Business and Management Tan (DongHo Tan)

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu (등촌샤브칼국수 언주점) is a Korean-style shabu-shabu restaurant in Gangnam.   It sits on the 2nd floor, a short walk from Yeoksam Station.   It is open every day from 10:00 to 22:00 with no break time.   I own and run this restaurant, so I will tell you what is good and what is not. Quick facts if you are in a hurry Name: Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu, Eonju branch (등촌샤브칼국수 언주점) Where: 2F, 22 Teheran-ro 27-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (above BEARS TACO) Hours: 10:00 to 22:00, 365 days a year, no break time Price: from 11,000 KRW per person, minimum 2 people for the main menu Walk: about 3 to 5 minutes from Yeoksam Station and Seolleung Station area offices   One pot, four courses: beef shabu, vegetables, kalguksu noodles, then fried rice.   Show the Korean name to a taxi driver or type it into a map app.   등촌샤브칼국수 언주점 is the name that works best on Naver Map and Kakao Map. What is Korean-style shabu-shabu? Shabu-shabu cam...

Hoesik (회식) means a company dinner. It is a group meal with coworkers, often followed by a second round at a bar or karaoke room. I run Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu (Eonju branch) near Yeoksam Station in Gangnam, where we host many group meals. This is general information from an owner, not a rulebook. What is hoesik? The word combines hoe (company) and sik (meal). A team goes out for dinner together, and the goal is to build closeness outside the office. The Korea JoongAng Daily describes these after-work dinners as often involving drinks, and explains why they became part of office life. How the night usually goes Round one: dinner, often barbecue, hot pot or a stew Round two: a bar or noraebang (karaoke room) Round three: not common, but it happens Many companies now keep it to one round or move to lunch, and younger workers often prefer daytime meals. How strict it is depends a lot on the company. What visitors might notice If you eat in Gangnam on a weeknight, you will se...

In most Korean restaurants, banchan (the small side dishes) come free with your meal and you can ask for refills at no charge. Staff usually will not bring refills on their own, so you ask. I run Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu (Eonju branch) in Yeoksam, Seoul. This is general information, and each restaurant sets its own policy. What is banchan? Banchan are the small shared dishes that arrive with the main dish: kimchi, seasoned vegetables, pickles and so on. They are meant to be shared across the table, and everyone gets their own bowl of rice. They are part of the meal price, not an extra order. Refills: how to ask Free refills usually cover side dishes, water and sometimes rice. They do not cover the main dish, which you order again as an extra portion. Many restaurants have a call button on the table. If not, say yeogi-yo (여기요) and point at the empty plate with deo ju-se-yo (더 주세요): "more, please". Yeogi-yo (여기요): get a server's attention Kimchi deo ju-se-yo (...

Yes, you can eat alone in Seoul, and many places are fine with it. The catch is that some restaurants, mostly barbecue and family-style places, expect at least two portions per table. I run two restaurants in Gangnam, Seoul. One of them is Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu (Eonju branch), a Korean shabu-shabu place near Yeoksam Station. This guide is general information from an owner, and every restaurant sets its own rules. Can you dine solo in Korea? Solo dining is more common than it used to be, and Korean has a word for eating alone: honbap. Cafes, noodle shops, rice bowl places and convenience store counters are easy for one person. Where it gets tricky is food built for sharing. In Korean barbecue and hot pot places, the staff may ask for two portions because the pot and burner are set up for a group. Why some restaurants want two portions In late 2025 The Korea Times reported on a noodle restaurant in Yeosu whose sign told solo guests to order two portions or bring a friend. The si...

You do not need to tip at restaurants in Seoul. The price on the menu is the price you pay, and tipping is not part of the culture here. What first-time visitors actually need is a few phrases for calling staff, ordering and paying. I run two restaurants in Gangnam, Seoul. One of them is Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu (Eonju branch), a Korean shabu-shabu place near Yeoksam Station. This is what I tell friends from abroad before their first meal out in Seoul. It is general information from an owner, and details differ from place to place. Do you tip in Korea? No. A Korea Times explainer from August 2025 says tipping is uncommon in Korea and that the tip-free culture shows no sign of changing. Staff are paid at least the minimum wage by their employer, so a tip is not how they earn a living. Menu prices are meant to be final. A 2013 revision to the Food Sanitation Act introduced a "final price display" system, so listed prices should include taxes and service charges. A mandator...

A commercial lease in Korea comes with specific legal protections for restaurant tenants. Under the Commercial Building Lease Protection Act, you can ask to renew your lease for up to 10 years in total, and your landlord cannot block you from collecting key money from the next tenant without a legal reason. Both rights have deadlines, and what the landlord tells you at signing, such as a rebuilding plan, can limit them later. I run two restaurants in Gangnam, Seoul. One of them is Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu (Eonju branch), a Korean shabu-shabu place near Yeoksam Station. This post is the checklist I would hand to a friend from abroad, or a Korean coming home from overseas, who wants to rent a restaurant space in Seoul. It is general information from an owner, not legal advice, so have a Korean lawyer check your own contract before you sign. The checklist before you sign Print this and take it to the viewing. Mark 6 months and 1 month before expiry Get any rebuilding plan in writin...