Saturday opening-run shabu-shabu with yakisoba finale in Hapjeong

Hi, it's Jjaknyang, currently on a diet plan. In Hapjeong there's always the question of where to go for a family meal or a date. This time I went to Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch, a Hapjeong shabu-shabu place that's easy to reach from the station and even has parking.

I went for the Saturday morning opening run and got seated right away with no wait, but by around noon the place filled up and people started waiting. Let me walk you through what I actually ate — the prime Angus chuck flat, sukiyaki broth, and the yakisoba finish.

Getting there from Hapjeong Station and parking

• 📍 Location: B2, Delight Square 1, 14 World Cup-ro 1-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• ⏰ Hours: 11:00–22:00 / weekday break time 15:00–17:00 / lunch last order 14:30, dinner last order 21:00 / no break time on Sat–Sun
• 🚗 Parking: Delight Square 1 lot, up to 3 hours free depending on how long you dine

If you're looking for Hapjeong shabu-shabu with both transit and parking in mind, the location is pretty convenient. The building connects directly to the Hapjeong Station underground level, so you don't have to walk outside for long. It's right across from Mecenatpolis — head toward Exit 8 of Hapjeong Station. Without going outside, follow the passage toward Kyobo Book Centre and come down to B2, and it's easy to find. It's across from Kyobo Book Centre, two doors down from the VIPS restaurant.

If you're driving, use the Delight Square 1 parking lot. The 2nd lot is noted as having trouble verifying vehicle info, so it's better to head straight for lot 1. Parking is free for up to 3 hours, which took the time pressure off during the meal.

What time does the weekend wait start?

I visited on a Saturday, right at the 11am opening. At that hour there was no wait at all, and I sat down immediately. But by around noon, the restaurant was noticeably busier, with people waiting outside. If you want to avoid weekend waits, going right at opening time looks like a good move.

Atmosphere, seating, and rooms

Walking in, the overall vibe is clean and tidy. Shabu-shabu means a lot goes on the table — pot, vegetables, meat — but the tables themselves are wide, so things didn't feel cramped.

Low partitions between seats naturally separate you from the next table. It's not a fully enclosed space, but it felt comfortably private for a two-person conversation over dinner. When I visited, I saw couples on dates as well as families out for a meal.

There were also groups visiting for weekend gatherings. Further inside, there are rooms and group seating for larger parties — rooms fit 6 to 10 people, and group seating fits 5 to 8. Among Hapjeong shabu-shabu spots, this one seems to work well for everything from a couple's date to a family meal to a group gathering.

There were drinks set out in front for waiting customers. I didn't need them during my opening run, but seeing people wait after noon, it's clear weekends get busy.

Menu and what we ordered

At Shabu in Seoul, you choose your meat type and broth to your taste. Options include hanwoo (Korean beef), prime Angus, wagyu, and black pork. What I ordered was the prime Angus chuck flat shabu set.

• 💵 Prime Angus chuck flat shabu set: ₩25,000 per person, ordered for two
• Broth: sukiyaki, finished with yakisoba (stir-fried noodles)

The finishing dish changes with your broth

A distinctive thing about Shabu in Seoul is that the final dish depends on which broth you pick. Clear mushroom broth ends in egg porridge, spicy mushroom broth in rose risotto, blue crab doenjang (soybean paste) broth in doenjang rice rolls, sukiyaki in yakisoba, and beef tomato broth in tomato risotto. So it's worth choosing your broth with an eye on what you want to eat at the end, not just the broth flavor itself.

If you can't decide on one broth, you can add ₩6,000 to get two broths — in that case, the finishing dish becomes kalguksu (noodle soup).

Basic vegetables and meat come out together, along with three sauces to go with the meat.

Soy-based, chili, and sesame sauces let you switch things up as you like, which was nice for varying the flavor. Side dishes and extra meat can also be ordered separately.

How was the prime Angus chuck flat with sukiyaki?

The Hapjeong shabu-shabu combo I ate was prime Angus chuck flat with sukiyaki broth. Cooking the meat in sukiyaki broth gave it a distinctly different feel from a typical clear-broth shabu-shabu.

Prime Angus chuck flat was great for cooking shabu-shabu style — not tough, just tender. Eating it with vegetables and rotating through the three sauces kept it interesting all the way to the end without getting boring.

Personally, what stuck with me most from this meal was the sukiyaki broth. If you usually go for clear or spicy broths, it's worth trying this different combination. And one of the reasons I picked sukiyaki broth was actually the finishing dish.

Finishing with yakisoba

Choosing sukiyaki means you get yakisoba at the end. Usually shabu-shabu finishes with kalguksu or porridge, so moving into yakisoba felt like a fun twist.

Following the broth left over from the shabu-shabu with a noodle dish gave the meal a course-like feel. If you think ahead to the finishing dish when picking your broth, the meal gets even more fun.

After finishing the shabu-shabu, omija tea (five-flavor berry tea) is also served. It was a nice light palate cleanser after the meat and yakisoba. The staff kept things moving quickly with serving and clearing the table, which made the meal comfortable. Being right by Hapjeong Station and getting up to 3 hours of parking support made it good for a family meal by car too.

Wrap-up

At 11am on Saturday I ate at a relaxed pace with no wait, but by around noon the crowd picked up fast. If I'm visiting on a weekend again, I'll probably head there a bit early, right at opening time.

Having the prime Angus chuck flat for two along with sukiyaki and yakisoba, I found there's real fun in choosing the broth and the finishing dish. If you're looking for a Hapjeong shabu-shabu place that works well for dates, family meals, and group gatherings alike, Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch is worth considering.