrance

If you're craving hot broth as it starts getting cold, give this Sangam shabu kalguksu spot a try. Hope you make it all the way to the fried rice haha. Thanks for the meal!