Magok lamb restaurant date dinner with mapo tofu: Hwarodam

Today I'm writing about our visit to Hwarodam Yang Kkochi near Magok One Grove. We were looking for a date night spot around Magok One Grove and craved lamb skewers for dinner, so we stopped by. Let me walk through the vibe of the place and the dishes we ordered one by one.

Parking and reservations at Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok

Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok is on the 2nd floor of Queens Park10 on Magokjungang 6-ro, with free parking for up to 4 hours. You can drive there and eat without worrying about the clock.

There are a lot of offices around Magok Station, so this looked like a good spot for company dinners too, and it seemed fine for an after-work visit.

Even on a Monday evening, there were quite a few reservation parties. If you're planning to visit, I'd recommend booking ahead.

Inside Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok: private rooms and atmosphere

The inside of Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok is clean overall, done up in warm wood tones that give it an upscale lamb-skewer-restaurant feel. There are also private rooms, which seemed good for a quiet meal or for larger groups like family gatherings or company dinners.

What two people ordered at Hwarodam

Ordering was easy with the table-order system. We first ordered the whole-lamb skewer set, fried eggplant, mapo tofu, and Hwarodam noodle soup, then added lamb sirloin and thick-cut skewers as we went along.

How was the mapo tofu?

It came with the standard side dishes and Hwarodam's special sauce.

The mapo tofu came out first. Some places put in way too much chili oil, making it greasy or overly sharp, but here the chili oil wasn't excessive—just spicy enough and clean-tasting, which I liked. My husband said it was the best mapo tofu he's had, haha.

Whole-lamb skewer set: pre-grilled before it reaches the table

Our skewer set arrived. The lamb skewers had already been partially grilled, so we just finished them off lightly on the tabletop grill!

Since they came out already partly cooked, it didn't take long to grill them the rest of the way, which was convenient.

Rib meat (intercostal) lamb skewers

This was my first time trying rib meat skewers, and I loved how tender and chewy the meat was. The lamb's characteristic smell wasn't too strong either, so if you like lamb skewers, this is an easy one to enjoy.

Lamb sirloin skewers: the most tender cut

The sirloin skewers weren't tough at all, so personally, out of everything we ate that day, the sirloin skewers were my favorite.

Thick-cut lamb skewers

The thick-cut lamb skewers really lived up to their name—genuinely thick. With that much meat, each bite had real juiciness and a satisfying chew. It definitely felt more like eating meat compared to regular lamb skewers.

The extra sirloin skewers plus thick-cut skewers we added!

We also made sure to eat plenty of the grilled garlic, which is a must with lamb skewers.

Fried eggplant and Hwarodam warm noodle soup

The fried eggplant was crispy on the outside and moist inside. It was lightly coated with a slightly sweet sauce, so this was my first time tasting fried eggplant like this—the sweet, crispy combination worked better than I expected.

The Hwarodam noodle soup had noodles in a warm broth, which paired well alongside the lamb skewers.

Is Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok worth a date night?

Today we tried everything from lamb skewers to a variety of other dishes at Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok. Overall the menu is varied and there are private rooms, so it seems like a good option for group gatherings too. If you're looking for a place for a date night dinner near One Grove like we were, I'd say it's worth a visit. Of everything we ate that day, the sirloin skewers were my favorite, and the fried eggplant stuck with me too.