Yuxiang eggplant and tomato egg soup at a Paju Chinese pub

Today I want to tell you about a night out with my husband — cold beer and golden, crispy lamb skewers at Sannaemaeul Yang Kkochi & Qingdao, a Chinese restaurant in Unjeong, Paju that we hadn't visited in a while.

Is parking easy at Sannaemaeul Yang Kkochi & Qingdao?

Sannaemaeul Yang Kkochi & Qingdao gives you free access to the basement parking lot of World Tower 3 at 573 Chaekhyanggi-ro. I usually avoid places where parking is a hassle, but the basement here was so spacious that there was zero stress from the moment we arrived. If you're driving in, you can relax and not worry about parking at all.

Grilling and flavor of the lamb skewers

We sat down and ordered the main event: yang kkochi. The moment the meat arrived, its bright red color stood out, and as soon as the skewers hit the charcoal, a delicious smell started drifting up.

What I loved most is the auto-rotating grill that flips the skewers on its own — so convenient! At most meat places my husband holds the tongs the whole time worrying about burning something, which makes it hard to actually talk. But since everything just turned by itself, he didn't have to think about the meat at all. That meant we could sip beer and finally catch up on things we hadn't had a chance to talk about, all while eating comfortably.

When I finally bit into a fully cooked skewer, there was absolutely none of that gamey lamb smell — just clean, mild flavor! The meat was tender rather than chewy, so it kept going in bite after bite. The table came loaded with cumin and various other spices and sauces, so it was fun mixing and matching to taste.

Yuxiang eggplant and tomato egg soup

It felt like a waste to eat only skewers, so we ordered a couple of side dishes too — and honestly, I'd say you have to try these. The yuxiang eggplant (fried eggplant coated in a tangy, sweet, spicy yuxiang sauce) was crispy outside and moist inside, an unbeatable drinking snack. Even people who aren't big eggplant fans would fall for this one.

We also ordered the tomato egg soup, and the fluffy egg combined with the deep umami of the tomato made for a warm, soothing, perfect little dish! Sipping it between bites of lamb skewer really refreshed the palate.

Free bean sprout stir-fry sent to every table

While we were deep into our meal, the owner sent a bean sprout stir-fry around to every table in the restaurant. I honestly didn't expect much from a freebie, but one bite in and my husband and I both looked at each other wide-eyed. The crunchy bean sprouts carried a subtle charcoal smokiness — it's not even on the menu, but it was so good that I found myself thinking, 'I'd pay for this separately without hesitation.'

The owner's generosity and thoughtfulness made the whole meal that much more enjoyable. Chatting comfortably with my husband over odor-free, delicious lamb skewers and a glass of Qingdao made for a truly satisfying day. If you're looking for a date or gathering spot near Paju or Unjeong, I'd highly recommend this place!

Store info

• Address: 573 Chaekhyanggi-ro, World Tower 3, 2nd floor, unit 205, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 16:00–02:00 (Closed 2nd and 4th Monday of each month)
• Parking: Free in the building's basement parking lot