Spicy mushroom kalguksu for two, finished with fried rice: Deungchon

Yay~ everyone, I'm bringing you a review of Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu, one of my true favorite restaurants! It's a shabu-shabu place I've loved since my hometown Daegu days, and this time I went to the Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch near my current place ♡ Here's my review of this Dongtan shabu-shabu favorite :)

Location and parking at Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch

It's located inside the Gran Passage building, on the 2nd floor of the Green Zone (CGV building). You can use the basement parking in the building, free for up to 3 hours, so keep that in mind! The interior was spacious and clean with a lot of tables, so it looked great for family gatherings too haha.

What we ordered — spicy mushroom kalguksu for two + shabu beef 190g

The menu is broadly divided into spicy mushroom kalguksu, clear mushroom kalguksu, and perilla mushroom kalguksu. Spicy mushroom kalguksu is my absolute favorite, so I ordered spicy mushroom kalguksu for two + shabu beef (190g).

When you order the kalguksu, they prepare it as a course all the way through to the noodles and then fried rice haha, that's the Deungchon signature move! They also piled on plenty of minari (water dropwort).

When to add the beef

After a short wait it started boiling vigorously. Once you've waited a bit and the minari has softened slightly, they add in the shabu beef!

The beef goes into the bubbling shabu broth. Just looking at the photo is making me hungry again...haha. The meat cooks fast in boiling water, and gets tough if overcooked, so eat it as soon as the pink disappears~~

Once I took a spoonful of the well-cooked shabu kalguksu broth, I immediately wanted a shot of soju~ haha. It's amazing as a meal, but also filling enough to work as a drinking snack — I loved that so much!

Beef wrapped with minari, dipped in soy sauce

Wrapping the lightly blanched beef with fragrant minari and dipping it lightly in soy sauce combined the meat's savoriness, the minari's fragrance, and the spicy broth flavor all soaked in — truly the best combination ㅠㅠ Delicious every single time... ♡ Oh, and even though it's called spicy kalguksu, for my spice-wimp palate it's pleasantly spicy, not actually hot~~

The fluffy potatoes inside the shabu kalguksu and the dumplings served alongside the noodles were so delicious to me..!!! All the extra additions they give you are winners, so next time I should try adding glass noodles or fish balls too ><

When to add the fresh noodles

After picking out most of the solid ingredients, you add in the main event of shabu kalguksu — the noodles~ Since they're fresh, uncooked noodles, they need to be cooked thoroughly to be fully done!

Once the noodles went in, the broth turned thick and had a completely different flavor. Even though I was already full, taking one bite of the perfectly cooked noodles brought my appetite right back..haha. I guess flour and carbs really are the way to finish a meal ^__^

Best fried rice among all the branches

After eating a good amount of the noodles, if you ask the owner to make fried rice, they'll take the remaining broth and ingredients into a new bowl, head to the kitchen, and bring back a deliciously fried rice. Can you see how fluffy the fried rice is?? It tasted like the savory egg fried rice you get at a Chinese restaurant, fully fried in oil..! There were some nicely crisped-up bits too, adding an even more savory, delicious texture ㅜㅜ The owner is seriously so good at making fried rice.. I've been to several branches, but the fried rice here is number one..♡

To sum up

Truly shabu-shabu + kalguksu + fried rice all in one — we only ordered two mushroom kalguksu but it felt like we'd had a full course meal. It was filling, packed with vegetables, and such a satisfying, healthy meal that I felt super happy haha. This is probably why I keep coming back to Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu! Delivery and takeout are both available, and if you take out the mushroom kalguksu, the shabu beef is ₩7,000, so keep that in mind ><

If any of you haven't tried my go-to favorite, Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu, yet... and you're reading this post, definitely go have a meal there! haha This Dongtan shabu-shabu favorite, Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Gran Passage Branch, gives you great value and a delicious meal you'll be truly satisfied with ♡