Room-equipped shabu-shabu with black pork set in Yongsan: Shabu in

While looking for a healthy dining option, I got recommended Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch, a place where you can enjoy shabu-shabu with a variety of broths~

Shabu in Seoul, a Samgakji lunch spot

Shabu-shabu on Yongni-dan-gil, with a wait even at odd hours

Shabu in Seoul, a Samgakji lunch hotspot, is a shabu-shabu restaurant located on Yongni-dan-gil, and even though it was an off-peak mealtime, there were so many people that some were even waiting in line!

Partitioned seats and a private room, great for gatherings

The spacious interior with its soft lighting gave off an upscale feel. Each seat was set up like a partitioned booth, so it was private and let us focus fully on our conversation.

There's also a private room, so it seems like a good idea to book it ahead for family gatherings or company dinners. I didn't get to go inside the room, but from a peek it looked as classy as a gallery — perfect for taking elders along or for business meetings.

I'd booked ahead through Catch Table, so the table was already set when we arrived. Every single piece of tableware was so pretty that I let out a 'wow' the moment I saw it.

Three sauces, each on its own plate

The three neatly prepared sauces are each portioned onto separate plates, so you can eat hygienically

Mild, spicy, and savory — each sauce had its own clear charm, and they were all delicious. Adding the garlic and chili peppers provided lets you enjoy it in a more Korean style (?) haha

Clear mushroom broth, black pork chuck set

Shabu in Seoul, a Samgakji lunch hotspot, has a wide range of unique broths to choose from based on your taste, so I picked the clear mushroom broth, said to be the best.

Even though it's shabu-shabu, uniquely both pork and beef are available. I ordered two grade-1 black pork chuck shabu sets, and later added beef and vegetables on top!

It looks like just a plain clear broth, but the umami was seriously incredible and the seasoning was spot on... I wish every shabu-shabu broth in the world was like this!

A vegetable spread that even includes broccoli

The vegetables came out neatly arranged. Napa cabbage and bok choy were the basics, along with various mushrooms, minari (water dropwort), danmyeonja (glass noodles), and, uniquely, even broccoli.

Just by looking, the black pork chuck seemed so high quality and fresh. My half-doubtful feelings about pork shabu-shabu completely disappeared the moment I saw the meat.

This yeolmu (young radish) pickle served as a basic side dish was seriously a masterstroke! Its crunchy texture and just-right sweet-and-sour flavor paired so well with the shabu-shabu.

They dropped in all the vegetables and got it bubbling away. Maybe because the shabu-shabu pot itself was so pretty, the whole thing felt like a fancy dish. The meat cooks quickly, so you only need to dip it for about a minute before eating.

The ratio of fat to lean meat was just right, and with the pork's flavor combined with a beef-like tenderness, it turned into the most delicious meat ever... After eating only somewhat loosely tender beef for a while, having pork instead had a great texture and paired well with the vegetables too — actually pretty great, huh?!

Added panda danmyeonja and kirimochi

Such an adorable panda-shaped danmyeonja (glass noodles) ㅠㅠㅠ I'm sorry but it was also tasty so I added it... haha

The mushrooms and kirimochi rice cake soaked up the shabu-shabu broth too, and it was genuinely delicious.

While adding bean sprouts and napa cabbage, we also added the panda danmyeonja and kirimochi haha

Also tried adding beef chuck flap tail

And curious about the beef too, we added chuck flap tail, and the marbling was pure art!

It was more tender than the beef I usually have in shabu-shabu, which made me think they're really using good quality meat. Pork and beef taste completely different, and both were delicious, so I recommend enjoying both like we did...

Finished with vegetable porridge, dessert was omija tea

To finish, the staff made us porridge, and it was coming together with such dazzling hand movements!

We kept saying this vegetable porridge is really the kicker of this place... and that we wish Bonjuk sold this...

The porridge was so well-seasoned with a kind of insane depth of flavor that it was delicious enough to be a shame that it disappeared even though we were already full.

They even gave us omija tea for the final dessert, so we wrapped up the meal feeling clean and refreshed :) If you're looking for a delicious, healthy lunch spot on Yongni-dan-gil, or planning a gathering, meeting, or a lunch date, I highly recommend Shabu in Seoul Yongsan Main Branch!