Tomato vs mala shabu-shabu in Jang-an-dong, Seoul: Shabu Torang

Today I'm bringing you a solo-dining recommendation in Dongdaemun where you can enjoy shabu-shabu totally at ease, without any awkwardness about eating alone! Here's my honest, paid-with-my-own-money review of Shabu Torang Jang-an.

You know those days when the weather turns a bit chilly and you crave a hot broth to warm you up? The thing is, shabu-shabu usually requires ordering for two or more, so going alone always felt a little burdensome and awkward, haha ㅠㅠ

But then I heard about a shabu-shabu place in Jang-an-dong that's fully set up for solo dining with individual induction burners, so I rushed right over!

The setup was solid and the price was reasonable too, so it was perfect as a budget lunch spot in Jang-an-dong — let me introduce it in detail, haha.

What are the solo booths like at Shabu Torang Jang-an?

Inside Shabu Torang Jang-an, the single seats are well partitioned like a study room, and each table has its own induction burner and ordering tablet. Once inside, the interior was much cleaner and more pleasant than I expected!

What I liked most was the seating layout — the partitions were so well done that I thought this was truly the best spot for anyone looking for a solo dining restaurant in Dongdaemun.

Since each table has its own personal induction burner and ordering tablet, you don't need to worry about anyone else and can adjust the heat exactly how you like while eating slowly — such a big advantage!

What we ordered at Shabu Torang Jang-an

Ordering is simple — just sit down and tap a few things on the tablet! Scanning the menu, there were plenty of broth options ready to suit any taste, from soyu (soy sauce) broth to mala and tomato.

On top of that, the dessert sides went well beyond just kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) or egg porridge — there were tons of pasta, risotto, and tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) options, so it was fun mixing and matching!

On the day I went, pasta was sold out, so after some thought I went with the unusual and refreshing-looking combo of tomato shabu-shabu with rosé risotto, while my partner ordered mala shabu-shabu with buldak cream tteokbokki.

Each table also had friendly instructions on how to eat it all!

Tomato shabu-shabu with rosé risotto

After a short wait, everything came out neatly arranged on a tray!

A pot of clear shabu broth came out first, and the tomato paste sauce was served separately so I could mix in as much as I wanted to suit my taste — such thoughtful attention to detail..!!

The vegetable platter looked so fresh, packed with napa cabbage, mung bean sprouts, mushrooms, plus adorable fish balls, rice cakes, and dumplings, and the meat had a lovely bright red color. This much for this price — even before eating, I was already convinced this was a winning budget lunch in Jang-an-dong!

I turned on the induction burner and loaded up the bubbling broth with plenty of vegetables to let the flavors infuse!

Once the vegetables were cooked enough, I grabbed some lightly blanched, tender beef belly along with crunchy bean sprouts, dipped them in the sauce, and took a bite.

Wow.. the tangy-sweet, subtly savory flavor unique to the tomato broth paired with the richness of the meat better than I expected ㅠㅠㅠ

It wasn't greasy or overwhelming at all — a clean, refreshing flavor that made me keep spooning up the broth without ever getting tired of it..♥️ The vegetables were all so fresh with a crisp bite, and picking through the fish balls and dumplings was a treat too!

After finishing off all the shabu-shabu ingredients, the highlight is of course the K-dessert carb finale. Most people go for egg porridge, but since I picked tomato broth, I decided to try something special — rosé risotto!

Into the leftover broth went a generous helping of flying fish roe, bacon, cream sauce, and cheese powder for the risotto! Stirring gently with a spoon so it doesn't burn, letting it simmer down until it's thick, the cheese melts and turns into an incredibly rich, savory rosé risotto.

I took a big spoonful, and honestly, I would have deeply regretted not trying this haha. Risotto made from shabu-shabu broth is such a creative idea, and the savory flavor exploded so much I finished the whole bowl — eureka!!

Mala shabu-shabu with buldak cream tteokbokki

Meanwhile, my partner threw rice cake, cream sauce, and powder seasoning into the mala broth to make buldak cream tteokbokki!

The distinctive numbing spice of mala combined with the rich, smooth cream sauce created a totally rich, spicy-savory rosé/buldak-style tteokbokki. The sauce soaked completely into the chewy rice cakes, and my partner looked very satisfied, scraping the bowl clean, haha.

Who is Shabu Torang Jang-an best for?

Thanks to the individual induction burners and partitioned booths, Shabu Torang Jang-an is a place where solo diners and couples who want to choose different broths can both eat comfortably. Whether you're looking for a great shabu-shabu restaurant in Jang-an-dong, want to eat alone without any burden, or want a couple's meal where each person picks their own flavor, I strongly recommend Shabu Torang Jang-an!