Shabu date in Byeollae, dumpling hot pot and soy vs chili: Onjeongban

Today I'm sharing my visit to Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu Namyangju Byeollae Main Branch (온정반샤브칼국수 남양주별내본점), a famous Byeollae spot near Bulamsan for shabu-shabu and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup)! You get plenty of fresh vegetables and beef, plus noodles and porridge, so I was really happy with it. Okay, let's start the review of this Byeollae favorite!

Where is Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu Byeollae Main Branch, and what are the hours?

Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu Namyangju Byeollae Main Branch is at 14 Siksong 1-ro, Byeollae-dong (1st floor), Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi, South Korea. It's open daily 10:30–21:30 with last order at 20:30. They have group seating, takeout, delivery, reservations, Wi-Fi, separate men's and women's restrooms, and baby chairs.

Getting to Onjeongban by public transport from Byeollae Station and Byeolgaram Station

The restaurant is at 14 Siksong 1-ro, 1st floor, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi. Here are directions if you're coming by public transport!

• From Byeollae Station (Line 8): take Exit 4 (toward E-Mart), board bus 2115, get off at Shinan Insville Apartments stop, then walk about 3 minutes (200m)
• From Byeolgaram Station (Line 4): take Exit 4 (toward KFC), board bus 81 and get off at Byeollae-dong Entrance stop, right in front of the restaurant
• Other buses: take Thank You 50, Thank You 80 or Thank You 82B, get off at Byeolbit Maeul Complex 3 / Shinan Insville Main Gate stop, then walk about 5 minutes (350m)

They open at 10:30 a.m. and close at 9:30 p.m. There's no break time, so you can eat whenever you like, which I loved haha.

Is parking easy at Onjeongban Byeollae?

You can park in front of and beside the shop, and there's also a dedicated lot next door, so parking was pretty easy.

Atmosphere: good for dates, families and group dinners

As you'd expect from a popular Byeollae restaurant, the place was full of customers. There were couples on dates like us, families, and people out for group gatherings or company dinners. Seeing all those different age groups, it felt like a real local favorite~

The restrooms are inside the restaurant and separated for men and women, so they were easy to use.

Onjeongban menu and prices

The basic menu is ₩11,000–13,000 per person, and the signature sets that pair shabu with steamed stew or boiled pork run ₩14,000–19,000.

• 7-side Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu set ₩11,000
• Onjeongban self-cook shabu sujebi ₩11,000
• 8-side rolled dumpling hot pot ₩13,000
• Signature set: Onjeongban shabu + boneless monkfish steamed stew ₩17,000
• Onjeongban shabu + algoni (fish roe) seafood stew ₩16,000
• Onjeongban shabu + herbal boiled pork set ₩14,000
• Onjeongban shabu + boiled pork + algoni seafood stew ₩18,000
• Onjeongban shabu + boiled pork + boneless monkfish stew ₩19,000

• Soju ₩5,000
• Beer ₩5,000
• Jangsu makgeolli (rice wine) ₩5,000

Everything can be ordered from the kiosk at your table.

What comes with the rolled dumpling hot pot for 2

We ordered the Onjeongban shabu rolled dumpling hot pot for 2, ₩26,000. It's the Onjeongban shabu with rolled dumplings added.

It was loaded with fresh vegetables and looked so good 💚

Beef, noodles, porridge ingredients, salad and kimchi all came out too, a really generous spread. But that's not all!

Free gondeure rice and unlimited fresh kimchi and salad

Onjeongban gives you fragrant gondeure (thistle) rice for free, with a tasty seasoned soy sauce.

On top of that, the fresh kimchi (made by hand twice a day) and salad are unlimited, so nothing felt lacking and we ate until we were full~ Just looking at this self-serve bar, I could see why Onjeongban is so famous in Byeollae.

How to cook the shabu-shabu, and how it tastes

The hot pot comes to a rolling boil after about 5 minutes, and that's when you add the beef~ The meat was cooked in about 2–3 minutes haha.

Wow, the look of it is something else, right? 🤤 It's packed with fresh vegetables and mushrooms, and the longer it boiled, the more the sweetness and flavor of the vegetables came out in the broth~

The mushrooms and meat soaked up the broth too, so the flavor was deeper and richer. I especially love mushrooms, and these were chewy and full of savory broth, getting better with every bite 😋

Special soy sauce vs chili sauce: a couple divided

Onjeongban's shabu is good on its own, but it's even better dipped in sauce! Dip it in the house special soy sauce with as much wasabi as you like, and it keeps the meat's nutty flavor while cutting the greasiness, so I kept reaching for more.

The other sauce, the chili sauce, was sweet and tangy, with a mild heat and sweetness that gave a totally different feel.

Personally I liked the special soy sauce better, but my boyfriend said the chili sauce was tastier haha. I'd recommend the soy sauce if you like a clean taste, and the chili sauce if you like sweet and tangy!

The rolled dumplings: kimchi and meat

The rolled dumplings have thin wrappers, so you can taste the filling more~

They're well stuffed, and one bite spreads juicy flavor, so we enjoyed both the kimchi dumplings and the meat dumplings.

Is the ₩10,000 half plate of boiled pork (100g) worth adding?

We tried the half plate of suyuk (boiled pork) as a side, 100g for ₩10,000!

The ratio of lean meat to fat was just right, with a tender, soft texture. It wasn't dry at all, the juices were still there, and every bite was rich and nutty~

It was especially good with kimchi or dried radish strips, which brought out the mild flavor of the pork.

Finishing with kalguksu and egg porridge

Once you've eaten a good amount of the dumpling hot pot, it's kalguksu time~ The spicy broth had gotten deeper with the vegetable stock, so I was really looking forward to the noodles.

We boiled the noodles in the rich broth, and they soaked it right up. So good, as expected.

But the noodles aren't the end, everyone! The real finish is the egg porridge 😂 Keep stirring so it doesn't stick~

When the porridge is done, drizzle sesame oil over it at the end~ The nutty aroma makes the porridge richer and deeper!

The nutty sesame oil and soft porridge went so well together that I couldn't put my spoon down even though I was stuffed haha. It had all the savory depth of the shabu broth, so it was a really satisfying way to finish.

Free coffee, slush and puffed-grain snacks after paying

Onjeongban takes care of dessert after you pay too! They have coffee, slush and puffed-grain snacks, and I was so surprised by the unexpected dessert service haha.

We finished the meal with a cold slush and puffed-grain snack, a neat ending.

Final thoughts on Onjeongban, a Byeollae shabu-shabu favorite

Onjeongban in Byeollae won me over with fresh ingredients and generous portions! Besides the shabu-shabu, with plenty of beef, mushrooms and vegetables in a spicy broth, it felt like a full course, from the fragrant gondeure rice to noodles, porridge and dessert. If you're looking for a filling meal or a good shabu-shabu spot in Byeollae, why not try Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu Namyangju Byeollae Main Branch?