11,000-won dinner shabu-kalguksu in Gogidong, Yongin: Yun Ujae

There are days when I'm deciding what to eat for dinner and suddenly warm shabu-shabu is all I can think about. On those days, the place I head to is Yun Ujae Gosiri Shabu Kalguksu.

This is the spot that comes to mind whenever I want shabu-shabu, so once again I went there for dinner.

It's not a place I visited once and moved on from — it suits my taste so well that I naturally keep coming back.

Inside the Yun Ujae Gogi-dong branch: what the dining room feels like

Walking into Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu Gogidong Branch, the first thing you notice is the overall clean yet comfortable atmosphere. White-toned walls paired with wood tables and chairs add warmth, and the soft lighting made it a place I could dine at without any pressure.

The tables are spaced comfortably apart, so it doesn't feel like you're crammed next to the next table — nice for talking comfortably over a meal with family or friends.

Shabu-shabu especially is a dish you eat slowly while it bubbles away on the table, so this relaxed atmosphere suits it well.

Overall it's less about flashy decor and more clean, practical, and warm — a good spot whether you're eating solo, out with family, or with friends.

This is a place I often visit when I'm craving shabu-shabu, and I like not just the food but the comfortable dining atmosphere too.

What we ordered at Yun Ujae and what it cost

Red shabu-kalguksu, mild spice, ₩11,000, with a sirloin add-on.

🍲 The red shabu-kalguksu pot at Yun Ujae looks filling from the start

Once the food came out, generously piled vegetables and mushrooms, plus sirloin for the shabu-shabu, were laid out at a glance.

I especially like loading in plenty of vegetables when I eat shabu-shabu — as it starts bubbling, the vegetable flavors naturally blend into the broth and it gets deeper and deeper.

This time I added sirloin too, so I got to enjoy plenty of meat. The thinly sliced sirloin, lightly cooked in the hot broth, was tender and juicy — great eaten together with the vegetables.

Despite being red broth, it wasn't overly harsh — more of a spicy warmth that filled you up, which made it fit well as a dinner menu.

🥬 Eating the vegetables and sirloin together

The appeal of shabu-shabu is definitely the fun of adding ingredients as you go. Drop vegetables into the boiling broth, lightly cook a piece of sirloin at a time, and before you know it the pot empties out little by little.

Eating it with fresh vegetables rather than just meat makes it much lighter, and thanks to the flavor seeping out of the vegetables, the broth gets tastier than it was at the start.

So as you eat shabu-shabu you keep thinking "should I have a little more meat?" "should I add a bit more vegetables?" and your chopsticks just keep going. 😊

🍜 After the shabu-shabu, the kalguksu noodles go in

And one thing you can't skip at Yun Ujae Gosiri Shabu Kalguksu is the kalguksu.

After eating a good amount of meat and vegetables, the broth in the pot is fully infused with the flavor released from the ingredients. Adding kalguksu noodles and cooking them brings out a depth totally different from the broth at the start.

As you can see in the photo, plenty of noodles go in, so I could eat heartily right to the end. The chewy yet soft noodles soaked up the spicy broth so well that even as I got full, I couldn't put my chopsticks down.

Starting with shabu-shabu and finishing with kalguksu leaves you with the satisfaction of a properly complete meal.

🍚 Finishing the pot with fried rice

After the shabu-shabu and kalguksu, I wrapped up the meal by using the leftover broth and ingredients for fried rice.

For some reason the fried rice at the end of shabu-shabu always tastes extra good. Even after eating plenty of meat and vegetables and feeling completely full, seeing the nuttily fried rice got my spoon moving again.

The fried rice, mixed with gim-garu (seasoned seaweed flakes) and vegetables, wasn't overly seasoned but had a nutty, savory depth — I enjoyed it right down to the last spoonful.

💛 Final verdict on Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu

Yun Ujae Gosiri Shabu Kalguksu is a go-to spot that easily comes to mind whenever I'm craving shabu-shabu.

This time too, ordering the red shabu-kalguksu in mild spice with an added sirloin, eating plenty of meat and vegetables, then working through the kalguksu and fried rice in turn made for a truly hearty dinner.

Shabu-shabu in particular isn't a dish with one flavor from start to finish — the taste shifts a little each time: when you add the meat, when the vegetables are cooked, when the kalguksu goes in, and when you finish with fried rice. That gradual change is part of the fun.

Maybe that's why, once I've had it, it keeps coming to mind — and on chilly days or days when I crave something warm and spicy, this place naturally comes to mind.

Above all, I like that for a not-too-heavy ₩11,000, you get to enjoy shabu-shabu, kalguksu, and fried rice all in one hearty meal.

And if you feel like the meat portion is a bit lacking, adding sirloin like I did makes it even more filling.

A good place to visit when you want to eat meat and vegetables together, when you're craving a hot broth, and when you need a menu that'll keep you full to the very last bite!

I had another great meal here, and I have a feeling Yun Ujae Gosiri Shabu Kalguksu will come to mind again the next time I'm craving shabu-shabu. 🥰