Hwaseong restaurant for hinoki steam and wraps: Pyeonbaek Hoegwan

These days, when my wife and I go out to eat, we tend to look for places where we can have a bit of everything rather than something overly intense.

This time, we had something to do around Dongtan Station and stopped by Pyeonbaek Hoegwan, a Dongtan Station favorite, for the first time in a while.

It serves hinoki-steamed meat, Vietnamese rice-paper wraps, and shabu-shabu all in one meal, so it seemed like a good spot for the two of us.

Visiting Pyeonbaek Hoegwan near Dongtan Station

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch (편백회관 동탄점) is in Dongtan Station Gran Vía Star, so it was not difficult to find.

We parked in the underground lot and headed up. The parking area was fairly spacious, so parking itself was easy.

Depending on the time, though, there may be a bit of a wait for the elevator.

Still, for anyone visiting by car, it seemed like parking would be one less thing to stress about, which was nice.

Once inside, there were quite a few tables and the space felt roomy, so it looked suitable for families or groups eating together too.

From hinoki steam to shabu-shabu

After looking over the menu, we ordered a set that included both hinoki-steamed meat and shabu-shabu.

For the broths, we chose bonito and spicy.

That meant we could have one side mild and clean, and the other with a little heat, which made for a nice combination.

Once you order, the hinoki steam comes out first. Seeing the steamer arrive with its lid still on builds a quiet little anticipation while you wait.

Checking out the self-serve bar while we waited

While the hinoki steam was cooking, we picked up vegetables for the Vietnamese rice-paper wraps.

The self-serve bar had various ingredients ready, so we could take a little of whatever we wanted.

There was a good variety of vegetables and ingredients that worked well in the wraps, so it was fun choosing and filling our plates while waiting for the meat to cook.

And at a shabu-shabu restaurant, the self-serve bar is more important than you might think. I liked that this one had so many things prepared.

Since it was just the two of us, we did not take too much from the start—just a sensible amount.

Opening the lid on Dongtan Station hinoki steam

Finally, it was time to open the lid on the hinoki steam.

A subtle hinoki aroma rose up, and the meat had cooked beautifully moist.

When I eat hinoki-steamed meat, I tend to enjoy the clean flavor of the meat itself. This was not overpowering, so I could keep eating it comfortably.

My wife also said the meat was tender and mild, which she liked.

It was tasty simply dipped in sauce, but we went straight to making Vietnamese rice-paper wraps.

Hinoki-steamed meat is best as a wrap

We softened the rice paper in water, piled on lots of vegetables, and added a piece of hinoki-steamed meat.

With a light dip in sauce, the combination was really good.

The meat alone had a mild feel, but the crisp texture of the vegetables made it taste even better.

Especially because several ingredients went into each bite, the same hinoki-steamed meat felt different depending on how we ate it.

My wife likes Vietnamese rice-paper wraps too, so the two of us diligently kept making them, haha.

Even with lots of vegetables, they did not feel heavy and went well with the meat, so I naturally kept reaching for more.

Shabu-shabu after the hinoki steam

After we had eaten a good amount of the hinoki steam, it was time to get the shabu-shabu going.

Once the broth starts boiling, all you have to do is add the vegetables and meat you prepared, so there is nothing difficult about it.

We added meat and vegetables a little at a time, and shabu-shabu really does have that pleasure of cooking and eating everything right away.

We made Vietnamese rice-paper wraps again, and they had a different flavor from the ones made with hinoki-steamed meat.

The hinoki steam felt mild and clean, while the shabu-shabu felt a little more filling with the warm broth.

Rolling up a piece of meat with plenty of vegetables and dipping it in sauce was delicious.

A meal we tried together

This time, my wife and I visited together, and overall it was a satisfying meal.

The hinoki-steamed meat was mild and tender, making it easy to eat, and turning it into wraps with vegetables added a nice texture.

I also liked being able to have shabu-shabu as well, since it gave us more variety than eating just one kind of dish.

If you are looking for a filling meal near Dongtan Station

It had been a while since I last visited Pyeonbaek Hoegwan, and the combination of hinoki-steamed meat and Vietnamese rice-paper wraps was still a good one.

It was a comfortable place for my wife and me to eat together, so I think it will come to mind again when we need a meal around Dongtan Station.

If you enjoy hinoki-steamed meat or Vietnamese rice-paper wraps, it is worth keeping in mind as a Dongtan Station restaurant.