Mullae hot pot restaurant with live abalone from the tank: Palmi

Why we stopped at Palmi Jogae Kalguksu near Mullae Station on a date

I'd been craving shabu-shabu for a while, so while on a date in Mullae, I visited Palmi, a Mullae shabu kalguksu spot everyone raves about :)

We were looking for a good restaurant while dating around Mullae, and the sign was so huge that even though it was our first visit, it wasn't hard to find at all. The whole place looked pretty sizeable from the outside, which really caught my eye!

The first thing I saw was the tank. It was full of abalone and all kinds of clams, which instantly gave me the feeling that they use fresh seafood as soon as you walk in. I'm not usually a huge clam person, but I enjoyed it so much that day it actually changed my mind haha.

What is the restaurant like inside?

The interior of Palmi Jogae Kalguksu felt really clean too. With a slight hanok (traditional Korean house) touch to the decor, it felt a bit warmer and more upscale than a typical shabu-shabu place.

The spacing between tables was nice too, and the overall relaxed vibe made me think it'd work not just for dates but for family gatherings or work dinners as well.

What we ordered at Palmi, and the Naver review event

We ordered the Palmi clam shabu kalguksu! By the way, they're running an event where you can get soju or stir-fried beef brisket with bean sprouts if you write a Naver review.

The shabu-shabu portion was so huge that we felt too full to eat anything extra, so we didn't take part haha. Still, if you're someone who cares about review events, it's worth keeping in mind before your visit!

The free wine slushie at Palmi Jogae Kalguksu

While we were waiting after ordering, the owner brought us a wine slushie as a free service! It was honestly way tastier than I expected lol.

It was cold and refreshing, so having a glass before the shabu-shabu felt great. I don't usually drink much, but I enjoyed it without any guilt.

Palmi clam shabu kalguksu with the basic broth

Finally, the Mullae favorite, Palmi's clam shabu kalguksu, arrived! Shabu-shabu is Palmi's signature dish, so after some deliberation we picked the clam shabu kalguksu, and the moment it landed on the table we were shocked by how generous it looked.

You can choose from three broths — basic, spicy, or mala — and since it was our first visit and we wanted to taste the ingredients themselves, we went with the basic broth.

The moment we saw it, we both went "whoa~~" haha. The pot was packed with all sorts of clams, abalone, vegetables, and meat — really generous. Just looking at it, it seemed like the ingredients alone would fill you up.

We tried the broth first, and even the basic version had a deep, savory flavor. Once the clams went in and simmered, the refreshing clam flavor got added on top, and the broth kept getting better and better! The vegetables looked fresh, and the meat looked good quality too. Overall, it felt like they were using good ingredients, which I really liked.

Dipping sauces and geotjeori (fresh kimchi)

There were three sauces prepared, so you could pick based on your taste, which was nice. For me, the soy sauce with wasabi mixed in was the best for dipping. The spicy sauce in the middle also had its own charm, good for dipping meat or seafood.

The geotjeori (fresh kimchi) that came alongside was tasty too! Eating it in between bites of shabu-shabu really perked up the appetite, and the owner kept checking if we needed more and refilled it without us asking. That kind of attentiveness was a nice touch.

Abalone and clams first, then two kinds of meat

First, we were told to put in the mussels and abalone, so we did right away. I tried the abalone first, and it was much more tender than expected. Not chewy at all, but soft with a nice bite — really tasty.

Then I tried the clams one by one, and eating them with the broth was genuinely delicious. I'm not normally a huge clam fan, but maybe because they were so fresh that day, I kept reaching for more haha.

The meat was really tender too. Since there were two kinds, it was fun picking based on preference, and eating it with vegetables kept it from feeling greasy at all — I just kept eating.

Above all, I liked that everything felt fresh across the board. I think ingredients matter a lot for shabu-shabu, and from the vegetables to the meat and clams, it really felt like they were using quality ingredients. So it felt a step more upscale than typical shabu-shabu.

I also thought this could work well for anyone looking for a spot in Mullae for family gatherings or work dinners. The place is spacious and the atmosphere clean, so it seemed like a good fit for a group too.

Finishing with kalguksu noodles and abalone porridge

And of course, once you've had shabu-shabu, you can't skip the kalguksu noodles lol. After eating our way through the shabu-shabu for a while, we added the kalguksu noodles, and they were chewy and delicious.

More than anything, the broth was amazing. Having simmered with clams, abalone, vegetables, and meat, it felt way deeper than at the start. With the refreshing clam flavor layered on top, I kept scooping up more broth. I don't usually drink a lot of broth, but that day it was so good I couldn't stop haha.

And at the very end, we even made porridge! We were already super full after the shabu-shabu and kalguksu, but how could we not try abalone porridge too lol.

We tried the porridge, and it was nutty and soft — really tasty. I meant to eat just a little since I was so full, but one spoonful led to another. In the end we finished almost all of it haha.

Is Palmi Jogae Kalguksu a good hot pot date spot in Mullae?

Overall, it was a really satisfying meal. Getting to enjoy generous clams and abalone, fresh vegetables and meat all in one sitting, and then finishing with kalguksu and abalone porridge, made it a genuinely filling meal.

I'd especially recommend it to anyone searching for a Mullae favorite or looking to enjoy great shabu-shabu on a date in Mullae. Palmi, the Mullae shabu kalguksu spot, had a clean atmosphere and generous food, so it seemed like a solid pick for family gatherings or work dinners too, not just dates.

If you like shabu-shabu, definitely give the clam shabu kalguksu a try! We enjoyed it so much that day that this is a place I'd want to come back to next time we're dating around Mullae again :) A delicious bowl of clam shabu kalguksu.