Shabu-shabu restaurant in Bokhyeon-dong, Daegu with affogato: Shabu20

Honestly, I'd been here once before on my own dime. My mom loved it so much I think we'll be coming back a lot 🤍

The hardest part of picking a lunch spot with mom is always the menu — meat feels heavy, a bowl of noodles feels too light. Shabu-shabu ends up being the answer every time. So on a weekday afternoon I took my mom to Shabu20 Daegu Bokhyeon branch in Bokhyeon-dong, Buk-gu, Daegu.

If you search for shabu-shabu in Bokhyeon-dong, this place comes right up — a lot of people also know it as a go-to spot near Kyungpook National University's north gate.

Shabu20 Daegu Bokhyeon branch hours and parking

It's on the main road along Gonghang-ro in Buk-gu, Daegu. Open daily from 11am to 10pm, last order at 8:50pm. There's free parking in front for over 30 cars, and valet on weekends and holidays. Group seating runs from 6 to 100 people. (As of September)

Finding Shabu20 on Gonghang-ro, the main road

It's right on the main Gonghang-ro street.

The building is big so you spot it right away when passing by. A lot of people apparently come here while looking for good food near Daegu Airport, and it also shows up if you search for restaurants near Isiapolis in Daegu. Parking is right in front — with over 30 spots, I never worried about finding one. They do valet on weekends and holidays too.

Which broths can you choose at Shabu20?

Once you sit down, the first thing you do is pick your broth.

You choose from two options: original or special. The types and prices are all on the photo here. We went with the weekday lunch course — meat and the salad bar are both unlimited. Here's how the table is set up.

Each seat has a rice paper bowl and tongs, with an induction burner set into the middle of the table. The pot is split down the middle, so you can enjoy two broths at once 🤍 We picked bonito flake and spicy.

The self-bar with its own cooked meal dishes

This was the corner that surprised me the most.

I thought this was just a shabu-shabu place, but a whole section is dedicated to full meal dishes. Pasta, pad thai, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), fried rice, even fried chicken keep getting refilled. They restocked things as soon as they emptied out. Among all the shabu-shabu buffets I've tried in Daegu, this is the first time I've seen a lineup this good.

Salad bar and the fresh vegetable garden corner

The salad bar is over here. There's a yellow sign hanging from the ceiling so you spot it right away. It was a weekday afternoon and there were so many moms around — and when there are lots of moms, that usually means the ingredients are good.

There's a whole spread of seasoned side dishes and salads, plus noodles, fruit, and eggs. Of all the shabu-shabu places in Daegu with a salad bar, this one might be the biggest I've seen.

The vegetable garden corner sits right next to the fresh spring roll station. The rice paper and fillings are placed together, so this would work great if you're ever craving Vietnamese spring rolls in Daegu. Everything was kept on ice, so it stayed crisp until the end. The bean sprouts and cabbage kept getting restocked. There's also a dedicated water heater for soaking the rice paper — the water is set to 75°C.

And apparently draft beer is included in the price?! Whoa.

You just press a button and it pours itself. Instructions are posted right above the machine.

Picking up beef and pork at the meat counter

You get the meat from here.

There's a separate corner called the butcher's corner. Both beef and pork are unlimited. A big sign showing the country of origin is posted right in front. It's already set out on trays, so you just carry it back to your table.

A spacious hall set up for family meals

The dining hall is this big.

The interior is genuinely spacious and clean. The tables are spaced apart so it never feels cramped. Group seating runs from 6 to 100 people. There aren't many restaurants in Buk-gu, Daegu with a hall this big. They've also thought of this:

There's a coat rack and a high chair off to one side. I saw a few people there with babies too.

There's also a separate sauce corner — sesame sauce, soy sauce, and a spicy chili sauce, along with ginger, garlic, and green onion. A sign tells you which meat pairs with which sauce and broth, so even first-timers won't be confused.

The plates of meat and vegetables we carried back

We grabbed the meat first.

We brought back three plates, and the color was a vivid red. It's noted that each is sliced fresh right before serving. It's thin, so it cooks fast in the broth.

We also grabbed a bit of fried chicken, pad thai, and tteokbokki, plus a whole separate plate piled with vegetables. All the vegetables were so fresh it was fun just filling the plate.

Cooking shabu-shabu in the spicy broth

Time to cook.

We started with bean sprouts and cabbage in the spicy side. The broth wasn't too salty, so I kept spooning it up. The meat cooks perfectly with just one swish. My mom kept saying how good the broth was.

Coffee and ice cream: affogato to finish

After eating, we had coffee too.

There's a separate coffee machine — americano, latte, even hot chocolate at the push of a button. There's ice cream too. The soft-serve machine even has four kinds of toppings.

Pour espresso over it and it becomes an affogato. This was my mom's favorite part of the whole meal, haha.

Why Shabu20 is worth another lunch with mom

This is exactly the kind of place to bring your mom. There are plenty of shabu-shabu spots in Daegu, but few keep the vegetables and meal menu this fresh. Everything got restocked the moment it ran low, so there was never any awkward waiting.

The interior is spacious and clean, so it never feels like a hassle bringing older family members along. On weekday afternoons there are tons of mom customers. There aren't many all-you-can-eat places in Daegu on this scale. Parking right in front made it easy too. For shabu-shabu in Buk-gu, Daegu, this is my number one pick. Next time I want to try the hot pot broth. My mom already wants to go back, so I think we'll be there again soon.

Prices and business hours may change, so please check before visiting.