Lamb BBQ in Bucheon for first-timers, even my lamb-wary mom: Ichiryu

Ichiryu Bucheon Hyundai Branch at a glance

Ichiryu Bucheon Hyundai Branch is a lamb rib restaurant where staff grill tender, gamey-free lamb for you, in private-feeling seating. Huii's summary: "tender lamb with no gamey smell, grilled for you, and private too."

• Address: 31 Seokcheon-ro 177beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi, South Korea (1st floor)
• Hours: Mon-Fri 17:00-23:00 / Sat-Sun 12:30-23:00 (break time 15:00-17:00)
• Parking tip: 2 hours of free parking are available if you use the building's underground car park.

Where is Ichiryu Bucheon Hyundai Branch, and what's the atmosphere like?

Ichiryu is in the restaurant alley behind Hyundai Department Store in Bucheon, on the main line of the alley that runs from Sinjungdong Station to Bucheon City Hall Station. There's a break time even on weekends, so we went in at 5pm.

It feels private from the entrance, and every seat has a partition, so you can eat comfortably. The interior has a Japanese feel overall.

Each seat also has its own locker you can use freely, and the locker key was a fun little detail.

Do you need to book?

Yes, booking is a good idea. Staff grill everything for you on a personal grill, which feels comfortable and upscale, so there are lots of reservation guests, and I hear walk-ins are sometimes turned away because they can't be handled. Cheap lamb can smell, but Ichiryu is a high-end style lamb place. Even though we came right after break time ended, half the seats were already full, that's how popular it is.

Ichiryu Bucheon Hyundai Branch menu and prices

Ichiryu specializes in lamb ribs and Genghis Khan-style grilled lamb, so lamb is its strong suit. Huii and Mom ordered the premium fresh lamb ribs (₩33,000), the French rack (₩37,000) and kosho men (₩5,000).

Do the premium fresh lamb ribs have a gamey smell?

The premium fresh lamb ribs at Ichiryu were tender with no gamey smell. First, the table setting comes out: napa cabbage kimchi, pickles, onion, kidney beans and wasabi.

And then the lamb ribs arrive. They're Australian, made from fresh shoulder ribs of lamb under one year old from a clean region of Australia, so I'm told. You can feel the quality just by looking at them. What I've noticed is that with lamb,

the gap between low and high quality is huge.

Good lamb is tender with no gamey smell at all, with just the right meaty aroma, savoriness and chew; otherwise it's bound to smell. People who like lamb's smell are fine, but for someone eating lamb for the first time, getting used to it can be a problem. So I think lamb beginners should start with good lamb like this to get rid of any resistance.

How do the staff grill it?

Ichiryu staff grill the vegetables first, then the lamb piece by piece. The ribs grill up beautifully. Once done, they move the lamb over to the personal grill in front of you.

They grill it to somewhere between medium and medium-well,

lamb grilled by a master.

so the quality was guaranteed from the start. Take a bite and, since it's young lamb, even the texture is soft, with an upscale quality different from beef. Dip the first piece in salt, and from the second piece on, dip it in the special sauce to bring out the savoriness.

They also grill the rib bone portion (the meat attached to the bone), and as they say, meat on the bone is the tastiest. It was the most memorable cut.

How is the French rack different from the fresh lamb ribs?

The French rack at Ichiryu is richer and heavier than the fresh lamb ribs, and you eat it after them. This time it's Ichiryu Bucheon Hyundai Branch's top-grade French rack.

The order is premium fresh lamb ribs first, then the French rack. You eat the lighter cuts, like chuck flap tail, first, and the rich, premium cut last.

Guests keep coming in. Word must have spread in the restaurant alley that this is a lamb hotspot, because couples, friends and all sorts show up. The grilled meat is cut neatly and goes back in front of the grill.

They grill the French rack well too, and when you take a bite,

it's tender and luxurious.

It's tender and luxurious, and the flavor of the fat comes right through. It feels different from the lamb ribs. If the lamb ribs are lighter, the French rack is defined by its rich, premium heaviness.

Did Mom, who hated the smell of lamb, eat it?

Mom, who was eating lamb almost for the first time, ate well at Ichiryu. She tried it once before and felt put off by the smell, so Huii ended up finishing it all, but here she ate well. I think it's a place that will satisfy even someone who comes with a lamb beginner, thanks to its premium taste.

Finishing with bean sprouts stir-fried in lamb fat

At the end, Ichiryu staff stir-fry bean sprouts in the lamb fat. The sprouts fried in lamb fat are nutty,

and once they wilt, the lamb fat soaks in and brings out a light texture unlike regular soybean sprouts. If it were on the menu, I think fried rice made with the lamb fat would be great too.

What does the kosho men meal taste like?

Ichiryu's kosho men (₩5,000) is a cold noodle dish made with handmade yuzu kosho (yuzu and chili paste), served in a chilled tsuyu (Japanese dipping broth). We ordered the kosho men as our meal.

Chewy noodles meet a cold broth, and eating these cool noodles in a spot still warm from the grilling made it a clean, nice finish.

Huii's overall review

Ichiryu Bucheon Hyundai Branch has it all: tender young-lamb fresh ribs with no gamey smell, a French rack with rich, premium unctuousness, nutty bean sprouts fried in lamb fat, and kosho men for a cool finish. Add the private seats, lockers and staff who grill for you, and it's an easy place to enjoy. The quality works even with a lamb beginner, so it was a satisfying meal with Mom. It's popular and needs a reservation, so be sure to book before you go.

Huii's one-liner: a place that wins over even lamb beginners