Junggye-dong shabu-shabu lunch with mentaiju and gyudon: Hana Shabu

What kind of place is Hana Shabu Shabu, near Junggye Station in Nowon?

Today's story is about Hana Shabu Shabu, a great spot near Junggye Station in Nowon whenever shabu-shabu is calling your name! They use quality black Angus for soft, deep-flavored beef, and they never use any seasoning at all, so the broth comes out clean and savory at the same time! I'd recommend this place if you want a healthy, tasty, and filling meal.

Hours and how to get there

Open 11:00–22:00, last order 21:00, no break time. It's a 5-minute walk from Junggye Station Exit 4, a 5-minute walk from Hagye Station Exit 6, or a 2-minute walk from the Junggye Neighborhood Park bus stop. Really easy to get to, haha.

Inside the restaurant and the seating

The interior design was genuinely distinctive and stylish!! With spacious regular tables, bar seating, and group seating all available, this is a great spot whether you're looking for a date-night place, a group meetup, or a work dinner in Junggye-dong!

Hana Shabu Shabu's menu and the price of lunch Course A

Here's the menu at Hana Shabu Shabu, a favorite in Junggye-dong, Nowon. We visited for lunch, so we looked at the lunch menu! It's organized into the basic course, premium shabu-shabu, and cypress-steamed dishes, plus add-ons like baby octopus, live octopus, marinated prawns, and tataki.

We ordered Shabu-Shabu Course A (basic + meal + dessert), brisket + sirloin, ₩27,000, for two, and for the meal course we picked gyudon and mentaiju! There's also a good range of sake and other drinks to go with the meal.

The plating and the broth made without seasoning

This owner really puts their heart into the food — I've never seen a shabu-shabu place plate things this beautifully before! It's neat and pretty, so it's nice to look at and even better to eat, haha. There's a wide variety of mushrooms and vegetables. You can tell from the photos alone that they use good ingredients, right?

I was surprised to hear from the owner that they don't use any seasoning at all. To think you can get such deep flavor without any seasoning..!! That's apparently why so many pregnant customers come here! As someone trying to eat clean (a fellow dieter, if you will), I loved being able to eat something healthy and clean too >.<

Black Angus brisket and sirloin: how the two cuts taste

Plated so neatly it looks like a flower blooming on the plate! They use black Angus, and you can tell just from the color alone, hehe. When you actually eat it, it's soft, light, and clean-tasting!

Best of all, there's such a wide variety of vegetables that it's fun just picking through them! And since every single item on the menu is healthy, Hana Shabu Shabu is a great pick in Junggye-dong, Nowon, to bring your parents to as well.

Also, since the beef comes in two different cuts, you get to enjoy a rich variety.

The three dipping sauces

There are also three types of sauce: yuzu ponzu, chili, and sesame. Alternate between all three and they disappear in no time... hehe.

The complimentary tataki

This is the tataki they gave us to try, on the house. It seemed even tastier because they grilled it directly over open flame... hehe. The beef was so soft that it just melted the moment it hit my mouth. On top of that, the savory sauce and smoky char flavor came through and honestly deserved applause!! I'm definitely ordering the tataki menu next time I come!!!!! Six stars, no cap.

Udon noodles and the meal course: mentaiju and gyudon

We threw in the soft udon noodles once the broth had turned even richer from all the beef. The broth soaks right in, making it so savory and delicious! It's magic udon — you keep picking up your chopsticks even when you're already full.

These are the meal-course dishes included in Course A. Mentaiju (pollack roe rice bowl) and gyudon topped with beef! After all that light, clean shabu-shabu, digging into a salty mentaiju and gyudon somehow still made room in my stomach even though I was already full!? My boyfriend and I don't usually eat that much, but at a place like Hana Shabu Shabu near Junggye Station in Nowon, with shabu-shabu, udon, the meal course, and dessert all coming out one after another, it just kept going in even when we were full, haha. And because it's so light and clean, nothing felt heavy, so we could enjoy it deliciously right to the very end.

Ube pudding for dessert, and the verdict

And then dessert — ube pudding! They make the pudding in-house too. Apparently ube is a trendy, healthy ingredient these days, so they turned it into a pudding. The pudding's bouncy yet soft texture paired well with the nutty flavor of the ube, so we finished off even dessert happily!

When shabu-shabu is calling in Junggye-dong, Nowon, it's Hana Shabu Shabu. Above all, the owner was so kind that we had a genuinely great food date, haha. Next time I'm going to try the cypress-steamed dish with tataki!! If you're looking for a healthy, clean, and filling meal, I'd definitely recommend this place.