Seongsu shabu-shabu dinner with egg porridge: Shabu in Seoul

Whenever I’m looking for dinner in Seongsu, there are so many good places that I never know where to go!! After a picnic at Seoul Forest that day, we wanted a warm, filling dinner, so we went to Shabu in Seoul Seongsu right in front of Seongsu Station. I already love shabu-shabu, and I was curious because this is a premium shabu dining spot with a slightly different atmosphere from the usual all-you-can-eat places. There were so many meat options too, from 1++ Korean beef boseopsal to Prime Angus salchisal, so meat lovers can pick according to their taste.

We thoroughly enjoyed clear mushroom broth and egg porridge that day.

Finding Shabu in Seoul Seongsu from Seongsu Station

Shabu in Seoul Seongsu is located roughly between exits 3 and 4 of Seongsu Station. It takes about a minute from either exit, so it was really convenient by public transport. It was also nicely positioned for dinner after meeting in Seongsu and looking around Seoul Forest or Seongsu’s café streets. If you drive, you can use the building’s underground parking, with one hour of free parking support available.

Reservations and group visits are possible, and corkage is free, so it seemed suitable not only for dates but also gatherings or team dinners. If you note a birthday or wedding-invitation gathering when booking, they provide seaweed soup and a banner for birthdays, or champagne for wedding-invitation gatherings.

Moss-filled décor and private-room atmosphere

The softly lit exterior already suited Seongsu’s atmospheric vibe. Inside, it felt modern and natural at once. One wall in particular used moss and stones as plant décor, making it feel a little different from an ordinary shabu-shabu restaurant.

There was a nice variety of seating too! There were tables for four, larger tables, and private rooms, so it seemed great for family meals and gatherings as well as a quiet date. We came with a reservation, and the neatly set table made a lovely first impression.

Clear mushroom broth and five finishing dishes

One unique thing about Shabu in Seoul is its five signature broths: clear mushroom, spicy mushroom, crab doenjang (fermented soybean paste), sukiyaki, and beef tomato. Each broth comes with a different final dish too.

• Clear mushroom → egg porridge
• Spicy mushroom → rosé risotto
• Crab doenjang → doenjang rice roll
• Sukiyaki → yakisoba
• Beef tomato → tomato risotto

Rather than choosing only by broth flavor, it’s worth thinking about which final dish you want too. After debating, we chose the most classic clear mushroom broth. They say it is simmered for a long time with several mushrooms, including Korean shiitake, button mushrooms, and bunashimeji, and I could taste that subtle mushroom umami from the first sip.

Shabu set menu and prices

• Grade 1 black pork belly shabu set ₩24,000
• Grade 1 black pork shoulder shabu set ₩24,000
• Prime Angus chuck roll shabu set ₩26,000
• Prime Angus salchisal shabu set ₩31,000
• 1++ Korean beef boseopsal shabu set ₩31,000
• Black Nine wagyu ribeye shabu set ₩37,000
• Broth change ₩10,000

Three sauces with extra garlic

There were three sauces: yuzu ponzu, sweet chili, and sesame mayo. I added a little minced garlic to the sweet chili sauce—Koreans and garlic, of course haha. And I added one or two spoonfuls of garlic to the broth too.

Each sauce had a distinct flavor, so it was fun choosing one for different meats and vegetables.

What I especially liked was how cleanly the sauce bottles were maintained. The sauces were set on the table, but they said the bottles are changed between customers, so I could really feel the attention to hygiene!!

How to enjoy shabu-shabu deliciously

There was a guidebook on the table with instructions on how to use and enjoy everything, so I read it closely! Add mushrooms, vegetables, and one spoonful of minced garlic to the broth; once it boils, taste the prepared broth first, then add the meat and vegetables. It also explained how to lower the broth temperature to level 4 before adding meat. It recommends adding Cheongyang chili peppers and minced garlic to the chili sauce, yuzu soy sauce, and sesame dressing, and says a little shabu meat steam can make the meat-and-vegetable sauce even better. Cook the rice paper in boiling broth, then wrap it with meat, vegetables, and sauce like Vietnamese fresh rolls.

