Spicy red-broth shabu kalguksu picked by a spice wimp: Yunujae, Busan

Where shabu-shabu meets kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup): Yunujae Munhyeon Shabu Kalguksu.

What we ordered and the price

• Shabu kalguksu for 2 — ₩22,000
• Sirloin add-on — ₩8,000
• 2 drinks — ₩4,000
• Total — ₩34,000

A place near my house that serves both shabu-shabu and kalguksu opened, and I'd been wanting to try it. Both are already delicious on their own, but getting to enjoy shabu-shabu → kalguksu in sequence? There's always a wait here, and now I know why. Parking is at the Daerim City Plaza building, up to 2 hours free. Plenty of time 🤗

You can really feel summer ending now. Proper fall weather is setting in, so warm, spicy shabu-shabu kalguksu has apparently gotten even more popular lately.

How does the waiting work?

You just write your name on the waitlist, and when it's your turn a staff member comes out and calls your name. It's popular with the locals — pretty much every time I come, there's a wait — but it's a Munhyeon-dong restaurant worth waiting for.

Took some general shots of the interior. Since it's a shabu-shabu kalguksu place rather than a grilled-meat spot, there's no smoke from grilling. That kept the interior comfortable and pleasant.

Red spicy broth — okay even for a spice wimp?

You order through the tablet at your table. I debated between the white and red broths, but ended up craving something spicy, so I picked the red, extra-spicy version. Even as a spice wimp, it honestly wasn't bad! The red broth also comes in regular and extra-spicy, so if you like spice but want to play it safe, you could go with red regular 🤔

For first-timers, there's a guide on how to enjoy the meal properly.

What's at the self-serve corner?

The self-serve corner has broth and various kimchis. Since shabu-shabu simmers for a while, the broth can run low, but they've got extra ready to grab — you just help yourself!

Kimchi and diced radish kimchi are essential for making the kalguksu and fried rice taste tangy and crisp, and both were available. But only take what you'll actually finish! Even if it's self-serve, wasting it is a shame, so just take as much as you'll eat.

Sirloin add-on, then shabu-shabu first

I love shabu-shabu so much I'll probably order the extra sirloin again next time too. It's that good — I just kept eating it. Everything comes out at once when you first order, so each person can enjoy it at their own pace before moving on to the next course, which felt like a real plus.

Meat and mushrooms and vegetables cooked just right, soaked full of broth — delicious. And it's not just me who loves this flavor, it's clearly won over the locals too! With the mushrooms and minari (water dropwort) that are essential to shabu-shabu already included, I didn't feel like I needed any extra ingredients 🙃

You can dip it in wasabi soy sauce.

Kalguksu's turn

Once you finish the shabu-shabu, it's kalguksu time. With the sirloin and vegetables cooked in it, the broth's flavor deepens, so the kalguksu tastes even better than plain broth would. If you're short on kimchi or diced radish kimchi, just grab more from the self-serve bar.

Finishing with fried rice

After the kalguksu comes fried rice. Everything comes out together at the start, so everyone eats at their own pace. I left just the right amount of broth and dumped the fried rice ingredients straight into the pot to stir-fry 🤤 Feels like Korea's version of dessert, honestly.

Since I picked the spicy broth, the fried rice came out slightly spicy too, and it was packed with savory flavor — I ate it all up. Ending with fried rice made the whole meal feel hearty and filling.

The method is simple but tastes so good — it felt like enjoying a course meal from start to finish.

There's a Baskin Robbins nearby, so I even got dessert taken care of in one trip — a delicious meal out. Munhyeon-dong has so much good food.