Gang Ho Yeon Pa
Honbap, short for “eating alone” in Korean, is the current norm in South Korea. With the proliferation of single diners, the number of restaurants catering to these customers has naturally surged. While solo-dining restaurants are not new, one that specialises in shabu-shabu, such as Gang Ho Yeon Pa, is still not a common sight.
Ingredients served in a wooden chest
Image credit: @kanghoyeonpa_official
Since the concept of this restaurant is centred on single diners, there’s a personalised touch to the way the shabu-shabu ingredients are served. Instead of bringing you countless plates of ingredients that take up lots of space on the dining table, you’re given a compact wooden chest that stores all your vegetables and meat.
Image credit: @kanghoyeonpa_official
Gang Ho Yeon Pa doesn’t only admit single diners, but also groups of customers. That said, the restaurant provides only individual pots, as opposed to communal ones. But that could be a point in their favour as sharing a pot among a group of friends or family members amidst the unrelenting Covid-19 pandemic may not be the best idea.
Shine Muscat Highball.
Image credit: @kanghoyeonpa_official
Besides the hotpot menu, Gang Ho Yeon Pa is also known for their highball drinks. The combination of rich hotpot broth and a refreshing highball strikes a perfect balance, hence it’s no surprise that the alcoholic drink is so popular here.
In addition, the highball drinks come in unique flavours such as basil tomato, earl grey, grapefruit, and shine muscat. The Shine Muscat Highball costs KRW9,900 (~USD6.96) per glass, whereas the other flavours are priced at KRW8,500 (~USD5.97) each.
Affordable yet delicious hotpot for single diners
Image credit: @kanghoyeonpa_official
You won’t find yourself dreading the bill at Gang Ho Yeon Pa because the set menu is affordably priced, and the generous serving size is the cherry on top.
Image credit: @i_am_real_wk
There are 3 menu sets: Lunch Set (KRW18,900, ~USD13.32), Bap Gup Nam set (KRW22,900, ~USD16.14), and Shadong set (KRW27,900, ~USD19.67).
The Lunch Set comes with ingredients placed in a wooden chest, as mentioned, a plate of raw noodles, and a side of your choice. Side choices include rosé cream fried peppers, basil cream fried peppers, bulgogi spring roll, and spicy chicken with cheese spring roll.
Fried peppers drenched in rosé cream and basil cream sauce.
Image credit: @my_season___
The Bap Gup Nam set is also served with ingredients placed in a wooden chest, a plate of raw noodles, and a creamy mushroom cream risotto. Lastly, the Shadong set comes with ingredients placed in a wooden chest, a side of your choice, a plate of raw noodles, and a glass of highball.
You can opt to order ingredients a la carte if you’re not a fan of set meals.
5 outlets spread across Korea
Image credit: @my_season___
Good news, Gang Ho Yeon Pa has 5 outlets spread across Seoul, Incheon, and Daegu. There are 3 outlets in Seoul: The Hyundai Seoul, Seongsu-dong, and Hyundai Department Store D-Cube City.
And if you’re around the Songdo district of Incheon come November, you’ll find a Gang Ho Yeon Pa restaurant at the Hyundai Premium Outlet. The Hyundai Department Store in Daegu is also set to house an upcoming outlet, which will be open to the public in December 2022.
Image adapted from: @nongsa_kkun, @my_season___
Having hotpot all by yourself in a restaurant with capacious booths can be daunting and lonely, but you don’t have to worry about attracting weird stares at Gang Ho Yeon Pa. The connected counter table creates a cosy atmosphere for single diners, and fomo would be the least of your concerns here.
Getting to Gang Ho Yeon Pa, a must-visit for hotpot fans
Whether you’re dining alone or in a group, Gang Ho Yeon Pa will satisfy your hotpot needs in terms of accessibility and affordability. If you’re in the mood for piping-hot shabu shabu, head down to one of the outlets and eat to your heart’s content.
How to get to the Seongsu-dong outlet:
- Head to Exit 5 of Ttukseom Station and walk straight for about 450m.
- Cross the road and make a turn to your right.
- Continue walking straight and you’ll see the restaurant on your left.
Address: 301-20, Seongsu-dong 2-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Opening hours: 11am-10pm, Daily | Instagram
Note: the restaurant is closed from 3pm to 4pm.
Also check out:
- Woodae Yang-gob: high-quality beef intestines
- Boss Donkaz: old-school pork cutlet restaurant
- Kkangtong Mandu: dumpling restaurant in Seoul
- Bangi-ok: retro Korean BBQ restaurant in Seoul
- London Bagel Museum: homey cafe with unique speciality bagels
Cover image adapted from: @i_am_real_wk, @kanghoyeonpa_official, @my_season___
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