Dasan lamb restaurant: table seats and seafood jjamppong, Jin 1926

I was craving lamb again, so I went back to Jin 1926 Dasan Branch (진1926 다산점), where I've been a few times already. It was my mom's birthday or something.. anyway, I went once and was so shocked by how good it was. If you're hunting for a lamb place near Dasan Station, you've probably heard of it, and it satisfies me every single time ☺️

Where is Jin 1926 Dasan Branch and what are its hours?

Jin 1926 Dasan Branch is at 2F Unit 209, Sinhae Central Tower 4, 21-5 Dasanjungang-ro 123beon-gil, Namyangju, Gyeonggi, South Korea, and it's open daily from 16:00 to 23:00. Group visits and reservations are possible, and there's Wi-Fi and separate men's and women's restrooms.

It's about a 3-minute walk from Exit 1 of Dasan Station, so it was easy to find straight from the station. Parking is also available in the building.

Atmosphere and seating at Jin 1926 Dasan Branch

Walking in, I loved how open it felt, with street lights visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Bottles of liquor line the window, and the soft lighting made it cozy even though it's a grill restaurant.

A duct comes down over each table, so ventilation is good and it feels like less smell sticks to your clothes... There are tables from 2 seats up to group seating for 20, plus bar seats and baby high chairs, so it looks great for family gatherings too.

Menu, prices and what we ordered

The menu runs in this order: assortments, sets, à la carte, sides, drinks. There's a French rack assortment (4 people) for ₩123,000, a 1926 assortment (4 people) for ₩116,000, and a distilled soju set (2 people) for ₩91,000.

• French rack 200g ₩33,000
• Lamb ribs 240g ₩31,000
• Lamb chuck flap 180g ₩29,000
• Jjamppong soup (spicy seafood noodle-style soup, side) ₩20,000

We ordered the French rack, lamb ribs and lamb chuck flap à la carte, and added the jjamppong soup as a side.

First came bean sprouts, Cheongyang chili peppers, pickled cabbage and dried radish strips. The sprouts were crunchy with a nutty sesame aroma, just right to eat between bites of meat.

Do they grill for you? My first time at a table seat

I'm told Jin 1926 Dasan Branch prepares Australian chilled lamb the same day and sells it the same day. Maybe that's why the meat quality is sooo good. We had 3 portions: French rack, lamb ribs and lamb chuck flap, and I'd never tried the chuck flap before, so I was super excited...

A staff member grills everything right at the table, so there's no need to worry about heat control, you just eat. I'd only ever sat at the bar, but the table seat is roomy too, and even though they were grilling right next to us, no smoke came over at all, which was great.

How each cut tastes: French rack, lamb ribs, chuck flap

French rack

The French rack is a lamb rack with the bone end neatly trimmed, and the fine marbling made it look great even before grilling.

Lamb ribs

The lamb ribs have lean meat and fat evenly mixed. As they grilled, the fat melted and a fragrant lamb aroma spread, and the more I chewed, the richer the meat flavor got!!

Golden outside, with a moist pink center inside, so it was tender, not tough. There was almost no gamey smell, just a clean, nutty flavor. Even a light dip in salt brought out the sweetness, so if it's your first time eating lamb, I'd recommend starting with this cut.

The meat around the bone was chewy and fun to gnaw on, and the lamb aroma was stronger than the French rack, so I think it suits people who love that signature lamb flavor. This was my favorite cut!!

Lamb chuck flap

They grill the lamb chuck flap in big cut pieces. The grain was nicely defined so it had the best chew, and the fat was just right, not greasy. I put a little wasabi on top and it tasted clean and refreshing.

Is the jjamppong soup worth ordering?

The jjamppong soup (₩20,000) was a must-have side with the meat. The one I ordered partway through the meal had mussels, shrimp, crab and octopus, with a heap of bean sprouts on top.

The broth was spicy with a rich seafood stock that tasted refreshing, and it wiped the greasiness right out of my mouth, so it's a side you have to order..!!

In summary

Jin 1926 near Dasan Station has great meat quality and even grills it for you, so I always leave feeling like it was an easy, comfortable meal. You can reserve through Naver, and if you follow the restaurant for notifications there's a review-event coupon for 1 lamb rib, so keep that in mind!!