北京(북경)양꼬치: Beijing Lamb Skewers
Lamb Skewers and Authentic Chinese food in Seongnamdong.
“If you want jjajangmyeon, get out.”
So it turns out there’s a restaurant that serves traditional northern Chinese food in Ulsan. It’s apparently been around for years. On my way back home, I was taking a side road when I saw this place and decided that I just had to stop by. I only know of a few authentically Chinese restaurants in Ulsan – most are more typically Korean-ized Chinese food – Jjajangmyeon, fried rice, and seafood soup.
Well, this is certainly authentic. You won’t find any Jjajangmyeon on the menu, here.
Instead, there’s more typically Northern Chinese cuisine – Chinese Shabu Shabu, 15 different seafood dishes, almost the same number of vegetable dishes, a dozen stir-fries dishes, moo shu pork, sweet and sour pork, and a page of specials. But the real star, the thing they named their restaurant after, is their skewers.
There’s a full page of different skewers to try. Unfortunately, just visiting by myself, I was only able to try the lamb skewers that they were proud enough of to name their restaurant after. They came out and were grilled at the table over a charcoal brazier that uses magnets to automatically rotate the skewers for you. There’s also garlic and red spice powder to tap the pieces in when you eat them.
I think they were right to do so.
The lamb is as good as what you’d get at Gu-Gu-Gu,
but cheaper – only 1,000 won per skewer. They suggest that 30 is a good starting point for a group of four, and don’t expect to be able to order just one or two skewers. This is definitely a place to take friends visiting from out of town, or even locals who might never have had genuine Chinese food in Ulsan before.
Even the music piped in was Chinese while I was there.
The menu is entirely in Korean and Chinese – though I’ve just finished an English translation. Next time I go to the
restaurant I’ll drop off the translation work I’ve done. The owners, as well, don’t speak any English – but if you can read Korean, or go with someone who does, you’re all set – for the most part. A lot of the items on the menu are Chinese words transliterated into Korean. If you’re just there for lamb, what you’re going to ask for is 양꼬치 – Yang-k’o-chi.
I’ll definitely be going back there soon. The lamb skewers alone are worth the trip – and I can’t wait to try the other items on the menu.
Location and Directions:
Jung-gu, Seongnamdong 190-67
중구 성남동 190-67
phone (kr) 010-2277-2111