Spicy vs. basic shabu-shabu for two, finished with rosé pasta: Shabu

A Jang-an-dong favorite for shabu-shabu, Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch.

Location and hours of Shabu Torang Jang-an Direct Branch

• 146 Janghan-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Open daily 11:00–22:00, last order 21:00

I went with a friend to try shabu-shabu at Shabu Torang, a place that's been getting popular lately for combining shabu-shabu with restaurant-style menu items!

This spot lets you enjoy everything from shabu-shabu to pasta and risotto in one sitting. Kind of a fresh idea~ and I was curious about the taste too. What would it be like?

Solo-friendly seating with one-person induction burners

Walking in, the restaurant was spacious and the seating was neatly arranged. There were solo seats, two-person tables, and four-person tables, so it works whether you're eating alone or coming with friends or family!

Each table had its own one-person induction burner set up so you could enjoy shabu-shabu comfortably! If you're looking for shabu-shabu in Jang-an-dong but want somewhere relaxed rather than crowded, this place is pretty good!

I kept spotting images of Ryu Soo-young, familiar from the show Fun-staurant, around the restaurant. Since I already know him from cooking shows, it built up my anticipation before the meal even started!

Broth prices and the combo we ordered

Ordering is easy with the tablet at each table~ The shabu broth options are ✔️Basic ₩7,900 ✔️Spicy ₩8,700 ✔️Tomato ₩8,900 ✔️Mala ₩8,900 ✔️Sukiyaki ₩8,900, so you pick your preferred broth first.

We ordered one ✔️Spicy shabu and one Basic shabu. Both came with the default meat, beef brisket 90g, and we added ✔️mixed toppings for ₩3,000 each.

We added creamy buldak risotto for ₩3,500 to the spicy shabu, bringing it to ₩15,200 total, and rosé pasta for ₩3,500 to the basic shabu, bringing it to ₩14,400 total. It was fun being able to customize both the toppings and the finishing menu to your taste like this.~

How to eat it and first impressions of the broth

The table also had instructions on how to enjoy each menu item best. For sukiyaki, you cook the meat and vegetables and eat them with the sauce, and for pasta and risotto, you add the ingredients to the leftover broth and cook it. Oh~ pretty clever!

The basic broth base came out clear and clean. I'm more of a basic broth kind of person.

Since my friend ordered spicy shabu, it came with the basic broth plus a spicy sauce added on the side.

Since we ordered different menus, the table filled up quite generously~ Being able to each pick according to our own taste made for a meal that felt satisfying for both of us!

What's in the mixed toppings vegetables

The vegetable spread was generous too. Along with basic vegetables like napa cabbage, bean sprouts, and mushrooms, there was rice cake, fish cake, and meatballs, so it was fun picking through it all. Once the broth started boiling, we put the vegetables in first, then added the meat bit by bit as we ate!

The table also had sauces that go well with shabu-shabu, so you could portion out sauce to your taste and dip the meat or vegetables in it!

Cooking the meat lightly rather than too long, then wrapping it with bean sprouts and napa cabbage, added a nice crunchy texture and tasted great. Dipped into the soy-based sauce, it paired well with the light, clean-tasting meat too!

How does the spicy shabu taste?

My friend's spicy shabu-shabu had a red broth that looked hot and spicy just from looking at it! Cooking the meat with bean sprouts, mushrooms, and napa cabbage together, the spicy broth soaked into the ingredients nicely for a good kick~ I thought it would pair well with peanut sauce for dipping.~ It seemed like it would be great for curing a hangover after drinking!

Rosé pasta and creamy buldak risotto made with leftover broth

The rosé pasta and creamy buldak risotto we ordered as sides came out with the ingredients prepared separately like this. Since you cook them yourself in the leftover broth after finishing the shabu-shabu, they made for a perfect finishing menu.

Just add the rosé pasta ingredients to the basic broth, stir it in well while cooking, and it's done. It was pretty easy to make~

The soft, thick rosé sauce combined with the savory depth of the shabu-shabu broth for a rich, nutty flavor. The sauce soaked into the noodles nicely, and finishing it off left us feeling full and satisfied!

My friend finished off the spicy shabu broth with creamy buldak risotto. Adding cream to the spicy broth softened it a bit, but it was still quite spicy! My friend, who handles spice well, enjoyed it, but for my spice-shy palate, it was definitely still spicy!

Which combo was better

Personally, I preferred the combo I ordered — basic broth with rosé pasta. The soft, nutty, slightly spicy rosé sauce paired well with the basic broth, and I enjoyed it all the way to the end.

A filling meal where you can enjoy everything from shabu-shabu to pasta and risotto in one sitting! If you're looking for a good shabu-shabu spot in Jang-an-dong, try picking a broth and side that match your taste.