Dongdaemun lamb skewer restaurant for date night: Yangchigi Sonyeo

Why I went back to Yangchigi Sonyeo near Sinseoldong Station

Yangchigi Sonyeo Sinseoldong (양치기소녀 신설동점), the lamb skewer place near Sinseoldong Station, is somewhere we'd been once before and both loved, so on a date day when we were really craving lamb skewers, we went back. It had been a while since I'd had a proper date with my boyfriend, and we both love going out to eat good food.

Honestly, if you go back to a place a second time, it means it was seriously good, right? Yangchigi Sonyeo is exactly that for us, the place that naturally pops into my head whenever I'm thinking of a great lamb skewer spot in Dongdaemun.

Yangchigi Sonyeo Sinseoldong location and opening hours

Yangchigi Sonyeo Sinseoldong is at 13 Cheonho-daero, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (1st floor), and it's open every day from 11:00 to 24:00 (last order 22:00). It's close to the Sinseoldong Station exits, so it's not hard to find.

It's right on the main road, so you can spot it at a glance even when you're just walking by, which makes it a decent meeting point. If you're on a date near Sinseoldong Station and looking for somewhere easy to reach for a meal, the location here is pretty good.

Is a lamb skewer restaurant clean inside?

I liked that the inside of Yangchigi Sonyeo Sinseoldong feels clean and tidy overall. When you think of a lamb skewer place, you often picture something a bit noisy and greasy, right?

Many of these places have foreign staff, and some of them have been a bit disappointing when it comes to hygiene, but Yangchigi Sonyeo keeps its tables and the whole restaurant in good shape, so we could eat comfortably. That's one more reason it's a Dongdaemun lamb skewer spot we keep returning to.

What's in the Yangchigi Sonyeo set menu

This time we ordered the set menu. We like trying a little of lots of different dishes, and the set menu happened to be on sale, so it looked like good value.

Once we ordered, the side dishes were set out first, and there were a full 5 kinds, so it was fun mixing and matching bites.

The must-have zira (cumin seasoning) and curry powder sauce come too, so dip however you like.

Original and "nasty" lamb skewer flavors

The lamb skewer set lets you pick two flavors, so we went with the original and the "nasty" (못된 맛) flavor. When the set we'd been waiting for arrived, the difference in color was obvious right away.

We decided to try the original flavor first. You put the skewers on the rotating grill and they turn and cook automatically, so there's hardly any work, which is really convenient.

That said, how done they get varies a bit depending on the position, so it's important to check on them now and then. Otherwise one side can get a little burnt, so keep an eye on them!

Tomato egg soup, perfect when the spice gets strong

The tomato egg soup included in the set was a medium size, and the portion was quite generous.

When you're eating lamb skewers, the spices can start to feel a bit spicy or intense, and a sip of the tomato egg soup balances it out perfectly! It's soft and warm with a slightly thick texture, and I kept going back for more.

A great atmosphere for a drink

While the skewers cooked, we ordered a drink too. Meat tastes better with alcohol, right?

Best of all, the rotating grill at Yangchigi Sonyeo cooks quickly without you constantly flipping and tending the meat like at a regular barbecue place, so it's easy to chat while you eat.

Surprisingly good kkanpung eggplant shrimp

The kkanpung eggplant shrimp (eggplant and shrimp in a sweet, lightly spicy fried sauce) in the set was better than expected too. My husband doesn't really like eggplant, but he ate the eggplant dish at Yangchigi Sonyeo just fine!

The eggplant smell isn't strong, and the sweet sauce goes well with the lettuce, so it's easy to eat. With the crispy texture on top, it turned out to be a sneaky highlight!

Golden, well-cooked lamb skewers taste best when you dip them generously in zira. I sometimes practically soak them, but the savory lamb flavor still comes through, with no gamey smell and a tender texture, so I kept reaching for more.

A great finish with a free side dish

While we were eating, the owner brought us a free side dish, something like pork and garlic chive salad (돼지부추무침). It was salty and savory, perfect as a snack with drinks. The set looked huge at first, but we ended up happily finishing every bit.

It had been a while since our last visit and Yangchigi Sonyeo Sinseoldong was still delicious! It works as a Dongdaemun date course too, and if you're looking for tasty lamb skewers near Sinseoldong Station, it's worth a visit :)