This post was written in 2008. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.

After a quick bite at Yeongsangang, round two was Gyeongseong Yangyukgwan in Gyodae, a place that’s well known among people who take their hot pot and lamb skewers seriously. It turned out to be easier to get to than I expected. I hadn’t been around this neighborhood in quite a while, so I had no idea a place like this had opened up among all the gopchang joints..
The sign (京城 羊肉串)

One group had already beaten us there and was working hard on a hot pot.
The basic table setting

Now that I’m back in Korea, it’s nice how generous the basic spread is ^_^
Garlic goes on the grill first.

Unusual skewers, right? Not sure if they’re always like this.. Great for reusing, I suppose, but get careless and you’ll burn your mouth.
Here come the lamb skewers.

They say it’s the signature dish here, so I had high hopes
Grilled by the hands of an expert.

The way he handled them, the look in his eye: this was not someone who had grilled skewers once or twice. Eating with people like this is so much fun ^_^ All I had to do was snatch up whatever was done… I ordered a Tsingtao beer and it was just right.

All done and handed out.

Ooh.. Eating straight off the skewer looked like a good way to burn my mouth, so I slid the meat onto a plate first. It was really, really good. The gamey smell of lamb was nowhere to be found; all you get is chewy, pleasantly spicy meat. Sweet enough that it really sticks to your palate.
Boiled dumplings

The boiled dumplings show serious skill too. I’d have cried if we hadn’t ordered them.
We had to give the hot pot a try too, right?

The marbled ribeye wasn’t supplied by the restaurant; a regular got the owner’s permission and brought it in himself.
Hot pot only gets good once you throw all sorts of stuff in

We put in fish cakes and the marbled ribeye too. But even though they call it a signature dish, it was pretty unsatisfying. They say the flavor changes depending on what you put in, but regardless of that it just wasn’t good.. The hot pot in my memory is a really delicious dish, so this was a letdown. I need to hop over to China sometime soon.
The lamb skewers and dumplings alone are very satisfying, so if you go for a snack or a drink rather than a full meal, I think you’ll be very happy. It’s the kind of taste I’d go back for again and again.

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