Napkin-wrapped lamb shoulder rack at Sanghyeon Station: Hwaro Yangmi

Why I went back to Hwaro Yangmi near Sanghyeon Station

Hwaro Yangmi Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Station Branch (화로양미 광교상현역점) is a charcoal lamb grill on the first floor of Gwanggyo Advance Hill, near Sanghyeon Station. Everyone I went with last time said it was delicious, so I returned. On a chilly early evening, with a brisk wind blowing, I craved charcoal-grilled lamb and a drink, so I headed back to this Gwanggyo lamb rib favorite.

Hwaro Yangmi hours, parking and facilities

The restaurant is open daily 16:00–23:00, and on Saturdays and Sundays 12:00–22:00, with last order 30 minutes before closing. Groups, takeout, reservations and delivery are all available.

It's on the first floor of Gwanggyo Advance Hill, so it's easy to get into. There's a terrace where pets are welcome, free parking in the underground car park, and corkage service too.

Partitioned seats for a group dinner near Sanghyeon Station

One of the signatures here is that every table has a tall partition, which makes the atmosphere more private.

The window seats in particular are separated from the main hall, almost like a private room, and look perfect for a company dinner.

The table is neatly set with salt and other seasonings, and the table paper has a description of the French rack.

What kind of lamb does Hwaro Yangmi serve?

They say the restaurant flies in top-grade Australian lamb under one year old, chilled and never frozen. As a result, they say, it's juicy and tender with no gamey smell at all.

Hwaro Yangmi menu and prices

The main items are shoulder rack 250g for ₩27,000, the special mixed set 490g for ₩54,000, and French rack 200g for ₩31,000, among others. Tasty, neat side dishes such as wild garlic (myeongi namul) pickles and fried peanuts were set out first.

• Shoulder rack 250g ₩27,000
• Special mixed set (3 items including shoulder rack) 490g ₩54,000
• French rack 200g ₩31,000
• Aged raw lamb skewers (9 pieces) ₩16,000
• Lamb loin 150g ₩22,000

Bottles of Yantai gaoliang liquor (a Chinese sorghum spirit) are on display, and they also serve various Chinese dishes such as dongpo pork.

Special mixed set and aged lamb skewers for two

We ordered the special mixed set, one of Hwaro Yangmi's signatures, which comes with raw shoulder rack, raw lamb loin and raw seasoned mini lamb ribs.

The set alone looks like enough for two, but you can't skip lamb skewers at a Gwanggyo lamb rib place. These are juicy aged raw skewers made from unfrozen lamb under one year old from a clean region of Australia.

Staff grill the lamb at your table

Another feature is that staff grill the meat for you over real charcoal. The blazing charcoal is quite a sight, too. Meat just tastes best grilled over charcoal like this.

Grilling can be a hassle, but if you can't get the doneness right, you ruin the meat.

Lamb shoulder rack handed over in a napkin

A friendly, skilled server grilled the shoulder rack expertly, then wrapped the bone of one well-cooked piece in a napkin and handed it to me. I dabbed on a little mustard and dipped it lightly in salt: not a hint of gaminess, and tearing the meat off the bone was the best part. I should have taken a photo, but I was too busy eating, so I missed it.

Lamb loin wrapped in pickled wild garlic leaves (myeongi)

After the shoulder rack, the server grilled the lamb loin and even cut it into bite-size pieces. The juicy, glistening look is no joke.

I wrapped a piece of loin in slightly salty wild garlic pickle and popped it in my mouth. Heavenly, and my hand reached for my glass all on its own.

How the seasoned mini lamb ribs taste

Next came the seasoned ribs. Before grilling, the bones didn't show, but once grilled, the little white rib bones peeked out adorably.

I held a rib in one hand and took a photo with the other, so the focus is totally off, haha. The seasoned ribs were slightly chewier than the loin but had a nice texture, and the marinade had soaked in well, so they tasted great.

How were the aged raw lamb skewers?

The aged raw skewers were generous and nicely chewy, but the meat flavor felt weaker than the loin or the ribs. I ordered them anyway because I couldn't skip them, and pulling the meat off the skewer piece by piece was quite fun.

I picked up one long lamb skewer, and this photo is a mess too.

Warm noodles to finish the lamb BBQ

After finishing all the meat, I ordered warm noodles (onmyeon) as a meal. Look at the oil floating on top! I was already full, but I'm glad I added the noodles. The broth was rich and savory and the noodles were soft and tasty, a very good way to end.

The restaurant is near Exit 2 of Sanghyeon Station.

A free bottle of soju or beer for a review

Another perk at Hwaro Yangmi Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Station Branch is a free bottle of alcohol for writing a review. If you post your receipt and photos of the meat on Naver Place, you get a bottle of soju or beer on the house.