Rainy-night dumpling hot pot, extra dumplings in Byeollae: Onjeongban

Craving hot broth on a rainy day in Byeollae: Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu

Onjeongban Shabu Kalguksu Namyangju Byeollae Main Branch (온정반샤브칼국수 별내점) is a Korean restaurant in Byeollae, Namyangju, serving shabu kalguksu (shabu-shabu with knife-cut noodles) and handmade rolled dumpling hot pot. It has been raining a lot lately, and come evening I kept craving warm broth, so I headed to Onjeongban's Byeollae main branch. The ingredients were fresh and everything felt kept clean, which made it a great find.

Onjeongban Byeollae hours and signature dishes

• Hours: daily 10:30–21:30, last order 20:30
• Signature dishes: 7-dish set shabu kalguksu ₩11,000, handmade rolled dumpling hot pot ₩13,000
• Facilities: free parking, reservations, takeout, delivery, groups welcome, high chairs, separate men's/women's restrooms, wheelchair access, corkage allowed
• Recommended for: family meals, lunch, evening gatherings, meals near Bulam Mountain, a Byeollae date

Is parking easy at Onjeongban?

Parking was easy: there's space in front of and beside the restaurant, plus a big dedicated lot. I'd looked up public parking before going, but once I got there I didn't need it at all.

The cool view of Bulam Mountain 🌳 put me in a good mood the moment I got out of the car.

A shabu place, so won't it be hot inside?

Inside was clean and the air was cool, so I never felt hot while eating. It was so busy I couldn't see an empty seat before going in, and I'd worried a shabu restaurant would be stuffy, but maybe because it opened recently, it was comfortable.

At the entrance there were gangjeong (sweet crunchy rice snacks), puffed-rice snacks and slush to enjoy after the meal. It felt like a good Bulam Mountain–area spot to bring parents or kids 😄

At the self-serve bar you can easily help yourself to gondeure rice (thistle-leaf rice), side dishes and sauces.

What we ordered at Onjeongban and how much it cost

This day we ordered one shabu kalguksu (₩11,000), two handmade rolled dumpling hot pots (₩13,000 × 2) and extra rolled dumplings (₩7,000). You can choose between regular and spicy broth.

• Shabu kalguksu, 1 person: ₩11,000
• Handmade rolled dumpling hot pot, 2 people: ₩13,000 × 2
• Extra rolled dumplings: ₩7,000

To make the shabu even more generous, Onjeongban had neatly prepared fresh vegetables, handmade rolled dumplings and beef.👍

How were the shabu vegetables?

The vegetables came generously piled with minari (water dropwort), mushrooms, bean sprouts, napa cabbage and sweet pumpkin, which made the broth cool and clean-tasting. The ingredients looked good and clean at first sight, so I thought it would be a nice place for a get-together with our mothers.

What's the texture of Onjeongban's handmade rolled dumplings?

The handmade rolled dumplings are made without wrappers, just the filling shaped into balls, so the first thing you notice on biting in is how packed they are 👍 I handled them before putting them in the pot, and they didn't fall apart and felt plump.

I dropped them in once the broth boiled, and they were so good I think I ate a few in no time.

Beef and kalguksu noodles

The beef stayed tender and juicy even after just a quick dip in the broth.

I was too full and meant to skip the noodles, but they looked like something you can't resist not adding. I said we'd just have a bite each, and we ended up eating almost all of it, haha. The chewy noodles soaked in rich broth were mild yet deeply savory, a taste anyone who loves warm soupy dishes would be happy with.

The sweet pumpkin, cooked soft, gave off a deep sweetness and added sweetness to the broth too.

Is the finishing porridge worth it?

After finishing the shabu, we added finely chopped vegetables and seaweed flakes and cooked porridge too. I was so full I didn't even want the noodles, but it was so tasty that in the end we had porridge as well… I'm blaming the incredibly good geotjeori (fresh kimchi salad).😄

It was an easy, comfortable place to visit on a day you crave warm, soupy food.