Hapjeong shabu-shabu restaurant: two sets and a chili sauce pick

Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch 14 World Cup-ro 1-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul 11:00 – 22:00 Group seating, reservations, Wi-Fi, corkage (paid), high chairs, waiting area, easy payment, parking

Shabu in Seoul, a shabu-shabu spot near Hapjeong Station! Take a look at the intro video first, then let's get into it.

Hi, I'm Chugu, traveling on the run. Hapjeong has so many options when you're deciding what to eat — meat, pasta, Japanese food, you name it. This time I wanted something clean-tasting but still filling, with plenty of vegetables and meat, so I went to Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch.

Shabu-shabu is fun because you drop meat and vegetables into hot broth one at a time, and by the time you've added a bit of everything, it's surprisingly filling — it's one of my favorite dishes for that reason.

Where is Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch? Between Hapjeong Station and Mecenatpolis

Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch is on the basement 2nd floor of Delight Square 1 at 14 World Cup-ro 1-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It's close to Hapjeong Station, so it's easy to get to by public transit, and it's a good option to keep in mind if you're already looking for a place to eat around Mecenatpolis.

Hapjeong gets busy on weekends with people out on dates or shopping, and among the crowd, this is a spot worth checking out if you're looking for a warm, proper meal — a solid pick if you're after shabu-shabu in Hapjeong.

What is the restaurant like inside?

Walking into Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch, the space feels clean and modern overall. It's a bit more polished and upscale than a typical shabu-shabu place, so it seemed fine for dates as well as family meals or dinner with friends.

Menu and prices at Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch

We ordered the black pork belly shabu set and the prime Angus chuck flat shabu set.

Black pork belly shabu set ₩23,000 Prime Angus chuck flat shabu set ₩25,000

The charm of shabu-shabu really starts as the dishes get set on the table one by one. Meat and various vegetables arrived, along with rice paper for wraps, and the table filled up fast.

We added bean sprouts as an extra order.

The black pork belly and prime Angus chuck flat each came out on their own platter.

How to eat the shabu-shabu: vegetables first, then meat

At Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch, once the hot broth starts boiling, you add the vegetables in first. One of the best things about shabu-shabu is getting to eat such a variety of vegetables.

Normally it's not easy to eat this many different vegetables in one sitting, but on shabu-shabu days I naturally end up eating a lot more of them. As the vegetables cook down a bit, the broth naturally picks up a sweetness and savory depth.

Once the broth and vegetables were getting close to done, we added extra garlic and cheongyang chili peppers.

Come on, get tasty! Get tasty!

Once the broth is boiling, in goes the meat we'd been waiting for. The thinly sliced meat doesn't need long — just a quick dip in the broth until it changes color, then pull it right out.

Tender meat, hot broth, and crisp-cooked vegetables together made a great combination.

The best part of shabu-shabu is that you can eat everything in whatever order and doneness you like. Dip the meat lightly in sauce, or eat it together with the vegetables — both are great. It starts out with a clean broth flavor, but as you keep adding meat and vegetables, the broth gets deeper and richer toward the end.

Three sauces at Shabu in Seoul, and why chili sauce wins

There are three sauces on the table at Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch.

It was fun tasting each one.

My personal pick was this chili sauce.

Porridge to finish, omija juice for dessert

Once you finish the meal, they cook up a porridge for you. The porridge menu differs depending on which broth you had, so check ahead before ordering.

That final porridge made it a complete meal.

We finished cleanly with the omija (schisandra berry) juice that came for dessert. Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch stood out not just for the food but for the clean, comfortable interior. It works well for a date in Hapjeong, and the atmosphere is easygoing enough for meeting friends or visiting with parents.

Shabu-shabu itself is a dish that's relatively easy to please everyone with, so it's a good pick when a group is struggling to agree on where to eat. In particular, being able to choose your own meat and vegetables and even make your own rice-paper wraps made it easy to eat slowly while chatting. It could be a solid option for anyone looking for a date restaurant or a family dinner spot in Hapjeong.