Seolleung Peking duck bar: half duck and fried rice for two at Mirim

Back when I was studying abroad as a kid, I had a Chinese friend I really clicked with. Thanks to her, I visited loads of local Chinese restaurants where the locals go. Among them, the crispy, savory Peking duck (beijingdeok, or bukgyeong-oori in Korean) we ate on every special occasion is still one of my all-time soul foods, and it pops into my head out of nowhere.

Lately that taste of old times, chatting away happily with my friend, keeps flickering in my mind. And my boyfriend happens to love Peking duck so much he'd jump out of bed in the middle of the night for it, so for a weekend treat and a change of mood we went to Mirim Yangjang, a famous Seolleung restaurant.

What's the atmosphere like at Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch?

Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch (미림양장 선릉점) is a Peking duck specialist on the basement level of a building on a backstreet in the middle of Seolleung Station's area, with the cozy, quiet mood that basements have. Open the ground-floor entrance door and walk down the stairs, and the restaurant is right there.

I followed the navigation and found the place neatly tucked into a central Seolleung alley. You open the ground-floor door, find a staircase going down, and when you head down to the basement, the stylish interior opens up right in front of you.

Funny thing: Mirim Yangjang, this Peking duck brand, has branches in several areas, and somehow so many of them seem to be hidden in basements. That cozy, slightly secretive, Taiwan-or-Hong-Kong-local-pub kind of exotic vibe goes strangely well with Peking duck, so I actually loved it.

Private rooms for team dinners, a quiet hall for dates

Besides hall tables, Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch has about 3 private rooms that fit 10 or more, so big company groups can use the rooms while couples eat in the quiet hall. It's popular, so we booked ahead too.

When we walked in, the staff greeted us very kindly and the first thing they asked was whether we had a reservation. This is such a popular Seolleung spot that we had booked in advance, and after checking they showed us straight to a nicely set table.

Glancing around, besides the hall tables there were about 3 separate rooms for private dining. Each room looked spacious enough to easily seat 10 or more. Sure enough, we saw lots of office workers from nearby heading into the rooms for company dinners.

Because the groups disappear into the rooms, no noise leaks out into the hall, so couples on a date like us could eat quietly and cozily outside. It was a very satisfying layout.

What should two people order at Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch?

For two people at Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch, the most popular combo is the signature half Peking duck plus fried rice. The fried rice is a side that can only be added when you order Peking duck.

After sitting down and reading the menu carefully, we first picked the house signature, half a Peking duck. Then, since it felt like something was missing without rice, we added fried rice as our meal. As the menu itself states, this fried rice is a special side that can only be ordered when you order Peking duck. We heard this combo is the most popular for two, so we ordered it like a set without hesitating.

While waiting for the food we also ordered a cold can of cola, and the staff thoughtfully brought it right over with a cup of ice. The fizz cleaned up my palate while I waited, excited for the main dish.

How does Mirim Yangjang's Peking duck taste?

The half Peking duck at Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch was crispy outside and juicy inside, with skin that crackled and meat that wasn't dry at all. You wrap it in a thin wheat pancake with a sweet-salty special sauce, shredded scallion and cucumber.

Soon the neatly carved half duck arrived at our table.

The glossy duck came with a sweet-salty special sauce, plus finely, delicately shredded scallion and cucumber, all arranged neatly on a big plate.

How to eat Peking duck

You all know the proper way to eat Peking duck, right? Spread one thin, chewy pancake wide on your plate, then gently lay a piece of duck dipped generously in the special sauce on top.

Then add some shredded scallion for a sharp kick and cucumber for a crisp, cool crunch, roll it up neatly like a wrap, and pop it into your mouth in one bite.

The second it hit my mouth I couldn't help exclaiming. The house sauce isn't salty but has a deep savory richness that brings out the duck's flavor several times over.

Above all, the duck itself had not one bit of dryness, with crispy skin and meat so tender it practically melted. All I could say was that it's the best.

It flashed me back to that nostalgic taste of eating without even breathing at a local alley restaurant with my Chinese friend from my study-abroad days, and my heart ached a little.

My boyfriend took a bite too and said the savory fat of the skin and the clean taste of the meat were art, and he kept wrapping away diligently.

Is half a Peking duck enough for two?

For a big-eater couple, half a Peking duck alone at Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch didn't feel like a lot of meat. It comes sliced mostly as meat without the bones, so for two people you need to add the fried rice to feel full.

One tip worth knowing in advance: given the nature of Peking duck, ordering only half a duck didn't feel like much meat for us, a big-eater couple. The duck bones are left out and it's neatly sliced, mostly tender meat, so if you visit as two, definitely order the fried rice meal too, like we did, to end up properly full and satisfied.

Smoky wok-fried rice to finish

The fried rice arrived at a good moment, when we were about halfway through the duck, and it was the peak of fluffy and loose. Every grain was nicely coated, and the strong smoky wok aroma typical of Chinese cooking drifted gently, so it passed the test from the smell alone.

It was stir-fried clean and light rather than oily, and putting a piece of duck dipped in the sweet Peking duck sauce on top of the rice made a perfectly balanced bite. Alternating a bite of meat with a spoonful of fried rice, we ended up scraping up every last grain. It was a meal with a bewitching charm.

Do you need to book Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch?

Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch is popular and the duck takes time to roast, so I strongly recommend booking ahead, such as through Naver, on weekends or at peak times. With its quiet hall and private rooms, it also worked well as a date spot near Seolleung.

Reliving the fresh memories of my study-abroad days, and treating my Peking-duck-loving boyfriend to a properly high-quality feast, I felt proud and happy walking out after the meal. The place is clean, and thanks to the private rooms there's no noise, so we could focus on our conversation. I'm now convinced there's no better date course near Seolleung.

Since it's so popular and the duck takes time to roast, if you're planning to visit on a weekend or at peak time, I really recommend booking ahead, for example through Naver. If you want to properly enjoy tender, crispy-outside-juicy-inside Peking duck and the wok-aroma fried rice, the perfect pairing, in a cozy space, why not take a memory-lane date to Mirim Yangjang in Seolleung this weekend?