Dog-friendly Naju shabu-shabu restaurant with group rooms: Yuyu Shabu

Yuyu Shabu Naju Innovation City branch is a great pick for a group meal in a private room. The fresh ingredients make it clean and mild enough for everyone, so if you want a meal in a nice atmosphere, gather here!

Where is Yuyu Shabu Naju Innovation City branch, and what are the hours and parking?

Yuyu Shabu Naju Innovation City branch is at 22 Baemet 1-gil, Naju, Jeonnam, South Korea (Unit 113 and 114, 1st floor; Bitgaram-dong 286-1). It is open daily from 11:00 to 21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00.

Getting there by public transport

Get off at the Buyoung Complex 1 (toward LH Complex 5) stop and keep going straight to the right until you reach "Bitgaram Computer." When you see it, walk to the left and you will find the "Duck Butt" (오리궁뎅이) building. Come into that building, and Yuyu Shabu Naju Innovation City branch is at the back, behind Duck Butt and Dabong Siraegi.

Driving and parking

If you drive, search for "Yuyu Shabu Naju Innovation City branch" or the address (Baemet 1-gil 22) in your navigation. You can park in the nearby alleys or in the building's parking lot up to the 2nd floor. From the 3rd floor up it is the hotel's parking lot, so be careful.

Can you bring your dog to Yuyu Shabu Naju Innovation City branch?

Yuyu Shabu Naju Innovation City branch is a dog-friendly restaurant in Naju, so you can come with your dog, but you must bring a bag. Just so you know! I also found it nice to eat with the dog and then take a walk at nearby Naju Bitgaram Lake Park.

Outside and inside

The place itself is spacious and comfortable, and the female staff member was really kind. She asked whether I needed anything, which was lovely. There are also group seats in the rooms, so keep that in mind.

What can you grab at the self-bar?

One thing that has changed in the past few months at Yuyu Shabu Naju Innovation City branch is that the self-bar is now available. You can eat plenty of extra vegetables. Honestly, I worried the place might lose money this way.

But the vegetables that come as standard were generous enough that I didn't need to add any. Only take what you need if you run short. Also, the peanut sauce is at the self-bar, and the chili sauce is on the table.

What's on the menu at Yuyu Shabu Naju Innovation City branch?

On the menu, most people order shabu-shabu as the basic. If you want to make it feel special, the cypress steamed dish (pyeonbaek-jjim) sells well too. It would be good to come with our elders.

In the evening, there are times you want a drink, right? For that there are shiitake shrimp tempura, octopus karaage and king shrimp tempura. The standard finish is kalguksu noodles, but you can swap to rice and make porridge.

Half-and-half broth and side dishes

The half-and-half shabu-shabu comes with spicy broth and bone broth. And some of you love mala tang, right? A mala broth has been added too. The side dishes are kimchi, pickled radish and chili peppers.

In what order do you add the shabu-shabu ingredients?

Once the broth boils, put in the skewers first, then the vegetables, and the beef last. Add the meat when the vegetables are almost cooked.

How to dip: chili, peanut and soy sauce

Dip in the chili sauce and peanut sauce however you like. If you want something sweet and nutty, mix both and try it. You can also mix an egg yolk into the separate soy sauce and dip in that.

Overall, even the vegetables are all fresh, and with 15 kinds of fresh ingredients you can eat with confidence. Personally, the open kitchen lets you see everything, so it feels hygienic and clean, and I trust it.

How did the vegetables and beef taste?

At Yuyu Shabu Naju Innovation City branch, my personal favorite, bean sprouts, have a great crunch, and the white wood ear mushrooms go really well with the peanut sauce. As you'd expect from a top Naju Innovation City restaurant, the beef itself was fresh and tender.

If you want more meat, you can add it. Some of you are big eaters, right? And finishing the evening with a single highball is real healing too.

How do you make the finishing porridge?

This time I switched the finish from kalguksu to porridge. To do it, leave just a little broth and get the temperature right, then pour in the rice and stir with a ladle so it doesn't stick. If it looks like it's burning, add a bit more broth little by little.

The important thing is to stir often so it doesn't stick to the bottom. It's easy to do. Honestly, the chewy kalguksu noodles at Yuyu Shabu go well with this broth too. But this time I just wanted rice, in porridge form, haha.