Nam-gu, Busan lamb skewers and mapo tofu rice bowls: Janghoga

I visited Janghoga Yang Kkochi, a great Gyeongseong–Pukyong University spot open late, where the lamb skewers and Yantai highballs are delicious!

Getting to Janghoga Yang Kkochi from Gyeongseong–Pukyong University Station

Janghoga Yang Kkochi Gyeongseong–Pukyong University Direct Branch is open daily from 17:00 to 01:00, with last orders at 00:00, and is closed every Sunday. Naver reservations, takeaway, and group visits are available; there are separate restrooms for men and women, plus high chairs, Wi-Fi, and wheelchair access.

Janghoga Yang Kkochi, a popular lamb skewer place near Gyeongseong University, is already well known around Busan National University, and I was so happy a directly operated branch opened near Gyeongseong University too! It is about 200 m from Exit 1 of Gyeongseong–Pukyong University Station, inside the dining alley, so it is very easy to reach :-) I visited at 8 p.m. on a Wednesday, and it felt like a big rush had just swept through! Just in case, I think it would be even better to make a Naver reservation before visiting 👍

There is no parking support, but I recommend nearby Samsung Parking Lot or Pyeonghwa Parking Lot (₩3,000 per hour)!

A spacious, pleasant dining room

The inside felt much bigger than the exterior, and it was incredibly clean and comfortable!! 👍 It was so clean that I could hardly believe it was a lamb skewer restaurant!? There was no lamb smell at all, which I loved! With so many tables, it looked great for groups, and there were lots of couples on dates too. Since it stays open until 1 a.m., it is perfect for a good late-night meal.

As befits a lamb skewer specialist, they even had the benefits of lamb written out in detail! It is said to be low-calorie, low-fat, high-protein, and high-calcium, so it is good for dieting and restoring your energy. They are also running a review event with a free Yantai highball and even a Polaroid event, so definitely join in! The tablet can be viewed in several languages; they provide blankets if you are cold and replace the coals if the fire is weak! The notices really showed how much attention they pay to the details.

Lamb skewers and Chinese dishes for two

Lamb skewers for 2 ₩27,000 Mapo tofu rice bowl ₩9,000 Guobaorou ₩20,000 Yantai highball free

We visited as a pair and ordered this! I heard the spicy chicken wings are popular too, so I am saving those for my next visit.

Menu review

The complimentary sides were stir-fried peanuts, pickled onions, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), freshly seasoned zhacai, cumin, cumin powder, crushed pepper, and spicy cumin. All of the side dishes are made with Korean ingredients, and the zhacai suited my taste better than any I have had before. It was not heavy, but really whetted the appetite?! The texture was great too, so I refilled it several times. Anyone who likes zhacai will be satisfied for sure, haha 🤍

Fragrant lamb skewers with no off smell and great seasonings

The lamb skewers arrived first! Each order comes with eight skewers, and since we ordered two, we got 16. Every skewer was thick and generously portioned; just looking at them, the meat itself looked high quality, with such a good fat-to-lean ratio that they felt like great value!!

Look at them grilling over charcoal with all that fat sizzling... 🤍 They looked so delicious with that glossy sheen. The rotating machine cooks them evenly, so you only need to wait and they are ready quickly, haha.

They can get tough if overcooked, so eat the lamb skewers once they are suitably cooked, dipped in whichever seasoning you like! They were nutty and sooo delicious, with absolutely no smell or gaminess!! 🤤 The seasoning my skewer is pointing to in the photo was my favorite! I loved how it added a spicy, punchy kick.

If you are not into mala-like flavors such as cumin, I think you will like the seasoning at the 12 o’clock position because it is simply spicy!! My dining companion mixed all three except the salt and dipped the skewers in that. It tasted like the lamb skewer seasoning I already knew, so that was good too! 👍 If you need more seasoning, just ask a staff member anytime and they will refill it!! + aprons

Crispy yet juicy guobaorou

Next, the guobaorou arrived! It came piled up like a mountain, and I loved that every piece was large :-) Just looking at it, the outside appeared super crispy, and it did not have an overpoweringly sour smell, so it passed! They told us to be careful holding the bottom of the plate because it was hot from the sauce!

The guobaorou cut softly yet pleasantly chewy, with a dense coating around the meat, and it was wonderfully crisp and juicy. My dining companion raved that the guobaorou was so delicious—his favorite dish, haha. I liked that the sauce was neither too vinegary nor aggressively sweet in a cloying way; it paired beautifully! The meat was chewy, and the harmony with the batter was the best! 🤍

Yantai highballs and the Polaroid event

At this point, we took photos with the Yantai highball and Polaroid!! >.< The Yantai highball had a gentle but distinct pineapple flavor, so even people who do not like alcohol could easily enjoy it! It went so well with the lamb skewers, so definitely try one 🤍 They take two Polaroids: you take one home and they put the other on the wall. It was perfect for making a memory!! We took home the better photo, hehe.

A generous, spicy mapo tofu rice bowl

Finally, the mapo tofu rice bowl arrived! Contrary to its ₩9,000 price, the portion was generous!! I loved that everything here came piled high. It was filled with soft, fluffy tofu rather than firm tofu, so there was absolutely no chance of feeling shortchanged!

Mix it up and take a big bite, and the softness comes first with a spicy kick following behind. At first I thought it might be a little spicy for someone with a low spice tolerance, but as you keep eating, it becomes less spicy and turns into just the right delicious heat! It is good with pickled onions, and placing a lamb skewer right on top makes the flavor incredible!! 🤤 They go so well together that I am thinking about it again. The mapo tofu was totally my style, so it was my favorite! 🤍

Cleanliness down to the exhaust hood and attentive service

Even though it is a lamb skewer restaurant, it did not feel greasy and felt so clean because I saw a staff member reaching inside the exhaust hood and scrubbing it thoroughly!! Seeing them always wipe down tables after customers left made me feel this is truly a place where you can trust the cleanliness!! 👍👍 The staff were also so kind, making it a very satisfying visit!

The restrooms are separated by gender, but the men’s restroom is outside. They said construction is underway so guests will not get rained on, and it should be finished soon! If you order a bowl of rice for a child, they even bring seaweed too. The owner seems incredibly attentive, so customers are bound to be satisfied! Janghoga Yang Kkochi is a Daeyeon-dong restaurant I recommend if you are looking for somewhere near Gyeongseong–Pukyong University Station, truly tasty lamb skewers, a family meal, a date restaurant, a company dinner, or a gathering spot.