Gangseo lamb restaurant family dinner with French rack: Hwarodam

A family dinner out when I was worried about the smell of lamb

Lamb skewers are honestly a menu item I hesitate over a little. I had a disappointing experience once because of lamb’s distinctive smellㅠㅠ But this time my husband strongly pushed Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok, saying, “This place is really different.”

It is near Balsan Station and easy to reach from Magok, so I went for dinner with Hamin despite feeling unsure when I heard it specialized in aged lamb. To give you the conclusion first... my prejudice against lamb is now completely gone😍 I never expected Hamin to eat lamb ribs so well, and my husband and I were speechless at the melt-in-your-mouth texture haha.

Parking and visit information for Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok

It is 298 m from Exit 9 of Balsan Station. It is in the Queens Park 10 building, and drivers get four hours of free underground parking, so there is plenty of time for a leisurely meal. We visited in the evening and there were plenty of parking spaces :)

If you make a Naver reservation, you can get a coupon benefit, so be sure to reserve before visiting! You can choose one: a lunch-set buy-one-get-one offer, mini guobaorou (crispy sweet-and-sour pork), or one free bottle of corkage.

A restaurant atmosphere that worked well with a child

Honestly, when I hear “lamb skewer restaurant,” I imagine somewhere dark and full of smoke, but Hwarodam was completely different.

It had a modern, bright feel, generous space between tables, and both private and partitioned seating, so it was perfect for a family meal out.

Each table has a hood fitted directly above the brazier, so there was no need to worry about smoke. The air conditioning was blasting too, so it was not hot at all even sitting in front of the grill! I brought Hamin along, and it was absolutely a child-friendly atmosphere 😊

Right in front of the entrance, you can see the all-refrigerated aging room and Hwarodam’s dedicated pre-grilling oven. Being able to see the condition of the meat and the pre-grilling process gave me confidence from the first impression.

Tablet ordering and lunch-special sets

It was convenient to order on a tablet.

Main menu prices

There are lunch-special set menus too, so daytime visitors can enjoy a better-value meal. They are available from 11:30 to 13:30 and come in sets for two to three people.

Since we went for dinner, we ordered à la carte.

The lamb ribs and lamb skewers we tried ourselves

We ordered lamb ribs (French rack), lamb sirloin skewers, thick lamb skewers, and mapo fried rice. The basic side dishes were seasoned scallions, white kimchi, and pickled gongchae (stem lettuce), along with three Hwarodam house sauces: chive-flower sauce, secret soy sauce, and Silk Road sauce!

French rack lamb ribs ₩36,000

This was the day’s MVP and the dish that completely changed my prejudice about lamb. They brought it out after pre-grilling it, then a staff member cut it into easy-to-eat pieces and grilled it for us.

The moment I took a bite... I thought, “Is this really lamb?”

The lean meat just melted away like butter melting in your mouth, with not even a trace of gaminess. I gave Hamin a piece too, and he held out his hand asking for more haha. I truly never thought a child would eat lamb that well😂

Even without sauce, it was already seasoned perfectly, so it tasted just right on its own. Add a little chive-flower sauce and its fragrant flavor makes it even better!

Lamb sirloin skewers ₩23,000

The skewers arrive pre-grilled, then you slowly finish cooking them over the brazier. You can clearly see that they are much thicker than ordinary lamb skewers.

There is a satisfying chew in every bite, but none of that toughness or sinewy texture. They prepared them so well that there was not a single bit I could not eat because of sinew👍 The clean, nutty chew had a different charm from the lamb ribs.

Thick lamb skewers ₩18,000

Just like the name says, they are seriously thick. They have a real bite to them, with a springy texture that contrasts with the softness of the lamb ribs!

These also had no gaminess, just a subtle charcoal aroma. Dipped in the Silk Road sauce, the added spice flavor made me crave a beer without even trying haha.

Mapo fried rice ₩9,000

I ordered it for the child, but the adults ate more of it haha. The firm rice grains were coated in mapo sauce, and it had seafood in it too, making it perfect for taking a spoonful between bites of meat.

Just when things could start to feel rich, mapo’s distinctive tingly spice refreshed the palate. At ₩9,000, this quality is truly amazing value!

Things to know before visiting: strengths and drawbacks

• They say the lamb is aged young lamb under one year old, for zero gaminess.
• The pre-grilling system means you can cook and eat quickly.
• Staff grill the meat dishes for you, which was convenient.
• The air conditioning and table hoods kept the space comfortable.
• Parking is free for four hours.
• It is regularly closed on Sundays, so check before visiting.
• It is popular, so you may have to wait in the evening without a reservation.

My one-line verdict on a Balsan Station family dinner

I underestimated it as a lamb skewer place, then completely fell for it.

The way the French rack lamb ribs melted in my mouth, Hamin holding out his hand for more, and the table cleared clean of every last bite all seem to speak to this place’s quality. “If you want a proper lamb skewer meal in Magok, try Hwarodam first.”

Taste: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) / Price: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5) / Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) / Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) / 100% would revisit. Next time, I definitely want to try the warm noodles and mango cream shrimp too!