Jonggak Station lamb and beef BBQ: staff-trimmed lamb chops, Yukrab

Let me introduce Yukrab Jongno (육랩 종로점), a Jonggak Station restaurant where you can enjoy beef, lamb chops and more.

Where is Yukrab Jongno, and what are the opening hours?

Yukrab Jongno is at 42 Ujeongguk-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd floor, a 5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Jonggak Station. It is open 16:00-23:00 on weekdays and 15:00-23:00 on weekends.

It's a good-value beef spot in Jongno where you can enjoy both beef and lamb without fuss.

It's in the bar alley near Jonggak Station, so it's easy to reach by public transport. There's a wide range of drinks, including wine, traditional liquor (Hwayo, Ilpum Jinro) and highballs (Suntory, Jim Beam, Yeontae and more), so you can pair them with the beef to your taste.

Yukrab Jongno atmosphere and seating

The interior is unified in black, so it feels clean and upscale. The hall is divided by partitions so you can eat on your own, and there are private rooms too, so I'd recommend it for gatherings, company dinners and dates.

Yukrab Jongno menu

• Meat: jingalbisal (prime short rib meat), sirloin, toshisal (chuck flap tail), lamb chops, 2++ Hanwoo (Korean beef) tenderloin, 2++ Hanwoo chateaubriand
• Sets: galbi set for 2, Yukrab set for 2, chateaubriand set for 2, mixed set for 3, value set for 3
• Sides: yukhoe (beef tartare), chadol jjamppong (brisket spicy noodle soup), kimchi fried rice, 10-second cheese, doenjang stew, mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth), bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles), steamed egg, steamed rice

We ordered the Yukrab set for 2. It came with neatly laid-out banchan (side dishes) like pickled onion, pickled myeongi (wild garlic), gochu doenjang muchim (chili and soybean paste seasoning) and cabbage salad, plus sauces for the meat: garlic sauce, fresh wasabi, salt, curry powder and zhiran (cumin seasoning).

What comes in the ₩67,000 Yukrab set for two?

The Yukrab set for 2 at Yukrab Jongno has 120g of jingalbisal, 120g of toshisal and 230g of lamb chops, with doenjang stew and three slices of 10-second cheese. ₩67,000 is a really kind price, and the lineup is great!

The Australian wagyu and US beef don't fall behind Hanwoo in marbling or flavor, and they say the lamb is only from young lambs, ethically slaughtered and halal certified.

Do you grill your own meat at Yukrab Jongno, and in what order?

At Yukrab Jongno you grill the meat yourself over charcoal. Go in the order jingalbisal, toshisal, lamb chops. Once you've browned the outside of the lamb chops nicely, you call a staff member and they cut the meat off the bone for you.

Restaurants where staff grill for you are nice too, but with beef I like grilling slowly, one piece at a time, so doing it myself was better. You can also chat quietly in a private room, so I'd recommend it for a date or a blind date.

Great meat without a drink would be a letdown, right? Soju and beer were ₩3,000 off, so I couldn't not order some.

Jingalbisal: tender beef rib meat with salt and wasabi

Jingalbisal is the top cut of beef short rib, with tender meat and marbling as pretty as blooming flowers, which is why it's called kkotgalbisal (flower rib meat). Both texture and taste are soft, and it went well with salt or wasabi.

₩3,900 steamed egg and the set's doenjang jjigae

The steamed egg (₩3,900) was so reasonably priced that I ordered it as a side. The set already includes doenjang stew, so ordering steamed rice to finish with carbs would be nice too.

The doenjang stew was packed with tofu, mushrooms, onion and more, and wasn't salty, so thumbs up. The steamed egg was fluffy and tasty too.

Toshisal with 10-second cheese

Toshisal is a special cut from inside the beef rib, known for its deep flavor and lean, clean taste.

Grilling vegetables come too: eggplant, zucchini, sweet pumpkin, cherry tomatoes and pineapple. I ate toshisal while grilling the lamb chops at the same time.

Toshisal has a strong beefy aroma, so opinions are split, but with cheese I could enjoy it much more.

How to eat the staff-trimmed lamb chops at Yukrab Jongno

The lamb chops at Yukrab Jongno are grilled until the outside is almost charred. I called a staff member, and they cut the meat up so it was easy to eat.

Lamb gets tough if you cook it too long too, so I put it on the tray and grilled it one piece at a time.

The beef is good, but please do eat the lamb chops at Yukrab! No gamey smell at all, rich and nutty, and the flavor is crazy good.

A walk along Cheonggyecheon Stream after dinner

I was so full that I couldn't eat the rice or naengmyeon. To digest after the tasty meal, I took a walk along Cheonggyecheon (the stream in central Seoul).

Yukrab Jongno lets you eat beef and lamb chops at great value, and I recommend it as a Jonggak Station restaurant.