All-you-can-eat spot near Gongeoptap, Ulsan: Shabre Garden rice wraps

While looking for a good spot near Gongeop Tower in Ulsan, I ended up at this shabu-shabu buffet, Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch.

Where is Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch?

Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch is a shabu-shabu buffet near Suam Market in Yaeum-dong, Nam-gu, Ulsan. It's also fairly easy to reach from the Gongeop Tower area, so it could work well for anyone searching for restaurants near Gongeop Tower too.

With the weather getting hot and my appetite going all over the place lately, I've been drawn to places where I can eat a variety of things rather than just one dish. So this time I went looking for somewhere in Ulsan where I could enjoy shabu-shabu and a buffet at once, and ended up here.

What got me most excited before even visiting was that this isn't just a shabu-shabu place — you get a full buffet spread alongside the shabu-shabu.

Inside Shabre Garden, and where to park

Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch is on the 2nd floor of Medical Tower Building 4, and the first thing I noticed on arrival was that the space is much bigger than I expected. There are plenty of tables and the layout feels roomy, so it seemed like a good fit for family visits or dining with a group.

Maybe because it's a recently opened branch, everything felt clean overall, and the spacing between tables wasn't cramped, so I could eat comfortably. Looking through recent reviews, a lot of people mentioned visiting for family meals or dinner gatherings, and after going myself, I could see why.

Personally, while the food matters most, I also pay attention to the atmosphere and table spacing at a buffet since you tend to sit for a while — and on that front, this place delivered.

Parking was also convenient. It's near Suam Market and offers parking support, so driving there felt fairly hassle-free. The parking details currently posted may change depending on when you visit, so I'd recommend checking beforehand.

What's on the shabu-shabu self-serve bar?

After sitting down and ordering, they get everything ready for shabu-shabu. The real appeal of shabu-shabu is being able to pick whatever ingredients you like and add them yourself, right?

At the self-serve bar, they had a wide range of shabu-shabu ingredients — napa cabbage, bok choy, mung bean sprouts, mushrooms, water dropwort, green onion, and more basic vegetables. There were also noodle-type items like dumplings, fish cakes, rice cakes, and glass noodles, so you could grab whatever you wanted and drop it straight into the pot. I especially liked how clean and well-kept the vegetables looked.

The meat is also unlimited, so anyone who loves shabu-shabu would be pretty satisfied here. When I eat shabu-shabu, I tend to load up on vegetables and mushrooms rather than just eating meat the whole time, and since there was so much variety, it was fun picking through everything.

Rice paper wraps, Vietnamese-roll style

They also had ingredients set up for wrapping food in rice paper like a Vietnamese spring roll, and wrapping meat and vegetables together this way gave a whole different feel to the meal.

How varied are the sides — sushi, Korean dishes and fried food?

But here's the thing — the buffet here is the real deal! I assumed unlimited shabu-shabu would just mean a lot of shabu-shabu ingredients, but Shabre Garden's side menu was way more varied than I expected. If you're looking for a buffet in Nam-gu, Ulsan, this part is worth paying attention to.

From salads to Korean, Chinese, and Western dishes, plus fried items, there was so much food laid out that I found myself debating what to eat even before touching the shabu-shabu. I especially liked that sushi was available, so I could grab sushi alongside my shabu-shabu.

Recent reviews also mentioned that beyond the shabu-shabu, the sushi and side dish spread was solid, and after trying it myself, there were definitely a lot of options.

At shabu-shabu restaurants, there's always a chance someone in your group isn't a big fan of shabu-shabu, but here there's so much else to eat that it's less of a worry. Kids could eat sushi, fried food, or fried rice while adults go for shabu-shabu, so everyone can eat what they like.

The dessert bar: bingsu and waffles

The dessert at the end of a buffet matters more than people realize, and Shabre Garden had a good variety there too. There's fruit, drinks, ice cream, coffee, and more for after the meal, plus bingsu (shaved ice) and waffles, so I ended up browsing around for a good while even after finishing my meal.

You know how it goes — you're stuffed from shabu-shabu, but the moment dessert comes into view, somehow there's still room, haha. With so many kid-friendly options, this place felt like a good match for families looking for shabu-shabu in Yaeum-dong.

How much does Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch cost?

Current adult pricing is ₩24,900 for weekday lunch, ₩29,900 for weekday dinner, and ₩31,900 on weekends and holidays, with elementary school kids and preschoolers charged separately!

Considering you get shabu-shabu, sushi, a full buffet spread, and dessert all in one visit, it seemed like a solid choice for anyone who wants to eat a wide variety of food in one sitting.

That said, how a buffet feels can vary depending on the time you go and how quickly dishes turn over, so personally I'd suggest visiting during a less busy window rather than peak hours.

Worth it if you're craving shabu-shabu in Ulsan

After this visit, I'd say the biggest strength of Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch is that it's not just a shabu-shabu spot — it's shabu-shabu plus sushi plus buffet plus dessert, all in one place. I especially liked having so many options when everyone in the group wanted something different.

Whoever loves shabu-shabu can eat all the meat and vegetables they want, sushi lovers can go for sushi, and kids can have fried food or dessert — it seems like a solid pick for a family meal out.

The location near Suam Market also makes it fairly accessible for anyone looking for shabu-shabu in Yaeum-dong, and since it's easy to reach from Gongeop Tower too, it felt worth a visit for anyone searching for restaurants near Gongeop Tower in Ulsan.

If you're like me and prefer eating a wide variety of things over just one or two dishes per meal, this place will likely hit the spot. It's the kind of place where you go in for shabu-shabu and end up eating sushi, buffet dishes, and finally dessert on your way out.

If you're looking for a good shabu-shabu or buffet spot in Nam-gu, Ulsan, I'd recommend giving Shabre Garden Ulsan Nam-gu Branch a try :)