Couple's 16,900-won shabu buffet, Dongtan Station: Pyeonbaek Hoegwan

Grand Via Star's Dongtan restaurant pick: Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch

Whenever my husband and I are craving shabu-shabu, Pyeonbaek Hoegwan is the place we go. It's great because you can enjoy hinoki-steamed pork, shabu-shabu, kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), and porridge all in one sitting, and it's close to Dongtan Station, so it's a convenient restaurant to reach near the station.

Parking is easy, the space is spacious and clean, and true to a Dongtan all-you-can-eat restaurant, you can eat as much hinoki-steamed pork, beef, and shabu-shabu as you like. Let me introduce Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch, our go-to whenever we're looking for a Grand Via Star restaurant in Dongtan!

Where is Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch, and where do you park?

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch is on the 2nd floor of Grand Via Star, close to Dongtan Station, Lotte Department Store, the lake park, and Traders, so it was easy to find. After parking in the underground lot, mentioning it at checkout gets you free parking support, which made it a convenient Grand Via Star restaurant to access.

Inside Pyeonbaek Hoegwan: playroom and group tables

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch is spacious and tidy, giving off a relaxed vibe. The tables are generously spaced, and there's a playroom, making it a good Dongtan restaurant with a kids' playroom for family outings, and the group seating makes it good for gatherings and work dinners too.

Apparently Pyeonbaek Hoegwan has racked up 6 million views on Instagram videos and has been featured multiple times on well-known influencer channels.

What's on the all-you-can-eat self bar?

The self-bar at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch had dishes both adults and kids would love — spaghetti, fried rice, French fries, mukguksu (buckwheat jelly noodles), and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes). The salad and vegetables were fresh, and apparently only fresh vegetables are prepared daily.

The vegetables for shabu-shabu and for spring rolls were separated, which made it easy to grab what you wanted. Egg porridge ingredients, kalguksu, hand-pulled dough soup, dumplings, and rice cakes were all prepared in variety, and you could freely grab more broth or rice paper whenever you needed — a Dongtan shabu-shabu specialist with zero hassle.

Prices and what the Pyeonbaek Hoegwan course includes

The main menu at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch is all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu and hinoki steam. You can choose your broth to taste, and enjoy hinoki steam, shabu-shabu, spring rolls, kalguksu, porridge, and the salad bar all unlimited.

Weekday lunch (11am–3pm) is 16,900 won, dinner and weekends are 19,900 won, toddlers (ages 4–7) are 7,900 won, and kids are 12,900 won — a filling setup for a day you're hunting for all-you-can-eat in Dongtan.

How did the cypress-steamed pork and rice-paper wraps taste?

First, the hinoki-steamed pork is apparently made using a traditional method with 12 kinds of medicinal herbs — when we opened the lid, a subtle, pleasant aroma spread out. The meat had no gamey smell at all, was moist and tender, chewed easily, and had a light flavor that kept us reaching for more.

Wrapping it in crisp vegetables and rice paper from the self-bar to make spring rolls was a really good combination. The tender hinoki-steamed pork paired with crunchy vegetables gave it a richer texture too. We refilled the hinoki steam as much as we wanted, then swapped pots to move on to shabu-shabu.

The three basic sauces provided — sweet chili, peanut, and ponzu — all went well with the hinoki steam, shabu-shabu, and spring rolls alike.

Shabu-shabu with half katsuo, half spicy mushroom broth

Next we moved on to shabu-shabu. We chose a half-and-half broth of katsuo and spicy mushroom — the katsuo was light and clean, while the spicy mushroom broth had a mild, pleasant kick, so you could pick and choose to your taste. We grabbed as much vegetables and meat as we wanted, making this a Dongtan shabu-shabu spot where you can really eat freely.

There were two kinds of beef — sirloin and beef belly. The sirloin was nutty and light, while the beef belly was soft and moist, just right for shabu-shabu.

The combination of broth, vegetables, and meat was excellent, so if you're looking for shabu-shabu in Dongtan, you can have fun mixing and matching broths and ingredients to your taste.

After finishing the shabu-shabu, we wrapped up with egg porridge — rice with roasted seaweed flakes, sesame oil, and egg stirred in — which was nutty and light. Being able to eat heartily right to the end made this a Grand Via Star restaurant in Dongtan we really enjoyed.

Final verdict on Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch has fresh vegetables and meat, a tidy self-bar, plenty of space, and easy parking, making it a great fit for a Dongtan Cheonggye-dong restaurant too. The playroom makes it easy to visit with kids as a Dongtan restaurant with a kids' playroom, and the generous space also works well as a gathering spot.

The course of enjoying hinoki-steamed pork first, then moving through shabu-shabu, kalguksu, and finishing with egg porridge is satisfying, making it a great choice whenever you're hunting for all-you-can-eat in Dongtan or a restaurant near Dongtan Station. If you want to enjoy delicious hinoki steam and shabu-shabu in one visit, I'd recommend Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch.