Dongtan shabu kalguksu restaurant with no wait: Deungchon Gran Passage

As the weather got chilly, I kept craving something hot and brothy. That's how I found Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu 👀 No wait, seated right away, and a great value full course of shabu-shabu + kalguksu + fried rice 🧡 The fried rice here is seriously so good ♥

Where is Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch, and what are its hours?

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch is located at 9 Dongtan-daero 5-gil, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, 2nd floor, Gran Passage Green Zone, Units 2004–2005, South Korea. It's open daily 11:00–21:00, with break time 15:00–17:00, and last order is 14:00 for lunch / 20:00 for dinner.

• Gyeonggi regional currency accepted
• Tablet ordering

It's right inside the Gran Passage building next to Dongtan Lake Park, so it's perfect for a meal after a walk around the lake. Looking at other reviews, it's known as a go-to spot in 2 Dongtan that's always packed. Being on the 2nd floor also made it easy to find.

If you book through Naver Reservation, you can apply various coupons, so I'd recommend finding one to use +_+ If you take out, the shabu beef is only ₩7,000.

Parking at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu: 3 hours registered in the underground lot

For parking at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch, you can use the building's underground parking lot, and they support 3-hour parking registration~! No need to rush out after your meal. It's on the 2nd floor of the Green Zone, so keep that in mind when parking.

Is there a wait? Seating and atmosphere at the Gran Passage branch

We got seated right away without a reservation. The restaurant is spacious with lots of tables, so even if there's a wait, it seems like it would clear fast. The interior is clean too, so waiting would be comfortable. They also have high chairs for kids, so families with young children should feel welcome.

Menu and what we ordered: spicy broth, minari and bean sprouts

Shabu-shabu without extra meat feels off haha. Adding meat is basically the unwritten rule. Also, you have to pick a broth — spicy, perilla seed, or clear — and looking at the menu board, there were seasonal items like river shrimp and roe kalguksu too. I want to try those next time.

The right order to eat shabu-shabu, kalguksu, then fried rice

• Step 1: Once the pot boils, lower the heat to level 4–5
• Step 2: Blanch vegetables and beef, dip in soy sauce + wasabi
• Step 3: Add the dumplings first while there's plenty of broth
• Step 4: After finishing the ingredients, add the kalguksu noodles and cook
• Step 5: Finish with the fried rice!

Just follow the steps in order and you can't go wrong. Checking the broth level before adding the noodles is the key point.

How the spicy shabu kalguksu tastes, plus three plates of kimchi

The side kimchi is a slightly fresh, un-fermented geotjeori style, loaded with garlic, and it has crazy depth of flavor. I refilled it 3 times haha. It went insanely well with the kalguksu ♥

It came out almost right after ordering, and I was on the verge of starving, so that was a relief.

When ordering, you choose minari only, minari + bean sprouts, or bean sprouts only, and we ordered the minari + bean sprouts half-and-half. There was plenty of minari, and its fragrant aroma soaked right into the broth.

Once it started bubbling, in went the shabu-shabu meat +_+ We ordered spicy, but it wasn't as spicy as I expected, so even people who can't handle spice should be fine with it. The broth was clean and savory, the kind that keeps you reaching for your spoon.

At first the portion seemed small, but once we added the kalguksu noodles and dumplings, it was just the right amount to fill up on. Dipping the blanched meat in soy sauce mixed with a little wasabi was a proper food adventure 👍🏻

By the time we added the noodles, the broth had reduced a bit, but the staff noticed on their own and came around to top it up. I really love this kind of thoughtful detail 🧡

Fried rice stir-fried in the kitchen and brought to the table

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu is famous for its fried rice!!!! It has this crunchy, scorched-rice-like texture. If you ask for it, the staff go into the kitchen and fry it fresh right in front of the process — I'd come back just for this.

Leave a receipt review and they give you a free can of a drink! If you visit, I'd recommend leaving a review and grabbing your drink.

Verdict: worth a meal stop by Dongtan Lake Park

No wait stress, easy parking, and a full course of kalguksu + shabu-shabu + fried rice — I'd highly recommend this as a meal stop when you're near Dongtan Lake Park. If you're looking for shabu-shabu in Dongtan, this is a real recommendation, and I plan to come back again just for the fried rice 👍🏻