Junggye shabu-shabu lunch, private room and bulgogi bowl: Hana Shabu

What kind of place is Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch?

Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch is a premium shabu-shabu restaurant on the first floor of the Brownstone building in Junggye-dong, Nowon. Its strengths are fresh ingredients, a clean atmosphere and a neat course lineup. It is within walking distance of both Junggye Station and Hagye Station, and there is parking in the building, so it is easy for family gatherings or anyone coming by car. The address is 29 Dongil-ro 203ga-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul (Brownstone Junggye, Unit 101), 521 m from Exit 4 of Junggye Station, and it is open 11:00–22:00.

The signature dishes are Japanese-style shabu-shabu and seiro-mushi (food steamed in a cypress-wood steamer). The shabu-shabu broth is said to be made by simmering 24 ingredients, giving it a deep, clean flavor, and you get Black Angus beef along with plenty of fresh vegetables and mushrooms. Dip the beef briefly in the broth and eat it with the house sauces to enjoy both the flavor of the meat and the savory depth of the broth. After the meal you can have udon noodles and porridge too, so it is a hearty, satisfying meal. Seiro-mushi steams meat and vegetables in a cypress steamer, which brings out the natural taste and aroma of the ingredients, and it is loved as a healthy meal. That is why I'd like to introduce this as a good restaurant for taking your parents.

Atmosphere and seating at Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch

The restaurant is on the first floor of the Brownstone building in Junggye-dong. The signboard alone makes you think of a tidy Japanese restaurant.

The menu is posted at the entrance, so it's worth a look before you go in.

Inside, it was very clean and had a unique layout that felt fresh. There is bar-style seating, done floor-style,

and in the middle there are 4-person tables, which suit a meal with family or friends.

Private room for family gatherings and company dinners

There is also a private room with two 4-person tables, which would work well for family gatherings, other get-togethers or company dinners. Overall the place feels clean and pleasant, so you can eat in a good mood.

How is the Hana Shabu Shabu lunch course put together?

The menu has shabu-shabu and seiro-mushi, split into basic, course and premium tiers, so you can order to your taste. I ordered the lunch course with brisket and sirloin. The course comes with a meal and dessert on top of the basic set; for the meal you can choose between a bulgogi rice bowl (marinated beef over rice) and pollock roe rice, and I picked the bulgogi rice bowl.

A wooden box full of vegetables and Black Angus beef

The shabu-shabu vegetables and beef arrived, and I was amazed at how generous it was. A deep wooden box was packed with all kinds of vegetables. The beef is good-quality Black Angus.

The staff poured broth into the pot and left a kettle in front of us so we could add more if it ran low.

Three sauces: sesame, chili and yuzu ponzu

Three sauces are provided: sesame sauce, chili sauce and yuzu ponzu sauce. Dipping into different sauces lets you enjoy a variety of flavors.

Once the broth in the pot came to a boil, I added the vegetables and beef. There was quite a lot of beef! The vegetables were just as generous: several kinds of mushrooms, fried tofu, fish cake, bok choy, bell pepper, bean sprouts and more, so

I tried them together with the beef. The beef was good quality, the vegetables were varied and there was plenty of everything, so it was a very satisfying meal.

Udon noodles to finish off the broth

The course also includes udon noodles, which I put into the broth. By this point the broth, simmered with beef and vegetables, tasted really good.

Bulgogi rice bowl for the meal, pudding for dessert

This is the beef rice bowl I chose for the meal. The bulgogi seasoning was mild and tasted good, and with the pickled young ginger it was even better. I mixed the rice and ate it with spoonfuls of the broth.

Dessert is pudding, a light way to finish.

Is Hana Shabu Shabu Junggye Main Branch a good spot for a family gathering?

At lunch the lunch sets are offered at relatively reasonable prices, which makes them popular with office workers and local residents, and at dinner you can enjoy a richer dinner course. Besides shabu-shabu you can order side dishes such as gyudon (beef rice bowl), mentaiju (pollock roe dish) and marinated prawns, so you can eat to your taste.

Overall, healthy ingredients and a balanced lineup make this an easy place for people of all ages to eat out. Its strengths are fresh ingredients, clean-tasting broth, a comfortable atmosphere and a space suited to family meals, and if you want good shabu-shabu and seiro-mushi together in Nowon, it is one of the restaurants with high satisfaction.