Gwangju lamb skewer restaurant after work: kkanpunggi at Jangbaeksan

One evening after work, I wanted to grab dinner with my girlfriend and have a casual beer. While thinking about what to eat, we both landed on lamb skewers, which we both love, so we headed to Jangbaeksan Yangkkochi Songjeong. I've always been a big fan of lamb skewers, but this was actually my first time at this particular spot. It's right near Gwangju Songjeong Station, so I'd passed by it plenty of times before — finally went in this day!

Cutting to the conclusion first: the lamb skewers were great, but honestly, the kkanpunggi (Chinese-style crispy sweet-spicy fried chicken) we ordered alongside them is what really stuck with me. My girlfriend enjoyed it so much she said we should come back — we both left satisfied.

Jangbaeksan, this lamb skewer restaurant near Gwangju Songjeong Station, is closed on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. It's also a registered merchant for the Gwangju Sangsaeng Card and Onnuri gift certificates, so both can be used here!

What Jangbaeksan Yangkkochi looks like at 7:30 pm, and the seating

We arrived at Jangbaeksan Yangkkochi Songjeong around 7:30pm on Thursday, September 3rd. We headed over right after work, and the place turned out to be bigger than I expected. We ate on the first floor, and by the time we got there, about 80% of the seats were already taken.

Customers kept streaming in while we ate, and most of them looked like office workers stopping by for dinner after work, just like us. Since it's a lamb skewer spot, naturally a lot of tables had drinks going too. The restaurant is spacious with generous spacing between tables, so even with a full house it never felt cramped. There were also tables big enough for groups, which made me think this would work well for a team dinner with coworkers too. The owner was friendly and welcoming, which made a great first impression.

Jangbaeksan Yangkkochi has a good selection of Chinese liquors on display. With drinks paired to match the various Chinese dishes, it seems like you can enjoy the food even more~!

What we ordered: 2 servings of lamb skewers, kkanpunggi and beer

That night we ordered 2 servings of lamb skewers, kkanpunggi, and — since beer is a must with lamb skewers! — both Tsingtao and Harbin.

Lamb skewers have to be grilled over charcoal, of course!! They set up the charcoal as soon as it's ready.

Each serving came with 10 skewers, so the portion was plenty for two. The lamb looked really fresh and was well coated in seasoning — it looked delicious.

And here's the egg soup that came as a free side — free, but it tasted amazing!! Perfect with soju too~~

Auto-rotating charcoal grill: how easy is the grilling?

From the moment they arrived, the meat on the Jangbaeksan Yangkkochi skewers looked fresh, and the seasoning looked appetizing. The amount of meat on each skewer was just right. Once placed on the grill, they rotate automatically as they cook, which made grilling really easy.

Usually flipping lamb skewers yourself takes a fair bit of attention, but here you just set them down, wait until they're done, and pull them off to eat — that's it! It made for great conversation-over-beer time while the skewers cooked.

Do the lamb skewers taste gamey? Seasoned well enough to skip the cumin

I tried a well-cooked skewer, and it was much more tender than I expected. What I liked most was that there was barely any of that gamey lamb smell. Grilled over charcoal, the meat had a subtle smoky flavor that really let the lamb shine through. It wasn't greasy or heavy either — light and easy to eat.

Lamb skewers are usually dipped generously in zira (cumin spice mix). I like zira too, so I tried it that way at first... but honestly, these skewers tasted even better eaten plain, with no dip at all. The seasoning already on the meat was just right — not overpowering, but enough that you didn't really need extra sauce. Dipping in zira does bring out that signature lamb-skewer aroma even more, but personally, eating it plain let the charcoal smokiness and the meat flavor come through better.

One skewer, a sip of Tsingtao. Another skewer, a sip of Harbin, haha. Lamb skewers and beer really are a combination that's hard to mess up. It was the perfect match for an after-work beer.

The star of the night: Jangbaeksan Yangkkochi's kkanpunggi

The lamb skewers were satisfying, but the dish we both really loved that night was the kkanpunggi. Even when it first arrived, the portion looked bigger than expected.

One bite in, and it felt different from the usual kkanpunggi I've had before. Crispy on the outside, tender meat inside, and above all, I loved the seasoning. A lot of places lean heavy on sweetness or overpowering sauce when you order kkanpunggi. But Jangbaeksan's version wasn't just sweet — it had a spicy kick along with that distinct aroma and flavor of authentic Chinese cooking.

The moment we tried it, my girlfriend and I both went "this kkanpunggi is so good," and kept reaching for more, haha. Eating a skewer, grabbing a piece of kkanpunggi, washing it down with beer — such a great combo. Lamb skewers were actually what I was most looking forward to that night, but the kkanpunggi exceeded expectations. If I come back to Jangbaeksan Yangkkochi, I'll order the kkanpunggi again without a second thought.

A menu that reads like a Chinese restaurant in China

Jangbaeksan Yangkkochi felt less like your typical lamb skewer joint and more like an actual restaurant in China. The menu is especially varied, and the flavors felt a bit different from the usual Korean-style Chinese food I'm used to.

The kkanpunggi we had really stood out in that way. It made me want to try more dishes next time instead of sticking to just lamb skewers and kkanpunggi. It's great for two people, but with a bigger group, you could order everything from skewers to a range of Chinese dishes and share — sounds like even more fun. That's a big part of why I think it'd work well for a team dinner or group gathering too.

How much for two? About 70,000 won

Between the 2 servings of lamb skewers, kkanpunggi, and beer, we were genuinely full. I don't remember the exact total, but it came out to around ₩70,000. The portions were generous for the price, and overall the satisfaction with the food itself was high.

The lamb skewers were tender with no gamey smell and had a nice smoky char, and the kkanpunggi we'd been looking forward to exceeded expectations! My girlfriend clearly enjoyed it too, since she said we should come back while we were still eating. I'm 100% up for going again as well. It's worth a shot not just for regular lamb skewer fans, but also for anyone who's avoided lamb skewers before because of the smell.

This was my first time at Jangbaeksan Yangkkochi Songjeong. We went casually for a beer after work with my girlfriend, and it turned out to be a much more satisfying dinner than I expected. What I personally liked most was the tender, gamey-smell-free lamb skewers, the charcoal aroma, and the kkanpunggi! I'm definitely ordering the kkanpunggi again on my next visit for sure. The restaurant is spacious too, so it seems good not just for dates but for work dinners and group gatherings. If you're looking for a dinner spot near Gwangju Songjeong Station, or just want lamb skewers with a cold beer some evening in Songjeong-dong, Gwangju, this place is worth checking out.

Parking and transit: getting to Jangbaeksan Yangkkochi Songjeong

The location of Jangbaeksan Yangkkochi Songjeong was another plus for me. Being right near Gwangju Songjeong Station made it easy to find. There's a bus stop nearby too, so it looked convenient to reach by public transit. If you're planning to have a drink with your lamb skewers, it's a nice advantage that the location makes it easy to leave the car at home and take public transit instead.

We parked at the 1913 Songjeong Market parking tower and walked over, which wasn't inconvenient at all. We were told parking is also available in the open lot next to the restaurant, but we used the parking tower for convenience instead. If you have plans near Gwangju Songjeong Station or need a meal before or after catching a train, this spot's accessibility should work out well.