Dongtan kalguksu with fish ball and bean noodle add-ons: Deungchon

A new Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu opened near our house!

Deungchon is famous enough that you've probably heard of it, and every time we passed by there were so many people that we kept saying "we have to try this place!" So we finally went on a weekday evening with my husband and our kid. Honestly it's right by our house so we went without high expectations, just thinking we'd grab a simple dinner... but once we ate, I understood exactly why it's so popular haha. Our kid ate so well, and my husband and I were much more satisfied than we expected — this is definitely going to become one of our regular spots.

Parking and opening hours at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch offers free parking for up to 3 hours. We live right nearby so we walked, but anyone driving in shouldn't need to worry.

If you give them your license plate number, they'll register you for free parking, and after 3 hours there's an additional ₩3,000 charge per 30 minutes. Eating out with a kid always takes longer and parking time can be stressful, but 3 hours gives you plenty of room to eat comfortably.

Hours are 11:00–21:00, with a break time from 15:00–17:00.

We visited at 6pm on a weekday and the place was packed. It wasn't even the weekend and it was already this busy...? That's got to mean it's a real local favorite, right? Haha. The space was also bigger and cleaner than I expected, and the tables were spaced out enough that it wasn't cramped at all, which made it comfortable to visit with a kid.

What comes with the perilla mushroom kalguksu for two, plus the add-on toppings

At Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch we ordered the perilla mushroom kalguksu (kalguksu = hand-cut noodle soup) for two. When you think of Deungchon, the red spicy mushroom kalguksu comes to mind first. I actually usually prefer spicy food, but that day I chose perilla so my kid could eat with us.

There's a good variety of add-on toppings, and you can choose your broth from spicy, perilla, or clear. Next time I want to come back with just my husband and try the spicy egg-roe kalguksu too :)

• Set for two (180g shabu beef + minari, bean sprouts) — ₩30,000
• Square fish balls (6pc) — ₩3,000
• Self-serve dumplings — ₩3,000
• Flower bean noodles (5pc) — ₩2,000

My daughter really loves fish balls haha, so we added fish balls, bean noodles, and dumplings on top of everything. But when the food came out, I was a little taken aback. This is really for two people...?

The base portion is already generous, and once you add extra toppings, the pot ends up completely full. There was a heap of minari and bean sprouts, plus fish balls and dumplings, so it looked incredibly hearty just to look at. At first we wondered "can we really finish all this?" but spoiler — we finished it all haha (needless worry).

How does the perilla broth taste?

The perilla broth at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu was way better than I expected. I was a little worried when ordering perilla — thinking, won't it just be nutty and get boring fast? But it was so much better than the perilla kalguksu I imagined!! The distinctive nuttiness of perilla was rich but never heavy or greasy, and it paired really well with all the shabu-shabu ingredients.

The bean sprouts and minari, cooked down well and eaten together with the beef, were especially delicious. We chose perilla for our kid's sake, but honestly I think I ended up eating even more haha. Our kid loved the noodles and had fun picking out fish balls and dumplings, so she ate way more than usual.

Top up the broth as you go

Since the broth keeps simmering the whole time, it naturally reduces as you eat. We noticed the broth getting stronger and a bit salty partway through, but when we mentioned it, they added more broth for us. After the refill and a fresh simmer, it went back to that same nutty flavor from the start — really nice touch.

The kimchi at Deungchon is worth a second helping

Kimchi (fermented cabbage) is a surprisingly important detail at any kalguksu restaurant. At Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch, a sign notes that they use only domestic cabbage and domestic chili powder, freshly made in-house every day.

Once I tasted it, I understood why they made a point of writing that. The kimchi wasn't overly fermented — it still had a crisp, crunchy texture, while the seasoning was fully soaked in for real flavor.

Since the perilla broth is so nutty, taking a spicy bite of kimchi in between resets your palate completely. One bite of kalguksu, one bite of kimchi... that combo kept me going back for more haha.

Finishing the meal with fried rice

After the shabu-shabu and kalguksu, you'd think we'd already be full — but you can't come to Deungchon and skip the fried rice, right?

They stir-fry rice topped with egg and minari right in the leftover broth, and it's a real treat. At other branches I think you make porridge yourself, but here they made the fried rice for us directly!

As you can see from the photo... we basically scraped the pot clean haha. Yes, we're the same people who said "that's way too much" when we first saw the portion for two haha. Shabu beef, then vegetables and mushrooms, then fish balls and dumplings, then kalguksu, and finally fried rice... Deungchon is definitely a place you should go on an empty stomach haha.

Is Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu in Dongtan good with a child?

If you have a kid who can't handle spicy food yet like ours, ordering perilla broth so everyone can eat together, and adding toppings your kid likes such as fish balls, dumplings, or bean noodles, works out really well. Even the portion for two was already generous, so it was plenty filling for a family of three like ours with one child. If you're looking for a warm, hearty meal with your kid in Dongtan, I'd recommend Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch!!

• Perilla broth is great for eating with kids
• Even the portion for two is really generous
• You can add toppings like fish balls, bean noodles, dumplings
• More broth available if it runs low
• Crisp, freshly made daily kimchi
• The final fried rice is a must...🤍
• Free parking for up to 3 hours