Self-serve bar with mukguksu and shabu-shabu in Dongtan: Pyeonbaek

I went to meet a friend who lives in Dongtan after a long while, and heard there was a Dongtan Station restaurant that's been getting a lot of buzz lately, so we headed over together.

It's Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch, a place where you can enjoy healthy hinoki (Japanese cypress) steam, shabu-shabu, and Vietnamese-style wraps all in one sitting.

Between the fresh ingredients, the well-stocked self-serve bar, and the deep broth flavor, I was satisfied enough that I really wanted to recommend it as a spot for gatherings or work dinners.

Location and basic info for Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch

• Address: 2nd Floor, Grand Via Star, 446 Dongtan-daero, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Hours: 11:00–22:00
• Parking: underground parking available
• Signature menu: all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu and hinoki steam

The 2nd floor of Grand Via Star & a striking entrance

After parking and heading up to the 2nd floor of the building, big lettering on the white wall reading hinoki steam, shabu-shabu, Vietnamese wraps, beef, and rice noodles caught my eye from a distance.

Near the entrance there was a sign advertising a great-value ₩19,900 all-you-can-eat deal, along with a CatchTable waitlist kiosk.

You could really feel how popular this place is — the kind of spot people line up for during peak hours.

As soon as we walked in, the phrase "well-being all-you-can-eat" stood out on the counter wall, along with an autograph from model Lee Hyun-yi, which was surprising and only raised our expectations for the food.

Hall seating and a kids' area fit for group dinners

The interior overall felt spacious, with rows of long tables arranged in a line that stood out to me.

It seemed like a very optimized layout for a Dongtan lunch gathering or a Dongtan group dinner spot.

Further inside there was a variety of seating — 4-person tables, 8-person tables — and it was packed, which showed just how popular the place is.

On one side there was also a kids' area where children could play safely.

A phrase on the wall reading "children's laughter is like an angel's song" left an impression on me.

Four broth options and a bountiful salad bar

In the center of the hall was a self-serve bar with a clean layout that anyone could use with ease.

On the wall was a poster from the show "Jjinmeokshow" that the restaurant had appeared on, along with easy-to-read illustrations of the four shabu broths, making it simple to choose by taste.

We sat down and read through the instructions carefully. The time limit was 100 minutes, which felt quite generous.

On the table there were tips for enjoying the hinoki steam and shabu-shabu even more, plus a QR code for a receipt review event.

Following the order written on the table, we first ordered the hinoki steam and then headed straight to the salad bar.

What's on offer at the self-serve bar?

The salad bar's snack corner was neatly stocked with everything from corn-and-mayo bread ingredients to crispy fries, spicy jjolmyeon (chewy cold noodles), fresh salad, chilled mukguksu (buckwheat jelly noodle soup), a nostalgic school-cafeteria-style spaghetti, soup tteokbokki, and savory fried rice.

Next to it there was also a generous supply of hygienic disposable aprons.

On the opposite fresh-ingredients corner there were sliced beef short rib belly and neck cuts for shabu-shabu.

Beside that were refill broth, extra noodles, and warm water for the Vietnamese wraps.

Next to that were colorful vegetables for the wraps — onion, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, perilla leaves, canned fruit, and more.

The vegetables for shabu-shabu were just as varied — crunchy bean sprouts, napa cabbage, bok choy, oyster mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, dumplings, Vienna sausages, fish cakes, kalguksu noodles, dumpling soup dough, and kimchi.

The corner for the finishing egg rice porridge was also neatly arranged, with raw eggs, seaweed flakes, furikake, rice, and sesame oil.

My friend said the mukguksu she brought as an appetizer was the best thing there.

It didn't taste like a generic store-bought cold noodle broth — it seemed to use a broth made specifically for mukguksu, and it was clean, not too sour or sweet.

The sweet-and-spicy jjolmyeon also woke up our appetite, and the spaghetti had that nostalgic taste from childhood that really brought back memories. The tteokbokki and fried rice were both easy to enjoy without feeling heavy.

12 medicinal herbs, no gamey smell: Dongtan hinoki steam

While we were snacking on food and fresh wrap vegetables from the self-serve bar, a timer rang and the first steaming pot arrived.

Lifting the lid revealed a well-packed Dongtan-style hinoki steam.

Underneath the beef there was a generous layer of crunchy bean sprouts, along with king oyster mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, bok choy, napa cabbage, sweet pumpkin, dumplings, and plump shrimp, all neatly arranged.

Tasting it, the subtle aroma unique to Dongtan-style hinoki steam had soaked moistly all the way into the meat, and I couldn't detect any gamey smell at all.

Maybe because it's steamed with 12 medicinal herbs using a premium method, the flavor felt very healthy and rich.

The texture of the thin, tender-cooked meat was excellent — I kept eating without getting tired of it — and the fat had rendered out nicely, leaving it noticeably clean-tasting.

The pairing with the bean sprouts steamed alongside it was especially great.

Bean sprouts can easily end up with an off, fishy smell if cooked wrong, but these were crunchy and smooth with no such issue. The plump dumplings and shrimp also served as delicious highlights.

We wrapped the well-cooked meat, bean sprouts, and colorful vegetables in rice paper to try as a Vietnamese-style wrap.

The savory, clean-tasting meat, crunchy vegetables, and the sauce's flavor all came together for an explosion of umami in every bite.

We finished off the first pot so happily, and still not satisfied, we refilled with one more round of the Dongtan hinoki steam.

The second pot was just as excellent in meat quality and vegetable freshness, so we wrapped up every last bite in a wrap right down to the final piece.

Deep-flavored shabu-shabu & savory egg rice porridge

After thoroughly enjoying the hinoki steam, we asked for the pot to be swapped out for shabu-shabu.

We chose a half-and-half mix of the clean katsuo mushroom broth and the fiery spicy broth, and while it came to a boil, we gathered meat, kalguksu noodles, dumplings, and fresh vegetables from the self-serve bar.

As the broth started boiling, we loaded in plenty of vegetables first to draw out a refreshing base flavor. The vegetables themselves were fresh, so they had a nice moist bite too.

While we waited, we watched a video of Hiabob eating deliciously on the kiosk screen.

Unlimited beef: neck cut or beef short rib belly — which is better?

There were two types of unlimited beef available: beef short rib belly and neck cut.

Personally, I loved the lean, clean-tasting neck cut, while my friend preferred the savory, glossy beef short rib belly.

It was great being able to pick according to preference. As the vegetables and meat simmered, both the katsuo broth and the spicy broth developed a deep umami flavor.

After eating our fill of meat, we added kalguksu noodles into the spicy broth side and let it simmer away.

The noodles themselves had a bit of seasoning baked in, so as the broth reduced, it became salty and spicy in the best way, clinging perfectly to each bite.

If you're sensitive to salty flavors, I'd recommend adding plenty of extra broth before putting in the noodles and letting them cook thoroughly.

To finish, we made an egg rice porridge on the katsuo broth side by adding rice, seaweed flakes, raw egg, and sesame oil.

The well-developed katsuo broth base blended smoothly with the seaweed flakes and egg for a result that was both savory and deeply flavorful.

Even though we were already full, the broth flavor had soaked so deeply into every grain of rice that it made us scrape the pot clean — the perfect ending.

On our way out after the meal, we spotted a refreshing misugaru (roasted grain powder) slushie dessert machine, along with clearly posted country-of-origin labeling and a certification mark from the show "All About K-Meal."

On one wall, the 12 medicinal herbs actually used in the premium steam dish were on display, adding a bit of visual interest and a sense of trust.

Final thoughts and highlights

Overall: This is a Dongtan Station restaurant where you can fully enjoy clean, low-fat hinoki steam infused with the subtle aroma of 12 medicinal herbs, along with two shabu-shabu broths, Vietnamese wraps, and a varied salad bar. With a spacious, comfortable hall and a fully equipped kids' playroom, it's a wonderful spot for family gatherings or group dinners.

• No gamey smell, clean premium hinoki steam: the fat is rendered out, leaving tender beef and crunchy bean sprouts that pair perfectly.
• Full, fresh self-serve bar: from house-made mukguksu and jjolmyeon to fresh wrap vegetables and two types of beef, all unlimited.
• Comfortable for group gatherings: spacious hall seating, convenient facilities, and free parking make it perfect for lunch meetups or dinners.

If you're near Dongtan and want to enjoy a hearty, healthy, and delicious meal of hinoki steam and shabu-shabu, I highly recommend stopping by Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch!