Gangnam lamb chop restaurant with highballs, no gamey smell: Yuklab

A Gangnam Station meat restaurant with juicy Korean beef and lamb, plus highballs — the perfect recommendation for a Gangnam Station get-together!

I'd been busy lately and finally made plans with a friend to meet up in Gangnam. Since it had been a while, I wanted to grill some really good meat, so I searched all over for beef restaurants near Gangnam Station and meat places near Sinnonhyeon Station. That's how I found Yuklab Gangnam, which apparently does both beef and lamb really well and cleanly — so I went to check it out.

Where is Yuklab Gangnam? A 3-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 11

Yuklab Gangnam is in the Yeoksam-dong strip of meat restaurants, a short walk from Gangnam Station Exit 11. The entrance leading up to the second floor is easy to spot.

Inside Yuklab Gangnam: whiskey display and private rooms

Walking into Yuklab Gangnam, I was a little surprised at first because it felt so different from a typical Korean BBQ restaurant.

One wall had rows of fancy liquor and whiskey bottles lined up.

The lighting was soft and the vibe was hip, feeling just right for eating Korean beef.

Looking around, the tables were spaced pretty generously, so it never felt cramped,

and toward the back there were separate private rooms, good for work dinners or gatherings.

I thought that if I ever need a Gangnam Station work dinner spot, everyone would be happy with this place.

What comes in the 2-person Yuklab set, and the highballs

We sat down, turned on the tablet, and slowly went through the menu. There were à la carte options too, but since we'd come all this way, we wanted to try a bit of everything, so we picked the '2-person Yuklab set.'

It came with jingalbisal, tosisal, lamb chops, grillable cheese, and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) — the value looked really good. And the highball selection here was genuinely huge, so my friend and I spent a while just browsing the menu together.

We each ordered a highball to sip cold alongside the meat.

Side dishes and the four dipping sauces

After a short wait, the banchan (side dishes) arrived first.

Kimchi, pickles, and salad were plated neatly and cleanly. What I especially liked were the sauces! There was wasabi and whole-grain mustard sauce for the beef, which really boosted the flavor.

On top of that, there was Himalayan salt and a cumin (jjeuran) sauce specifically for the lamb,

so it was easy to pick the right dip for each cut of meat.

Charcoal heat and the order to grill in

Next, they brought out the charcoal, and I was surprised at how strong the heat was!

With fire that good, I figured the meat would cook up delicious. Haha 🔥 And here's the raw meat platter from the Yuklab set that came out right after!

The marbling looked beautiful and the color looked so fresh that my mouth was watering just looking at it. The staff kindly explained the grilling order when they brought the meat over — beef first, then lamb at the end.

They also tipped us that the square cheese included in the set could slip through the grill grate, so we should place it on top of vegetables or meat to melt it gently. Little touches like that felt really thoughtful.

How do the jingalbisal and tosisal taste? Tender and juicy

Luckily, my friend is quite skilled at grilling meat, so I just sat back and happily ate what was handed to me, haha.

We grilled the meat in small batches over the strong charcoal, cooking each piece just right. None of the beef cuts were tough at all — they were genuinely tender and juicy.

Dipped in salt, a touch of wasabi, or the mustard, and paired with grilled vegetables in between, the flavors kept coming without ever getting repetitive.

Do Yuklab's lamb chops have a gamey smell?

Once we'd mostly finished the beef, we grilled the lamb, half excited and half worried.

I'm a bit sensitive to smells. But since Yuklab uses certified young lamb, there was genuinely zero gamey or funky smell!

It was actually just as delicious and tender as the beef, if not more so —

"This is so good!" we said, dipping piece after piece into the jjeuran sauce and devouring it.

Doenjang jjigae and the Naver review event

Partway through the meal, a hot doenjang jjigae arrived too.

It was packed with ingredients and had a rich, savory broth that cut through the greasiness of the meat — so good. A stew is really essential when eating meat, haha. And looking at the tablet on the table, there was a Naver review event running too!

Depending on your party size, you can get freebies like steamed egg, cheese, drinks, alcohol, or a payment discount, so definitely make sure to check it out if you're going!

Is Yuklab Gangnam good for a Gangnam Station work dinner?

Catching up with my friend after a while, in a classy atmosphere with great meat and a cold highball to chat over — it was a really good time.

The restaurant is spacious and the rooms are well set up, so I thought it'd be great to come back with a bigger group of friends or for a work dinner. If you're looking for a beef restaurant near Gangnam Station or a meat place near Sinnonhyeon Station, Yuklab Gangnam is worth a visit!

Yuklab Gangnam: hours, location and reservations

• Address: 28-6 Teheran-ro 1-gil, 2F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Sun–Mon 16:00–23:00
• 3-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 11
• Group tables, private rooms, Naver Reservation available