Indeogwon shabu-shabu worth a weeknight Tableing wait: Shabu Siktak

Shabu Siktak Dongpyeon-maeul Branch: the basics

Shabu Siktak Dongpyeon-maeul Branch (샤브식탁 동편마을직영점) is at 7 Dongpyeon-ro 49beon-gil, Unit 101, 1F, Dongan-gu, Anyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea, and it's open every day from 11:30 to 21:00. The break time is 15:00–17:00, and last orders are at 14:00 and 20:00. Small dogs are welcome if you bring a bag or carrier.

Is there a wait at Shabu Siktak on a weekday evening?

I showed up at 7:40pm on a weekday and the place was packed, so I joined the waitlist. I'd been craving something hot and gentle on the stomach, and shabu-shabu was exactly that.

You can register for the wait through the Tableing app and get a KakaoTalk message when it's your turn, which is so convenient.

Out front there are colorful, old-fashioned bus stop chairs. They make waiting feel kind of charming, and they're great for photos.

The menu board is outside too, so you can decide what to order while you wait.

Parking and atmosphere inside

Parking fits about 2 cars in front of the restaurant. If that's full, use the nearby public parking lot (free on weekends and holidays). Inside, it's wood-toned with a strong Japanese vibe.

There are separate men's and women's restrooms indoors. At the entrance they've thoughtfully set out hair ties, mouthwash, Polo mints and wet wipes. You can finish your shabu-shabu without worrying about smelling of it, and I really love details like this.

Ordering for 2: B-table, ssamjang rice wraps, octopus karaage and kalguksu

We ordered Shabu Siktak's signature B-table for 2, the nut ssamjang rice wraps (ssamjang is a savory dipping paste), octopus karaage (Japanese-style fried octopus) and a kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) add-on.

Table setting, homemade sauces and side dishes

When you sit down, spoons, chopsticks, small plates and paper cups are already set, with homemade sesame sauce and homemade chili sauce on the table. There was also a homemade tare sauce with egg yolk.

The side dishes are pickled radish, kimchi, homemade shiitake wasabi sauce and pickled onions. They say it boosts the flavor a lot when eaten with the shabu-shabu, and it really did.

What comes in the Shabu Siktak B-table?

The B-table per person has 6 vegetables, 5 mushrooms, 3 other items and 2 skewers, served with vegetables, meat and skewers in a wooden bowl. The food comes out super fast.

It looks so pretty that I almost didn't want to eat it.

Once the broth is boiling, the mushrooms, my beloved mushrooms, go in first. They soak up the broth and turn chewy and plump, and honestly it's amazing.

The broth is made fresh every day from more than 10 ingredients, and the vegetables are bought at the market the same day, so the freshness is on another level.

Lightly blanched vegetables stay crisp while soaking up the broth, so the taste is clean and healthy.

The beef is sliced thin, so if you dip it in the broth and pull it right out, it practically melts. Dipped in the homemade sauce, the nutty flavor doubles.

Are the nut ssamjang rice wraps a must-order?

Shabu Siktak's homemade nut ssamjang rice wraps are bite-sized wraps topped with a nutty homemade ssamjang, myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic-like greens), meat and vegetables!

The ssamjang is a different level from store-bought. It's nutty and deep, and the aroma of the myeongi namul fills your whole mouth. Definitely a must-order!

Octopus karaage and tartar sauce

Shabu Siktak's octopus karaage is plump octopus legs fried in a thin, crispy coating.

The outside is crispy while the octopus inside stays moist and bouncy, and the texture is top-notch. It comes with tartar sauce too, which isn't heavy at all and pairs fresh and bright. Picking up a piece of fried food between rounds of shabu-shabu is a lot of fun.

Finishing with kalguksu noodles

We ended with the kalguksu add-on. When you drop the noodles into the richly flavored broth, they soak it right up, and it's the perfect finale.

I wanted to get the vegetable porridge too, but I was too full, so sadly I skipped it 😂