Kid-free date at a Dongtan Station cypress-steam buffet: Pyeonbaek

Today I finally got a date with my husband, just the two of us! Most of our time is with our kid, so I can't even remember the last time we ate out together at a leisurely pace, haha. We wanted something tasty and a slow meal, so we headed to Pyeonbaek Hoegwan in Dongtan!! Let me tell you about our relaxed date :)

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch: location, hours and parking

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch is on the 2nd floor of Granvia Star at Dongtan Station, open daily 11:00–22:00 (last order 20:30). By car it's 5 minutes from Lotte Department Store Dongtan and Dongtan Station, and 10 minutes from Dongtan Lake Park. There's parking in the building with 3 hours free.

The Granvia Star building has a kids' café, bowling alley, tennis court, table tennis and a golf practice range, so I thought it'd be easy to kill time before or after a meal, haha

Inside Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch: spacious hall and play room

The inside has clean wood-tone interiors, so it feels warm and cozy.

It's a big 110-pyeong space, so nothing feels cramped, and I liked that the tables are spaced generously. With the big hall and relaxed mood, I'd recommend it for family meals in Dongtan, but also for get-togethers with friends or group dinners~!

There's also a play room inside for kids, so it looks great for families. With a spacious hall and a play room, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a comfortable meal out with a child!!

How to order and the weekday lunch price at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan

You sit down and order on a tabletop kiosk. The base is a katsuo (dried bonito) broth, and you choose from spicy mushroom 🌶️, doenjang chicken 🍗, beef-bone mala 🔥 or beef-bone tomato 🍅 to suit your taste~~

Here's a huge tip!!! Visit on a weekday before 3 p.m. and it's ₩16,900. You get everything from cypress steam to shabu-shabu at that price, so if you're looking for a lunch spot, take note!

Browsing the self-bar while the cypress steam cooks for 10 minutes

As soon as you order, a cypress-wood steamer shows up on your table. They say Pyeonbaek Hoegwan steams it with 12 herbal ingredients! I felt healthier before even taking a bite 😆💚 It takes about 10 minutes to cook, so it's perfect to wander the self-bar and pick out food while you wait, haha.

What's on the Pyeonbaek Hoegwan self-bar?

• French fries
• Jjolmyeon (chewy wheat noodles)
• Salad
• Muk-sabal (acorn jelly in cold broth)
• Tomato spaghetti
• Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes)
• Mushroom soup
• Morning bun salad

I was surprised by how much variety there was~ It's a lineup everyone from kids to grandparents would like, and picking out one of each was half the fun, haha.

At Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan, the vegetables for shabu-shabu and the ones for rice-paper wraps are separated, so it's easy to grab only what you need! The corner is kept tidy and the veggies were fresh, which I loved 💚

Unlimited meat: sliced beef brisket and chuck

Being a buffet, the meat is plentiful~ The sliced beef brisket is tender and rich, and the sliced chuck is mild and chewy. Ahh... isn't this why we come to unlimited-refill places? 😆 But my pick is the tender brisket! Brisket is love, haha.

On the table there were chili sauce, peanut sauce and soy sauce too! Dip to your taste and it's even better, right~~😋

How do Pyeonbaek Hoegwan's cypress steam and rice-paper wraps taste?

After 10 happy minutes of waiting, I lifted the lid and the soft scent of cypress drifted out. It smelled delicious already~~❤️ Bean sprouts are laid on the bottom, with meat, mushrooms and vegetables neatly arranged on top.

Because the meat and vegetables are steamed, the grease drops away and the flavor is mild and healthy, so it's easy to enjoy without feeling heavy. My number-one comfort food is cypress steam.

Chewy rice paper, juicy meat and crunchy vegetables! It's good on its own, but wrapped up as a rice-paper wrap it was so, so good I almost cried,,,😭

Shabu-shabu after the cypress steam

Once you've cleared the cypress steam, bring on the shabu-shabu~~

Bring the broth to a bubbling boil in the pot, then cook the meat and assorted vegetables in it~ haha 🍲 You get mild cypress steam and hot-broth shabu-shabu in one go, so it's perfect for people who want to try a bit of everything!!

With the juices of the fresh vegetables and the meat added in, the broth got deeper and deeper... the longer it bubbled, the richer the aroma! Ahh~ shabu-shabu is all about the broth, haha. The meat melted softly in my mouth, so I kept reaching for more, haha.

It's fine,,,, shabu doesn't make you gain weight,,, I ate lots of vegetables too, so today counts as healthy,,,hehe

Dessert: icy misugaru by the entrance

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan even takes care of dessert 🤎 There was misugaru (a sweet roasted-grain drink) set out by the entrance! The icy slush crunched as I drank, and it was nutty and sweet~ A cold cup was just right to finish the meal, haha. From meal to dessert, perfect, just perfect~~👍

Is Pyeonbaek Hoegwan at Dongtan Station good for a couple's date?

Cypress steam with a faint cypress scent, hot shabu-shabu, rice-paper wraps loaded with fresh vegetables! And with unlimited beef too, we left totally full, haha. The varied menu and good value made Pyeonbaek Hoegwan in Dongtan a satisfying stop. If you're after a hearty meal, a family dinner or a group get-together spot, give it a try~ I recommend Pyeonbaek Hoegwan for both value and taste!