Apgujeong Chinese restaurant, 4-person duck set for 3: Mirim Yangjang

Today it's Mirim Yangjang (미림양장), a Chinese restaurant in Apgujeong Rodeo. I'd heard a few times that it's a great Peking duck place, and I finally made it here!

It was my first time having Peking duck properly, and I got a real taste of authentic Chinese food. It's a good spot when you want something special. Honestly everything was so delicious,, I'm pretty sure I'll go back. A real keeper.

What are the entrance and atmosphere of Mirim Yangjang Apgujeong like?

Mirim Yangjang Apgujeong is in a basement. Follow the red carpet at the entrance and you reach the stairs going down. Such a cool entrance already.

Inside, the restaurant is small and neat. Even though it's underground, it didn't feel stuffy. Red accents all the way to the back! Somehow it feels like you're traveling in China or Hong Kong. I'd reserved on Catch Table beforehand, so we were guided to a seat that was already ready.

The kitchen is open so you can see inside, and since Peking duck is Mirim Yangjang's signature dish.. there were ducks hanging up..!!! Sorry, ducks....

Side dishes were already set out at our reserved table. Tidy and clean ♥️

Which Peking duck set should 3 people order at Mirim Yangjang?

Mirim Yangjang Apgujeong's signature dish is Peking duck, and the duck sets come in sizes for 2, 3 and 4 people so you can order to fit your group. From the 4-person set you get a whole duck, while up to the 3-person set it's half a duck, so even though there were three of us, we ordered the 4-person set! I thought about ordering à la carte, but the set looked good, so we went with it.

• Ordered: 🥢Peking duck set for 4
• One whole Peking duck
• Fried eggplant
• Wood ear mushroom cucumber salad
• Mala tang

Pretty solid set, right..? It was exactly the dishes I wanted to eat...

Wood ear mushroom cucumber salad

First to arrive was the wood ear mushroom cucumber salad. It's like the kimchi of the meal, a must-have, so we ordered it for sure. Hahahahahahahaha

The crunchy cucumber and the sweet-and-sour dressing go well together, and it was nice as a palate cleanser every now and then between Chinese dishes!

Fried eggplant

Fried eggplant is something I always end up eating at Chinese restaurants. I don't usually seek out eggplant, yet fried eggplant is somehow so good.

Mirim Yangjang's fried eggplant was crispy outside, tender inside, too. The inside is soft and mushy, but the outside is fried really crisp! It left an impression, so I'd order it again next time...

Hotpot mala tang: is it very spicy?

The mala tang (spicy numbing soup) in Mirim Yangjang's 4-person set comes in a hotpot, so you can keep it simmering hot while you eat, which made it even better..

It was mala tang with that numbing, authentic flavor, you know? As we ate, we all went, oh... this is the real deal!!! It might be a bit spicy for anyone who can't handle heat, but for me, a spice lover, it was just right. If you want the taste of proper Chinese food that hasn't been Koreanized, go to Mirim Yangjang..

One whole Peking duck: portion and how to eat it

The main dish, the whole Peking duck, came out beautifully plated, and the portion was bigger than I expected. Three of us ordered the 4-person set and ate until our stomachs were about to burst. Hehe

They say a Peking duck takes at least 30 hours from drying to roasting. I was so curious how it would taste, and having it properly, it was much more my style than I expected! Take a warm pancake wrapper (jeonbyeong) from the steamer, add duck meat, scallion, sweet bean sauce and so on, and take a big bite, wrap and all~

Like wrapping Korean pork belly in lettuce. But it's duck, so it's healthier (?) The cucumber and scallion cut the richness nicely, so be sure to wrap them in too~

The skin comes out separately too, and the crisply roasted skin had a different kind of chew from the meat.

Is Mirim Yangjang Apgujeong good for a wedding invitation get-together?

It was a Chinese meal where I ate until I was truly stuffed, and happily so, for the first time in a while. Every dish was delicious, and Mirim Yangjang does it properly. I've been busy lately going to wedding invitation get-togethers (cheongmo), and I think this would be a really good Apgujeong spot for one too. When you want something different from usual or to try a variety of Chinese dishes, going with a group and sampling lots of menu items would be great.