Balsan Station lamb restaurant: chef's flower rib meat tip, Hwarodam

French rack, shoulder rack and flower rib meat at Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok

What I ate that day at Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok, a Magok favorite, were three cuts: French rack, shoulder rack, and flower rib meat (꽃갈비살). I think I now have to divide my thinking about lamb into before and after this visit.

And no, this isn't just a slight shift in opinion. It felt different enough that I might need a whole new category for lamb. That's how much of a shock it was. It's a little surprising that lamb can taste this good.

Going from the French rack to the shoulder rack to the flower rib meat, bite by bite, I kept thinking, "Wait, is this what lamb was actually supposed to be?" After this day, I don't think I can think about lamb the same way again.

Chinese food in Magok, too

To start with what we ordered: French rack, shoulder rack, and flower rib meat. Turns out you don't have to stick to skewers just because you're at a lamb skewer place.

There's fun in picking different cuts, and pairing them with Chinese dishes made the meal feel less like a single sitting and more like a quick trip to China. So I gave the day my own title: "A trip to China, from Magok." Why go far? You can eat lamb and Chinese food together right here in Magok.

How close is Hwarodam Yang Kkochi to Balsan Station?

Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok is about 298 meters from Exit 9 of Balsan Station. It's located at 66 Magokjungang 6-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 2F 207–209, Queens Park 10, South Korea. Being close to the station made it easy to find.

Parking at Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok

Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok has access to the building's parking lot. I always check parking before heading to a restaurant, and this lot was bigger than I expected, so driving over wasn't a hassle at all.

It seemed like a comfortable spot for a relaxed meal if you're driving. I figured I wouldn't have to worry much about parking next time I come for a work dinner either.

Seating you can eat in without minding the next table

I liked that the seats at Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok are separated from neighboring tables. With some distance between tables, you can eat comfortably without worrying about who's next to you.

It worked well for two of us, but I imagine a bigger group would find this kind of setup even more comfortable to eat in.

The menu is on a tablet too, with photos that make it easy to see what you're ordering.

Since the menu turned out to have more variety than I expected, being able to browse and pick right away was surprisingly convenient.

A system where you look at a photo and order right there.

A tidy setup

Why the name Hwarodam (charcoal-brazier house) fits

Inside Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok there's an actual charcoal fire pit where they pre-grill the meat.

They bring the pre-grilled meat to the table. At first I just thought, "I guess there's a fire pit since it's called Hwarodam," but seeing it in person, the name suddenly made sense. Compared to grilling from scratch at the table,

having it come out pre-grilled made it easier to eat, and I didn't have to keep flipping the meat and worrying about it burning. That's part of what makes Hwarodam's approach fun.

Charcoal is still the heart of the grill

Finally, the charcoal comes to the table. Lamb really should be eaten in front of a charcoal fire like this.

The moment the coals come up, the anticipation builds. Now it's time to put the meat on and really eat.

Starting with the French rack

First I tried the French rack. Looking at something on a menu and actually ordering and eating it are two different things.

That day, instead of skewers, we picked out the French rack, shoulder rack, and flower rib meat one by one.

Trying several cuts instead of just one made for a fun comparison as we ate. "This one's good, and I should try that one too."

In the end, one bite led straight into reaching for the next cut.

Shoulder rack: the pick of the night

After the French rack, we moved on to shoulder rack. I figured lamb chops would all taste similar, but eating them side by side, it was a different experience.

After the French rack I thought, "This is already plenty," but

once I had the shoulder rack, it was, "Wait, I need to try this too." So we moved on to the next dish.

Choosing between cuts of lamb like this turned out to be a lot of fun.

How the Yanji chef says to eat flower rib meat

For the flower rib meat at Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok, a chef from Yanji showed us how to eat it. He told us to cut it a bit bigger and longer than usual, stuff a whole piece in one bite, and really chew it.

So we ordered the flower rib meat too. That day we tried three cuts—French rack, shoulder rack, and flower rib meat—and with each one, my thinking about lamb shifted a little more.

At first I'd just come to eat lamb, but bite after bite, I found myself saying, "Ah, so this is why people come for lamb."

Following his instructions, I took a big bite and chewed. The moment I did, flavor and juice burst together and "Whoa, what is this?" came out of my mouth right away.

Cut the flower rib meat a little bigger and eat it in one big bite. Eating it the way the chef showed us, I understood immediately why he told us to eat it that way.

Even the cola arrives with an iced glass

I like little details like this. We ordered cola, and it came with a big glass full of ice.

Cola really should be poured over ice—that's the proper way. "Ah, this is it." It might seem like nothing, but details like this quietly make you happy.

From lamb to Chinese dishes

Hwarodam Yang Kkochi isn't just about lamb. There's also guo bao rou, mapo tofu, crispy eggplant with a fragrant flavor, griddled eggplant, and mango cream shrimp, plus dishes like Hwarodam fried rice, Hwarodam noodle soup, and smashed cucumber.

When you've been eating lamb for a while, you sometimes crave something else, and it was nice to be able to order Chinese dishes alongside it.

Mango cream shrimp

In the middle of the lamb, we ordered shrimp too. Crispy fried shrimp paired with a sweet cream sauce—

it's tasty on its own, but it's also the kind of dish that makes you want a beer. After all that lamb, one bite of shrimp brought a completely different flavor into the mix.

"This is perfect with drinks."

Hwarodam fried rice

After the lamb, we also ordered the fried rice.

Seafood fried rice with a Thai chili tossed in here and there, so a quiet heat builds as you eat.

A bite of lamb, then a spoonful of fried rice, with a Thai chili here and there—it worked well.

Smashed cucumber (oi tangtangi)

A meal of grilled meat feels incomplete without something like this.

Fresh cucumber with a bite of spicy chili made for a refreshing side. A bite of lamb, then a bite of cucumber—it cleared the palate and sent me right back to the lamb.

Hwarodam noodle soup

We ended with the noodle soup. A spicy, tingling broth with corn noodles in it—after all that lamb and Chinese food, a spoonful of broth made me think, "Ah, this is the perfect way to finish."

After slurping down the noodles, that's when the meal truly felt done. We came for lamb and left having properly eaten our way through Chinese food too.

Booking Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok for a work dinner

This time it was just the two of us, but next time I want to come as a group for a work dinner. Looking around Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok, there's room space available for group dinners or gatherings. That kind of thing matters when a group gets together.

With a room available and reservations possible, I thought, "Maybe I'll book here for the next work dinner." Next time, I want to reserve for the right number of people and eat the French rack, shoulder rack, and flower rib meat again, plus try guo bao rou and other Chinese dishes.

Lamb before and after Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok

Eating at Hwarodam Yang Kkochi shifted my thinking about lamb a bit. At first it was just, "Let's go eat lamb skewers today,"

but once I actually had the French rack, then the shoulder rack, then the flower rib meat, each bite was "Huh, that's good," then another bite, "This is tasty," and I just kept eating, piece after piece.

If you're looking for lamb skewers or lamb in Magok, I'd recommend giving Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok a try. Your thinking about lamb might change the way mine did.

So I really think lamb has to be divided into before and after visiting Hwarodam Yang Kkochi. For me, this was the day I had to create a whole new category for lamb.

Hwarodam Yang Kkochi Magok / 66 Magokjungang 6-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 2F 207–209, Queens Park 10, South Korea / About 298 meters from Exit 9 of Balsan Station / Last order 10:10 PM