Daegu shabu-shabu buffet with takoyaki and buckwheat soba: Shabu20

Looking for a delicious all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu spot in Daegu? Places to visit in Daegu, Bokhyeon-dong restaurants, lunch spots in Buk-gu, Daegu.

It's finally Chuseok, the biggest holiday of the year. Are you having a good time with family? I'm resting up at home with my parents, having a relaxed Chuseok. I've been sleeping a lot and letting go of all the fatigue built up from working and staying busy.

Being home with my parents for Chuseok means I don't really need to go anywhere. We already did our special family dinner out last week. We're saving travel for another time, and tomorrow, the day after Chuseok, we'll just make a light visit to our ancestors' grave.

Funnily enough, without ever really meaning to, my family has a pattern: after visiting the grave to pay respects and heading home, we often end up at a shabu-shabu restaurant for dinner to wrap up the holiday as a family meal. I think it's because shabu-shabu is just an easy, comfortable, filling choice for a family — never intentional, but it keeps happening.

Tomorrow will probably go the same way as every other holiday — visiting the grave to pay respects, then a shabu-shabu dinner with the family on the way back. I already treated my parents to a delicious hanwoo (Korean beef) gopchang jeongol (offal hot pot) last week, and I'm excited to treat them to good shabu-shabu again tomorrow.

So today I'm bringing you a shabu-shabu spot in Bokhyeon-dong, Buk-gu, Daegu, so you too can have a hearty, delicious, and fun meal out with family for the rest of the holiday. Hope you're all having a great break.

A restaurant near Daegu Airport, a spot near Isia Polis in Daegu — Shabu20 Daegu Bokhyeon branch. Shabu-shabu is the best choice for a Chuseok family meal~ :)

What is Shabu20 Daegu Bokhyeon branch? Location and what's nearby

Shabu20 is a large franchise chain specializing in all-you-can-eat premium beef shabu-shabu, Vietnamese rice paper rolls, and hot pot. It's already well known nationwide, and a restaurant you can trust for both flavor and value. You can enjoy unlimited beef, rice paper rolls, fried chicken, pasta, takoyaki, vegetables, coffee, drinks, and beer.

Shabu-shabu broths are usually salty and strong-flavored, but Shabu20 says it checks the salinity of its broth every day so it stays flavorful without being too salty. With more than 60 franchise locations nationwide, I visited the Daegu Bokhyeon branch, located in Bokhyeon-dong, Buk-gu, Daegu.

It sits along the road heading from Bokhyeon 5-way intersection toward Gonghang-gyo (Airport Bridge), and nearby you'll find Daegu International Airport, EXCO, Daegu Comprehensive Distribution Complex, Costco, Gonghang-gyo riverside park, and Kyungpook National University, so there's plenty to see in the area.

Shabu20 Daegu Bokhyeon branch

Parking and the waiting area at Shabu20

Here's the exterior of Shabu20 Daegu Bokhyeon branch. It's easy to find right along the road next to Seohan Town 2nd apartments as you cross Gonghang-gyo. Despite being in a busy neighborhood, there's quite a lot of parking available — spaces in front, on the side, and behind the store, so you should be able to find a spot easily.

Outside the entrance there's signage for the lunch course, dinner course, and broth options, so it's a good idea to check it out while you wait in the waiting area.

190 seats: easy for groups, families and solo diners

You could already tell from outside just how big this branch is, but stepping inside reveals an enormous, open space. Shabu20 Daegu Bokhyeon branch can actually seat up to 190 people, making it well suited for group gatherings or family meals.

That lunch, I saw all kinds of groups — office workers in big parties, cozy families, couples on dates. There were also plenty of solo diners, so feel free to come alone too.

Unlimited beef sirloin, pork belly and the vegetable bar

At a shabu-shabu place, the all-you-can-eat salad bar items matter, but of course the real point is the meat and the fresh vegetables. Shabu20 says it uses carefully selected beef graded GF Choice, the top grade in the industry, so you can enjoy excellent quality.

Head over to the meat corner for unlimited beef sirloin and pork belly. The country of origin is clearly labeled, so it's a place you can trust.

At the vegetable garden corner there's plenty of fresh produce to add to the shabu-shabu broth, and right next to it, vegetables for wrapping in rice paper rolls. Everything is really fresh. I don't usually eat many vegetables when I have Korean BBQ, but with shabu-shabu I love loading up on bean sprouts, napa cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms, and sweet pumpkin — so I piled my plate high.

Choosing the broth: katsuobushi or spicy hot pot

I went with a half-and-half of the original katsuobushi broth and the spicy hot pot broth. The hot pot broth is quite spicy and fiery, so choose carefully.

Self-bar must-tries: fried chicken, pasta, takoyaki and buckwheat soba

The salad bar is really well stocked, with plenty to eat. Whenever I'm at a shabu-shabu salad bar, I always grab a bit of fried rice, fried chicken, and pasta as the basics.

On top of that, the takoyaki reminded me of the delicious takoyaki I had traveling in Fukuoka, Japan, so I grabbed some — and it was genuinely delicious. Since it's still warm out in the daytime, I also had the cold buckwheat soba, which was another big win. The overall quality is great, so eat as much as you like.

Sauces, kids' tableware and finishing with porridge

There's a huge variety of sauces to try, so you can enjoy plenty of different flavors, and kids' tableware is available too, making it great to visit with little ones. Finishing a shabu-shabu meal with porridge is basically the rule, and here it's set up so you can make it easily, which is a nice touch. After eating well and getting full, you can join the review event for a chance at a prize draw.

Enjoy shabu-shabu with your family for the rest of the holiday. A restaurant near Kyungpook National University's north gate, a Daegu favorite, a Bokhyeon-dong spot, a great lunch choice — I highly recommend Shabu20 Daegu Bokhyeon branch~ :)