Naju shabu-shabu lunch: king scallop sauce pairings at Yuyu Shabu

It's August, which means summer break. After my academy's vacation began, my husband and I decided to take a nice trip to broaden our horizons. My husband loves history and cultural heritage, so we headed to the Gwangju National Museum. After we finished looking around, our stomachs started sending signals. That's when I found out about a Naju shabu-shabu place that lots of people recommend near the museum: Yuyu Shabu in Naju.

Yuyu Shabu Naju Innovation City branch: location and parking

Yuyu Shabu (유유샤브) Naju Innovation City branch is on the first floor of a building on Baemet 1-gil in Naju Innovation City. It's street-side on the first floor, so it's easy to find.

The inside is spacious and bright too. It has an open kitchen, so you can see the chef moving around and prepping ingredients, which makes you trust that they really care about cooking. The parking lot is inside the building, roomy and tidy, so even though it was our first time here, we parked without any worry and walked right in. For anyone coming for a Naju team lunch or a group gathering, it's convenient with no parking stress.

Ordering the half-and-half broth and king scallop assortment

After studying the menu for a while, we chose the half-and-half broth, which lets you enjoy the mild broth and the spicy broth at the same time, and ordered the king scallop assortment as our main.

Not long after we ordered, the half-and-half pot was set up for us. A heaping pile of vegetables and the king scallop assortment were put on the table. One side of the pot held the mild broth, with its clean, deep flavor, and the other held the spicy broth, tangy and refreshing, so we got both charms at once.

The look of it alone whets the appetite. Healthy, good-for-you ingredients make your eyes taste it first.

The king scallop assortment came with fresh vegetables and big, plump king scallop adductors neatly arranged, and it stirred my appetite right away. Every ingredient was fresh and clean, and it felt like we were being treated as guests.

Sauce pairings: chili, soy and chojang

When you eat shabu-shabu, the sauce combination is a must. For my taste, the sweet and spicy chili sauce suited best. Dipping the cleanly cooked vegetables, meat and king scallops into the chili sauce pinned down flavors that could otherwise be a bit bland, and I never got tired of it. The soy sauce in particular goes well with the beef.

My husband said that for king scallop adductors, chojang (sweet-and-sour chili sauce) is the best pairing and tastes the best. He says the tangy spiciness of the chojang brings out the clean, chewy flavor of the fresh scallops even more.

A broth that gets richer the longer it simmers

I think the real charm of shabu-shabu is the broth flavor that comes out as time passes. The broth was clean when it first started boiling, which I liked, but as the fresh vegetables, mushrooms and king scallops cooked through, the broth kept gaining depth.

The more we ate and the longer it boiled, the deeper down the pot we went and the richer the broth became, whetting our appetite more and more. I was full but it tasted even better... so I ended up with a round little belly.

The mildness of the mild broth turned deeper and nuttier, and the spicy broth gained a deep savory umami that was fiery yet gave a cool, chest-clearing relief. My husband and I kept spooning up the broth, saying, "the longer it boils, the better it gets."

The longer it boils, the better it gets

Finishing with kalguksu

You can't skip the kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), either. The last bubbling finish is slurping up the noodles.

From exploring the Gwangju National Museum and its cultural treasures in depth to a meal at Yuyu Shabu nearby, it was a wonderful day.

Self-bar and event

And of course, it would be a shame to leave out the self-bar and the event.

The event is a small but certain happiness. And since you're eating anyway, if you read the owner's tips on how to enjoy the food, you'll enjoy it even more.

I'd definitely recommend Yuyu Shabu to anyone who wants a hearty shabu-shabu with deep flavor, or who is looking for a good restaurant in Naju Innovation City or a spot for a Naju team lunch. Do try the harmony of the rich broth that deepens as you eat and the fresh ingredients.