Mild-spice shabu-kalguksu with a 9-year-old in Yongin: Yun Ujae

I was looking for somewhere to eat out with my kid around Suji and ended up having shabu-kalguksu. This time it was 'Yun Ujae Gogiri Shabu-kalguksu' — I ordered mild spice, and it was totally fine to share with my elementary-school-age son. We ate from the shabu all the way through to the final noodles, so it felt like a proper full meal! The 48-hour aged, hand-kneaded flat noodles especially stood out because the noodle texture was just different — that's what stuck with me most.

Why my kid and I want to go back to Yun Ujae Gogiri Shabu-kalguksu, a Suji favorite

Where is it in Suji? Location and parking

Located in the heart of Dongcheon-dong, Yun Ujae Gogiri Shabu-kalguksu is a convenient stop when you're looking for somewhere to eat in the area. It was easy enough to find even on my first visit, and access by car was good too. It would be a good spot for a family meal out or when running errands nearby. Worth remembering for whenever a shabu-kalguksu craving hits in Suji.

There's free parking in front of the restaurant and around it, so driving there wasn't a hassle at all. When you're moving around with a kid, parking is usually the first worry, so it was nice to visit without that stress.

Weekend wait and the waiting lounge

Visiting on the weekend, there was more of a wait than I expected. It really showed how much of a Suji favorite this place is at mealtimes. We waited a bit before getting in, so if you're planning a weekend visit, it might be worth avoiding peak meal hours.

There was a menu board out near the entrance, so I could look it over while waiting. That cut down on the time spent deciding what to order once we sat down, which was handy for picking things out ahead of time.

There's a separate customer waiting lounge, which made the wait a bit more comfortable. On days like weekends when there's likely to be a line, it's nice not to have to keep standing outside.

The inside of the restaurant was bigger than I expected too, and being the weekend, it was pretty packed with customers. Even so, the tables didn't feel cramped, and I saw a lot of families dining there, which gave off a real 'good place to eat out in Suji' vibe.

What we ordered and the price

• Shabu-kalguksu, 2 servings (mild spice) — ₩11,500
• 48-hour aged, hand-kneaded flat noodles (add-on) — ₩2,000

The spice level for the shabu-kalguksu is adjustable, and there's a mild option, which made it easy to eat with my elementary-school-age son. When eating out with a kid, you're always looking for something not too spicy, so it was nice that it worked comfortably for the whole family.

There was also a clear guide on how to best enjoy the meal, so even on a first visit, I could figure out right away how to eat it. Just follow the steps in order, and even first-timers to shabu-kalguksu can enjoy it without any trouble.

Noodles made fresh in the in-house noodle room

One of the charms of Yun Ujae Shabu-kalguksu is that they have a noodle room right in the restaurant where the noodles are made fresh. They apparently make everything from the dough to the noodles themselves, and maybe that's why the kalguksu noodles had such a clearly chewy yet soft texture. Beyond the regular kalguksu, the 48-hour aged, hand-kneaded flat noodles also had that distinctive texture, so I got to enjoy the noodles all the way to the end after the shabu-shabu.

The dishes started coming out one by one, and the whole spread looked really appetizing right away. With the shabu-kalguksu ingredients laid out generously and the noodles served alongside, just looking at it made me look forward to a hearty meal. Once everything was set on the table, it looked so good my kid was urging me to hurry up and cook it.

Mild broth and two kinds of kimchi

The longer it simmered, the more the natural sweetness from the vegetables and flavor from the meat came through, and the broth got deeper and richer. Even so, it never got too sharp or heavy, so it was easy to eat cleanly all the way through!

Two kinds of kimchi came out — fresh geotjeori (unfermented kimchi) and fully fermented kimchi. Both were tasty and paired well with the shabu-kalguksu. The crunchy geotjeori had a fresh flavor, while the fermented kimchi had its own deep, savory taste, so it was fun to pick between them depending on the mood. The kimchi was good enough that my chopsticks kept going back for more while eating the kalguksu.

Even though we ordered mild spice, it wasn't sharp at all, just slightly spicy, and my elementary-school-age son ate it up happily. It wasn't too spicy for a kid to eat, but still had enough kick for the adults, making it a solid family meal-out choice.

It made for a satisfying meal, and after eating everything from the shabu-shabu through to the kalguksu, the portion was plenty for me and my kid to share. We ended up comfortably full without feeling heavy.

The taste of the 48-hour aged, hand-kneaded flat noodles

One of the big reasons Yun Ujae Shabu-kalguksu is well known is exactly this: the 48-hour aged, hand-kneaded noodles made in the in-house noodle room. They're kneaded by hand and go through an aging process, and after tasting them myself, I got why they're such a popular signature menu item.

The chewy yet soft texture paired really well with the refreshing broth, and I got a proper sense of the appeal of the flat noodles, which is different from regular kalguksu.

Finishing with fried rice

You can't skip the fried rice! We finished up by enjoying the fried rice, and the stir-fried kimchi in it was especially good, so my chopsticks kept going back for more. The spicy, savory stir-fried kimchi went really well with the rice, and even though we were already full, we kept eating it happily right to the end.

Why my kid and I want to go back

The mild spice level wasn't sharp, just slightly spicy, so my elementary-school-age son ate it up happily, and the chewy texture of the handmade noodles left an impression too. There were enough customers on the weekend that there was a wait, but the waiting lounge made it fairly comfortable to hang around. If you're looking for a hearty meal out with your kid in Suji, I'd recommend this as a place to enjoy a generous spread from shabu to kalguksu to fried rice.