Gyodae Chinese restaurant, cola-not-soju date: Hanseong Yang Kkochi

Today I want to share our visit to a well-known Gyodae spot, Hanseong Yang Kkochi, where we tried lamb skewers and mala xiangguo. We went to the Gyodae Branch 2 location. After watching the Yumi's Cells musical at the Seoul Arts Center over the weekend, we were looking for somewhere nearby for dinner and ended up here. We ordered lamb skewers, lamb loin skewers, and mala xiangguo together, and the combination turned out better than expected.

Where is Hanseong Yang Kkochi Gyodae Branch 2, and what is it like inside?

This time we visited Hanseong Yang Kkochi Gyodae Branch 2, located at 63 Seochodae-ro 50-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul. It's a great spot to visit near Gyodae Station when you want lamb skewers and mala xiangguo together.

When we walked in, the side dishes came out first — chili powder, pickled mustard greens, beans, onions, and more. It was a nice lineup to go with the lamb skewers, so we ended up picking at them one by one even before the main dishes arrived. haha

The order: lamb skewers, lamb loin skewers, mala xiangguo and cola

That day we ordered one mala xiangguo, one lamb skewer, and one lamb loin skewer. Partway through we added a cola too. Beer or other alcohol pairs really well with lamb skewers, but since we've been managing our health lately, we went with cola instead this time. 😅

We also got chili powder and cumin to go with the lamb skewers. My wife said cumin tastes great with lamb skewers, so I dipped a generous amount in and tried it too. It has a distinctive scent, but it's not as strong as cilantro, so it was easier to eat than I expected. The chili peppers next to it had a sweet yet spicy kick that went well with the lamb, though eating a large piece at once can be surprisingly spicy, so I'd recommend cutting it into smaller bites.

After a short wait, the lamb skewers and lamb loin skewers arrived in full. The lamb loin skewer came with about 6 thick pieces of lamb, while the regular lamb skewer had about 10 comparatively smaller pieces. Comparing them side by side in photos, the lamb loin skewer clearly had chunkier pieces of meat. Both came pre-seasoned with a basic marinade.

This is the Hanseong Yang Kkochi menu. That day we ordered lamb skewers, lamb loin skewers, mala xiangguo, and drinks. If you're visiting as a pair, ordering one of each skewer to compare seems like a good idea.

While waiting for the lamb skewers, I read the explanation of cumin on the table. You can't skip cumin at a lamb skewer restaurant, right? haha Thanks to its distinctive aroma and flavor, it seemed to add extra depth when eaten with the lamb.

Review event and the two-order minimum on skewers

Hanseong Yang Kkochi was also running a review event. If you write a review and show it to staff, you can get a free side of dumplings, corn noodles, or fried flower bread, so it's worth keeping in mind if you plan to visit. We didn't use the review event that day. Also, note that skewers must be ordered 2 or more at a time, so keep that in mind when ordering.

Grilling the lamb skewers at the table

We ordered one lamb skewer and one lamb loin skewer and grilled them together. I took photos and video of the skewers cooking. Watching them slowly rotate and cook made me even hungrier. haha

The interior was relatively clean and the tables seemed spacious. It was a good spot for a date for two like us, but looking at the table sizes, it also seemed well-suited for company dinners or group gatherings.

The restroom is on the 2nd floor to the right after exiting the restaurant. I stepped out for a quick bathroom break, and by the time I came back, the lamb skewers had cooked up nicely. haha

Once the lamb skewers and lamb loin skewers were cooked enough, we tried them one at a time. Since lamb skewers can burn on the outside if grilled too long, it's better to move the properly cooked pieces to the edge as you eat. We tried the golden-brown lamb with cumin and chili powder.

How mala xiangguo tastes alongside the lamb skewers

In the meantime, the mala xiangguo we'd been waiting for arrived. It was loaded with various vegetables, noodles, shrimp, and more ingredients. I didn't pick the ingredients individually — we just ate the dish as it came. The spicy, numbing aroma unique to mala xiangguo felt totally different from the lamb skewers.

The lamb paired well with chili powder and cumin, or with pickled mustard greens. Adding cumin's aroma, chili powder's spiciness, and the salty flavor of the pickled mustard greens to the mild lamb made for more variety than sticking to just one way of eating it.

Eating the lamb with chili peppers gave it a sweet-yet-spicy kick too. But the peppers had quite a bit of heat, so I'd recommend eating them a little at a time. Alternating between a lamb skewer and some mala xiangguo kept the flavors from getting monotonous, and picking out the different vegetables and ingredients in the mala xiangguo was fun too.

Eventually we couldn't resist and ordered a cola too. Beer would've paired amazingly with lamb skewers, but we went with a cold cola instead that day. haha We took a bite of lamb with cumin and chili powder alongside the chilled soda.

The variety of vegetables and ingredients in the mala xiangguo also went well with the lamb. Eating the mildly spicy mala flavor, vegetables, and lamb together and finishing with cola kept us reaching for more.

Lamb skewers vs lamb loin skewers: size and texture

As we ate, we compared the meat sizes of the regular lamb skewer and the lamb loin skewer. As shown in the photo, the lamb skewer is on the left and the lamb loin skewer is on the right. The lamb loin skewer clearly has chunkier pieces of meat. It was fun to order both together and compare them directly.

The table had utensils, napkins, a bottle opener, cumin, and more all set up. It was convenient to grab whatever we needed right away.

We ate the lamb skewers this way, mixing in various sauces, chili powder, pickled mustard greens, and cumin. Even with the same lamb skewer, the flavor changed depending on what we paired it with, so it was fun trying different combinations. Ordering mala xiangguo alongside it made the whole spread even more varied.

At the end, we topped an onion piece with lamb, pickled mustard greens, and chili powder. We enjoyed every last bite and wrapped up the meal cleanly. For us, wanting to eat lamb skewers and mala xiangguo together, it was a satisfying dinner. 😄 If you're looking for a lamb skewer restaurant in Gyodae, I think Hanseong Yang Kkochi is worth a visit.

We didn't use them, but there were aprons set up on one side of the restaurant. Since oil or sauce can splatter while eating lamb skewers, it's a good option if you need one. On our way out, they even gave us a candy each, and we left happy. haha

Is Hanseong Yang Kkochi a good Gyodae date dinner?

Hanseong Yang Kkochi Gyodae Branch 2, visited after watching the Yumi's Cells musical at the Seoul Arts Center. That day we ordered lamb skewers, lamb loin skewers, and mala xiangguo together. We got to pair the lamb with a variety of cumin, chili powder, and pickled mustard greens, and adding mala xiangguo to the order let us enjoy a wide range of flavors.

If you're on a date in Gyodae and want to eat lamb skewers and mala xiangguo together, Hanseong Yang Kkochi is worth considering. Next time I visit again, I'd like to try the eggplant dish I didn't get to order this time. I love eggplant dishes too, so I plan to have it alongside everything else on my next visit. haha