Giheung noodle restaurant full at 8pm, spicy mushroom shabu: Deungchon

I'm honestly not picky when it comes to kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) haha — I love the classic clam or seafood versions, but sometimes I really crave a spicy, sharp broth instead. And since I also love shabu-shabu, I went looking for a place that lets you enjoy both at once, and that's when I remembered Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu. This time I visited the Giheung Station branch, known as one of the best shabu-shabu spots in Giheung. Let's take a look!

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Giheung Station Branch: hours and parking

• ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• 🚗 Parking: Use Giheung ICT Tower parking lot
• 📍 Location: B2, Units 206–207, ICT Valley Building B, 58 Giheung-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

How to find Deungchon from the CGV at Giheung Station

Here's the exterior of Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Giheung Station Branch! It's kept clean overall. It's set a bit deep inside the complex, so from CGV you exit through the right entrance, walk a bit, turn into the alley on the right, and keep walking straight until you find it!

On one side there's a sign saying they also sell cold mil-myeon (wheat noodles) and king meat dumplings separately, not just the shabu kalguksu. I'd love to try these side dishes next time haha.

What 8pm looks like at Deungchon, and what to order

I visited close to 8pm in the evening. Even so, the place was nearly packed, which already gave off that good-restaurant vibe haha. The tables were neatly arranged, and overall it felt like a comfortable spot for a relaxed meal.

That day we ordered the spicy mushroom kalguksu with added shabu beef. There's a table-order kiosk, which made things convenient.

Kimchi comes as a default side dish. Unlike the usual kimchi you get elsewhere, this was more of a fresh kimchi salad style that really went well with the kalguksu.

There was also soy sauce and wasabi dip prepared on the side, which was handy for dipping the shabu beef.

What comes with the spicy mushroom kalguksu at Deungchon

The shabu-shabu I ordered finally arrived! The first thing that caught my eye when I looked at the pot was the minari (water dropwort) — there was so much of it, and the fragrance rising as the broth simmered was amazing. Mushrooms and potatoes were in there too.

The kalguksu noodles and dumplings came out together as well.

The beef I ordered as an extra also came out on its own plate. It was frozen meat, but it looked clean and fresh, better than I expected.

Rice for fried rice at the end was also prepared and ready, so it was set up to be enjoyed properly from start to finish.

Look at this bubbling, boiling shot — doesn't it look so appetizing? Looking at it now makes me want to eat it again, ugh.

How the minari, mushrooms and potato tasted in the spicy broth

As it kept simmering, the minari, mushrooms and potatoes cooked through and the spicy aroma rose up — it really looked delicious. I tried the meat and minari first. The tender beef paired with the fragrant minari felt light yet well matched together. The minari fragrance especially soaked subtly into the broth, giving a much cleaner finish than eating meat alone.

Next I tried the mushrooms. The spicy broth had soaked in well, and the savory flavor grew with each bite.

The potatoes were also in there, and eating the well-cooked potato with the broth turned out to be a surprisingly good match too. Getting to eat various vegetables alongside the meat made it feel like a pretty solid full meal.

Finishing the course with kalguksu noodles and fried rice

And you can't have shabu-shabu without the kalguksu! After eating through some of the vegetables and meat, I added in the kalguksu noodles. Can you see the shine as the noodles soak up the broth and slowly cook?

The spicy broth soaked properly into the noodles, so they looked delicious even on their own. Taking a bite, the chewy noodles matched perfectly with the spicy mushroom broth, and I just kept eating more. Eating the meat and vegetables first, then finishing with the kalguksu, really filled me up properly! I could totally see why people eat shabu-shabu and kalguksu together. Absolutely delicious.

Finishing after the kalguksu would've felt a bit incomplete haha, so I asked for fried rice at the end and wrapped things up neatly using the remaining broth. Eating through shabu-shabu, kalguksu, and then fried rice really filled me up. Being able to order just one menu item and go through meat, vegetables, kalguksu, and fried rice in sequence really seems to be the charm of Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu. Especially if you're looking for kalguksu near Giheung-gu Office and want to enjoy a spicy broth with shabu-shabu at the same time, this seems worth a visit.

At the end, they also gave us yogurt for dessert, so I cleaned my palate and wrapped up the meal nicely.

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Giheung Station Branch in one line

• ✔ True to its reputation as a Giheung shabu-shabu favorite, you could enjoy shabu-shabu, kalguksu, and fried rice all in one filling meal
• ✔ The generous minari added fragrance and a clean finish to the spicy broth
• ✔ It was fun simmering meat, mushrooms, potatoes and other ingredients together in the broth
• ✔ Adding the chewy kalguksu noodles after the shabu-shabu let them soak up the broth beautifully
• ✔ Finishing with fried rice and a yogurt chaser made it a truly satisfying meal

I personally love both shabu-shabu and kalguksu, so this visit was quite satisfying. Next time I'd like to also try the cold mil-myeon and the king meat dumplings haha.