Seongsu shabu-shabu restaurant with Hanwoo rice paper: Shabu in Seoul

Every time I went out in Seongsu-dong or checked out pop-ups, there was one place that always caught my eye. Even in the middle of the city, its lush, nature-filled feel and upscale interior visible through huge windows had me curious. I happened to have a weekday dinner date with a friend, so we visited Shabu in Seoul Seongsu. We properly enjoyed everything from the top-grade 1++ Hanwoo boseopsal shabu set to cream shrimp.

Shabu in Seoul Seongsu location and visitor information

• Address: 53 Seongsuillo 6-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 성동구 성수일로6길 53 유원지식산업센터 1층), 96 m from Exit 3 of Seongsu Station
• Hours: daily 11:00–22:30 / weekday break 15:30–17:00 / last order 21:30 / no weekend break
• Parking: building underground parking, free for 1 hour
• Reservations available; 90-minute limit on weekends and when full; groups welcome
• High chairs available, separate restrooms for men and women, corkage available
• Pets welcome under 5 kg, but a carrier is required

It was easy to find: come out of Exit 3 at Seongsu Station, walk a little, and it is immediately on the left. Since the restaurant is on the first floor, strollers and wheelchairs can enter comfortably without any stairs.

A spacious interior with huge windows and plants

As soon as I walked in, I had to look around because the restaurant was bigger than expected. With large windows and plenty of plants between the tables, it felt like I was traveling even though we were in the heart of Seongsu.

The seats have high backs and partitions, so nearby tables did not feel distracting at all. It was perfect for taking our time over dinner while chatting with a friend.

Private room information

• Room 1 seats up to 8 / Room 2 seats up to 10
• Available for parties of 4 or more
• ₩30,000 room charge for lunch bills up to ₩150,000
• ₩60,000 room charge for dinner bills up to ₩150,000
• An additional ₩30,000 room charge for dinner bills over ₩150,000 to ₩200,000
• No separate room charge for lunch bills over ₩150,000 or dinner bills over ₩200,000
• Private room use is limited to 2 hours

There are several private dining rooms farther inside, so it seemed like a nice option for a family meal, birthday, work dinner, or any larger get-together.

High chair

Each table is set with a shabu pot and individual tableware, and you can order directly from a tablet. More than anything, I loved how generously spaced the tables were. In busy Seongsu, it was such a relaxed setting for dinner and conversation with a friend ❤️

How to choose your Hanwoo and broth

You order by touching the tablet at your table, and I also took a close look at the menu. The drinks selection is varied too, from soju and beer to highballs, bokbunja raspberry wine, whisky, and wine.

The shabu set lets you choose from different meats. There was black pork belly and pork neck, Prime Angus chuck eye roll and chuck flap, 1++ Hanwoo boseopsal, and Black Nine Wagyu ribeye, so the selection was quite broad. There is more than one broth too: clear mushroom, spicy mushroom, crab soybean-paste, sukiyaki, or beef tomato.

There is also a detailed guide on the table for making it taste even better. Once the broth boils, first pour some into a small soup bowl to taste it, then add the vegetables. When the vegetables are cooked, lower the induction heat to level 4 and add the meat.

The add-on menu included fried pork tenderloin, cream shrimp, and honey pineapple, but the cream shrimp immediately caught my eye. The 1++ Hanwoo boseopsal is said to be a cut of Korean beef rated highly across four criteria, including marbling. For broth, we chose the clear mushroom broth marked as a best seller!

You can get matcha ice cream through a review event, and there are birthday and wedding-invitation gathering events too. If you write that it is for a birthday or a wedding-invitation gathering when reserving, birthdays receive seaweed soup and a banner, while invitation gatherings receive champagne—do not forget to mention it.

Every table comes with chili sauce, yuzu soy sauce, and sesame dressing, plus Cheongyang chili peppers and minced garlic if you want to add them. The house meat sauce was nice in small amounts with meat or vegetables.

Boseopsal shabu set and cream shrimp taste test

• 1++ Hanwoo boseopsal shabu set ₩31,000 × 2
• Cream shrimp ₩14,000 × 1
• Glutinous barley rice ₩2,000 × 2
• Total ₩80,000

Once the whole spread was laid out so generously, my mood was already UP before eating. From the meat to the vegetables, everything looked visibly fresh, so I could not wait for it to start boiling.

A staff member poured in the broth, and once it began bubbling away, in went the vegetables first.

When they softened slightly, it was time to drop in the beef! The broth was seriously good too. I had not even drunk the night before, so why did it feel so soothing? As the meat and vegetables kept going in, the broth grew richer and richer, and I kept scooping it up.

And the most fun part here was the rice paper!

I briefly dipped rice paper into the shabu-shabu broth, took it right out, then rolled up the meat and vegetables in it. It was so much tastier than I expected. The chewy rice paper, tender beef, and crisp vegetables all came together in one bite—amazing.

The beef was delicious on its own, and also dipped generously in sesame dressing like this 👍

The meat was tender, clean-tasting, and had no unpleasant smell. It was good plain, but having several sauces made it fun to eat each piece differently.

I am glad we ordered rice too. Put a slice of hot beef right on top of warm rice—this is irresistible. With a little sauce too, one bowl of rice disappeared in no time.

The cream shrimp we ordered as a side

Plump shrimp covered in plenty of sweet, smooth cream sauce—such a perfect pairing with shabu-shabu ❤️

The lemon yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi) served as a side dish was pure freshness too 👍 Above all, the seats were comfortable, so we could relax through the entire meal. It would be great for taking parents out, as well as work dinners, gatherings, or dates. It is close to home, and the food suited my taste so well that I liked it even more. I already have a return-visit menu in mind because I want to try another broth next time. It is reassuring to know a place like this nearby, right? I think I will come here often.