Weekend kimchi refills at Dongtan Lake Park shabu-shabu: Deungchon

Do you all like shabu-shabu? I love it so much I could be the president of a Shabu Addicts Club, a Shabu Appreciation Society, and a Shabu Human Rights Commission... (I especially love meat with the fat cooked off).

My fiancé, on the other hand, is more of a thick-cut-meat person... but there's basically one shabu-shabu place he genuinely loves too, haha — Deungchon Shabu-shabu!! I'm being extra chatty today because I really love this place. I visited Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch, a Dongtan Lake Park favorite.

Where is Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch, and where do you park?

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch is on the 2nd floor of Gran Passage (units 2004–2005) at 9 Dongtan-daero 5-gil, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It's open daily 11:00–21:00, with a break time from 15:00–17:00, last order at 20:00, and closed September 24–26 for Chuseok.

• Hours 🕒 Daily 11:00–21:00
• Break time 15:00–17:00 / Last order 20:00
• ※ Closed Sep 24–26 for Chuseok
• Address 📍 9 Dongtan-daero 5-gil, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, Gran Passage Green Zone 2F, units 2004–2005, South Korea
• Parking 🚗 Available in the Gran Passage building parking lot (B1–B2), up to 3 hours free on request

The parking spots in the same building were so plentiful, which was great haha. Deungchon is on the 2nd floor of Gran Passage's Orange Zone!

How long is the weekend evening wait at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu?

On a weekend evening, Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch had so many customers that we waited a bit. The exterior was super clean, and being the weekend, there were a lot of people.

We didn't wait long before they got us a table haha. Since they only had 6-person tables, they apologized in advance saying we might need to share a table with other guests later — but they were so kind about it. Even late in the evening there were tons of customers... proof of how good it is, haha. There were also plenty of spacious tables, great for groups, and lots of families too!!

What we ordered: spicy shabu kalguksu for two

Check the menu above, haha. We of course ordered the spicy shabu kalguksu for two at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch. Each table had a tablet with instructions on how to eat it best. We followed along while eating and it was delicious.

Once we ordered, they brought bowls and kimchi. While the wasabi and soy sauce dip was already prepped and I was munching on a bite of kimchi (this place's kimchi is seriously amazing), the food came out fast!! The meat, kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), dumplings, and even the fried rice ingredients for later all came out neatly, with plenty of minari (water dropwort) in the shabu.

Round one: shabu-shabu with minari (water dropwort) and mushrooms

Once it was boiling hard, we started properly on the shabu-shabu first. The ingredients were so generously packed in that we felt we didn't even need extra meat lol (but you absolutely need the meat). The spicy broth was fragrant with minari, and the mushrooms soaked up the seasoning so well — I truly love the mushroom add-on.

Dipping the meat in wasabi sauce and eating it with kimchi is so good ^^ Like I said, this place's kimchi is the real deal, so we refilled it several times lol.

We dropped the dumplings in when there was plenty of broth left and split them evenly. They're the mandu (dumpling) style you'd find in hometown-style dumplings, and they went so well with the broth.

What to eat in what order, from kalguksu noodles to fried rice

At Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu, the classic order is shabu-shabu first, then kalguksu, and finally fried rice. Time for the noodles, right? If the broth reduces too much, just ask for more and they'll top it up — really enjoy this delicious broth, ask for extra, and slurp down the noodles happily. So good.

Once you've eaten a good amount of noodles, it's time to jump straight into the fried rice. Make sure to leave some broth at this point (to pair with the fried rice). We asked them to stir-fry the rice for us, and out of all the Deungchon branches I've been to, this was the fluffiest fried rice yet. Practically beats a Chinese restaurant's.

Alright everyone, leave some broth like in the second photo, and alternate — fried rice, broth, fried rice, broth. It's just heavenly, seriously.

One more close-up shot because it's just too pretty. Ate well again today!! When you leave, just ask them to register your parking and you get up to 3 hours free, so you can eat at your own pace — such a great perk.

Is Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu worth it near Dongtan Lake Park?

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu is already a guaranteed win, as many of you probably know 🌿. We thoroughly enjoyed the full course — shabu-shabu, kalguksu, and fried rice, no step skipped, haha. The restaurant is spacious with plenty of table room, making it great for group gatherings or family meals ㅎㅅㅎ. Highly recommend it if you want a hearty meal near Dongtan Lake Park!!!