One more meal before I leave Seoul. The name of this restaurant says it all – Yangpai (lamb chop in Mandarin).
Upon research on the Internet, I found out that Yangpai 羊排 (which synonym to “onion” in Korean) is a chain restaurant that has branches in Gimpo and Gangnam. This branch in Bukchangdong is quite popular, and was always busy at night when I went pass it on my way to my hotel.
Lamb is not a popular meat among the Korean because it is believed to have a musky taste. I was the only table that afternoon, and it’s kind of embarrassing.
This is their specialty which I found a picture of from the internet, Chinese-style lamb skewers 羊肉串, or yangkkochi 양꼬치, just like the ones I used to get in Beijing and Shanghai. But I wasn’t able to order this for lunch.
Like its nearby neighbour that specialises in lamb cuisine, Yangpai does not have a wide variety of banchan. But what they have are all perfect with the lamb. Pajeori 파절이 is a seasoned scallion side dish that is highly popular with grilled meat dishes. What surprised me was the inclusion of Chinese mustard tuber 四川榨菜, or jeol-in gyeoja 절인 겨자 and the same pickled cabbage that tasted like chay-poh.
Most of the meat are not marinated; you can use the condiments provided for your preferred taste. The cumin seasoning tasted like the Xinjiang spices they used in China for their lamb skewers.
Feel free to experiment with the different condiments, everyone has his or her own preferences. Some like to marinade the meat with the condiments before grilling, some like to dip the grilled meat with the condiments- there’s no right or wrong way.
I always like to use charcoal for my BBQ; the resulting smokiness and taste of the grilled meat cannot be replicated with a gas stove.
My lunch consisted of two cuts of lamb – yangdeungsim 양등심, or lamb sirloin, with excellent marbling, and saeng yang-galbi 생 양갈비, or lamb shoulder rack.
What I love about eating grilled meat in Korea is that you do not need to do it yourself. There is always a professional to make sure the meat is well cooked to the right doneness that would bring out the best flavours of the cut.
The saeng yang-galbi 생 양갈비, or lamb shoulder (ribs), is soft and delicious. This is simply a deboned lamb chop with a good proportion of fats.
And then there’s the yangdeungsim 양동심, or lamb sirloin, which is a leaner piece of lamb with more bite and more flavours.
Overall, I didn’t enjoy myself. Perhaps I caught the staff off guard as they were having their lunch since there was no customer. In any case, it is one of those restaurant that does not function when you are a lone diner. But I must come and their lamb skewers before I can come to a conclusion if this restaurant is any good.
Yangpai Lamb and Chinese Cuisine
43 Namdaemun-ro 1-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea
Tel : +82 2-3789-0801
Visited Feb 2025
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