The side dish was yuzu young-radish pickle, and it went ridiculously well with Seongsu shabu-shabu!!~!!

Korean beef boseopsal and the salchisal we had to add

The meat was what I looked forward to most in the shabu set. We first ordered one serving each of 1++ Korean beef boseopsal and Prime Angus salchisal. But the salchisal was so delicious that we eventually added another serving. Hehe, ordering extra salchisal at the end was a very good decision haha.

The shabu vegetables served with the meat were quite varied too. There was napa cabbage, bok choy, minari (water celery), green onion, bean sprouts, kabocha squash, and four kinds of mushrooms; underneath were glass noodles, bunmoja starch cakes, and rice paper. As someone who loves mushrooms, I liked being able to choose oyster, enoki, king oyster, and shiitake mushrooms.

As the broth began to boil, we added the vegetables and mushrooms one by one, and the pot gradually became so colorful it looked insanely delicious..♥️

First, the 1++ Korean beef boseopsal was a cut with a rich beefy aroma and flavor, fitting for top-grade 1++ Korean beef. Shabu-shabu meat can turn tough if cooked too long, so it was best to dip it in the boiling broth, cook it just briefly, and eat it. When I dropped in a slice, it cooked and changed color in no time; lifting it out right then gave it such a tender, soft texture. With the clear mushroom broth, the meat’s own flavor stayed clean and present instead of being covered up. I personally really loved it with minari too.

And the surprising(?) absolutely delicious top pick of the day!! It was the Prime Angus salchisal. They use Prime-grade Angus, in the top 8%, and salchisal’s signature soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture was justㅠㅠ the best. Lightly cooking the thin slices in hot broth made them seem to gently melt away in my mouth. We initially ordered only one serving, but it felt like a shame to stop, so we added another!! I don’t usually add extra meat for shabu-shabu, but I kept reaching for the salchisal that day haha.

The Korean beef boseopsal had a rich beefy aroma and clean taste, while the salchisal was softer and nuttier, so alternating between them was fun for tasting their differences.

I’m someone who likes bunmoja starch cakes, but they can be hard to eat when they’re long, right? The bunmoja here was cut into bite-size pieces, making it pleasantly chewy and easy to eat. I also recommend wrapping cooked meat and vegetables in rice paper like Vietnamese fresh rolls!

Whole-pepper egg porridge and omija tea to finish

Once we had eaten a fair amount of shabu-shabu, it was finally time for the long-awaited final dish! The finish for the clear mushroom broth we chose was egg porridge. When you ask, a staff member comes over and makes it for you, grinding in whole pepper and adding seaweed flakes and sesame oil at the end.

Since it was made on the spot, we could eat it right away while piping hot. We were already pretty full after plenty of meat and vegetables, but the nutty egg porridge still kept going down.

I especially liked the subtle aroma of whole pepper, which gave the nutty flavor a slight spicy edge. The shabu broth itself had mushroom umami, so the flavor naturally carried through into the porridge.

Finally, omija tea (five-flavor berry tea) for dessert cleared the palate nicely. Isn’t that luminous color so pretty~?

There’s apparently an event where you receive matcha ice cream for writing a receipt review, so keep that in mind!

A shabu dining spot for Seongsu dates and gatherings

Shabu in Seoul Seongsu felt a step more refined than typical shabu-shabu, from the meat and broth to the space itself. What I liked most was getting to enjoy excellent meat such as 1++ Korean beef boseopsal as shabu-shabu, and if you love meat like we do, I’d definitely recommend trying the Prime Angus salchisal too. I enjoyed it enough to order more that day haha.

I also liked that there are five broths, so you can try a different combination each time you visit. With private rooms, booths, and atmospheric tables, it seems well suited to Seongsu dates, family gatherings, or business meals. If you want a delicious dinner after a walk or picnic at Seoul Forest, I’d recommend it for the convenient route too!

Next time, I want to try a different broth that I missed this time, along with the Black Nine wagyu!!