Jeongja lamb restaurant: shoulder rack set after a workout, Yangmadam

My wife had a gathering and was out for the day, so I worked out and we planned to meet up for dinner.

Yangmadam Bangchon Lamb, Bundang Direct Branch: basic info

Yangmadam Bangchon Lamb, Bundang Direct Branch (양마담 방촌양고기 분당직영점) is at 162 Jeongjail-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on the first floor of Zelzon Tower 2. It is open 11:00–23:00 on weekdays (last order 22:15) and 15:00–23:00 on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays. You can use the Zelzon Tower underground parking.

• Clean, cozy wood interior
• Staff grill the shoulder rack for you
• Lamb served with a variety of sauces
• A space that suits both dates and company dinners

A Jeongja lamb spot I ended up at after working out

It had been a while since I'd been out in Jeongja, so I booked Yangmadam Bangchon Lamb in advance. The weather was lovely and not hot in the evening, a good day for a casual outing. I'd been looking for lamb ribs near Jeongja Station anyway, so it suited dinner well.

Where do you park at Yangmadam Bangchon Lamb?

Parking was easy in the basement of Zelzon Tower, the building where the restaurant is. When I came outside after parking, the wood interior and the sign were easy to spot. The "Lamb Bangchon" sign was bright, so even a first-time visitor can find it.

The exterior is tidy, and you can check the menu from outside. Being easy to reach by car, it looked like a decent meeting place in Jeongja too.

A cozy wood-toned space

Push through the wooden door and you find a small but cozy, wood-interior restaurant.

The whole place is wood-themed and felt well kept. It looked good for office workers having a company dinner in the evening. There were plants near the entrance, and we sat around there.

On one side inside, a range of drinks was displayed with names and alcohol percentages. Looking around while waiting for the food was quite fun.

Shoulder rack BBQ set: price and what's included

That day at Yangmadam Bangchon Lamb, I ordered the shoulder rack BBQ set for ₩68,000 and a bowl of rice for ₩1,000. The menu is neatly laid out, so choosing wasn't hard. I was curious about the set, which comes with dumpling gangjeong and a spicy lamb hotpot.

Seasoned cabbage came out first, along with several sauces served separately.

The kiosk screen at the front kindly lists the types of sauce. Knowing what each one was let me taste the differences better. They also told us in advance that the shoulder rack takes time to cook, so we waited comfortably.

How each sauce changed the shoulder rack's flavor

The shoulder rack arrives fully cooked on a green grill plate, with sauces and nachos. The green plate kept it warm.

The owner finished it once more with a torch and explained how done it should be. He said that if it's cooked too long it can turn tough, so the doneness matters.

Dipped in the barbecue sauce first, it was spicy with no gamey smell, and I liked the texture. With herb cumin (zira), the rack's flavor came through even more. I also tried it with the boiled-meat (suyuk) sauce, and it was fun that each sauce tasted different. If you're looking for lamb ribs near Jeongja Station, try mixing and matching the sauces.

Eating nachos between bites added a crunchy texture too.

Dumpling gangjeong and spicy lamb hotpot

The dumpling gangjeong included in the set is small but nicely crispy.

The filling is quite generous, so it's fine as a light, dessert-like bite.

Last came the spicy lamb hotpot (jeongol), a broth with lamb, bean sprouts and assorted vegetables. The broth was refreshing yet spicy and got my appetite going again. A spicy broth without rice would be a shame, so I ordered one bowl of rice. I mixed the vegetables and broth into the rice and even put a bit of meat on a spoonful.

The broth alone tasted spicy, but with rice the seasoning was just right. I liked that Yangmadam Bangchon Lamb lets you enjoy everything from grilled meat to hotpot in one meal. It's a comfortable place for dates, and for dinner gatherings or company dinners too.

A Jeongja Station lamb spot I'd go back to

I ate at leisure in Jeongja for the first time in a while, and it was a happier meal than I expected. The tender shoulder rack, the variety of sauces and the spicy hotpot make the set really solid. Next time I'd like to come back and try other dishes too.

Yangmadam Bangchon Lamb, Bundang Direct Branch: who it's for

• People looking for lamb ribs near Jeongja Station
• People wanting a lamb restaurant with a good date atmosphere
• People choosing a place for a company dinner or family gathering
• People who want to enjoy lamb with a variety of sauces